Residential Restoration

The house was originally built in a bungalow style in 1923, but the owners suspect that as former owner Fred Blair’s wealth grew, he remodeled it into a Greek revival style in the 1930s. Though the house had great bones and appealing quirks, it needed substantial updates and improvements, particularly in the kitchen. It had undergone renovations over the years that didn’t honor the historic charm. The kitchen was part of an extensive whole-house remodel that prioritized preservation and restoration. Historic preservation was important to the family, since it loved the home’s great bones and wanted to maintain its historic integrity and charm. St. Petersburg has a special ad valorem tax-abatement program that encourages historic preservation, freezing property taxes to the pre-renovation value for 10 years.