Bright Wood Works Inc. | Snell Isle Residence | Florida

Undertaking a first-time home renovation can be stressful, but for a young couple in St. Petersburg, Florida, they thoroughly enjoyed remodeling their 1950s residence. Caroline and Brad Savon had been searching for the perfect home in the St. Pete area, but due to lack of available new construction, they finally decided to purchase a fixer upper.

After seeing the potential of an older house in the Snell Isle neighborhood and falling in love with its original terrazzo flooring, Caroline and Brad began to compile inspiration to create a clear, minimalistic vision for their home. They saw a bright, modern kitchen with clean lines and enlisted the help of Michael Bright, a popular cabinetmaker in the region and owner of Bright Wood Works Inc., to execute their plan.

Bright, who had worked with REHAU surfaces on previous projects, was familiar with the cabinet door offerings and recommended them to the young couple. Influenced by the current mixed materials movement, he showed the homeowners cabinet door samples, RAUVISIO terra Mission Maple (a soft, textured HPL woodgrain) and FENIX NTM Bianco Kos (a white nanotech matte), which they took home and loved.

The couple chose RAUVISIO terra Mission Maple as the primary cabinet surface throughout the space. To complement the woodgrain and accentuate the vintage terrazzo floors, the homeowners  decided to use the white, matte surface, FENIX NTM Bianco Kos, on upper cabinets lending a very light, airy feel to the space. Glossy white waterfall countertops and backsplash and stainless steel handles completed the minimalist design.

The RAUVISIO terra cabinet doors bring the outdoors into this design with their durable and deeply textured wood grain surface, made from HPL rather than melamine paper. This product is offered as finished, cut-to-size pressed boards with REHAU LaserEdge applied, making it a modern must have.

“We wanted two-toned cabinetry and it was very important to us to have wood,” said the Savons. “We were searching for a true wood color – Mission Maple had the most beautiful tone with a modern wood look. We put this surface against the floors, our countertop, the upper cabinets… everything looked perfect together!”

Bright agreed saying, “I loved the warmth of the wood and the lightness of the upper cabinets. The woodgrain surface looks like it was kissed by Mother Nature and appears so natural.”

“The RAUVISIO terra line has many unique offerings with different grain patterns and colors,” Bright added, “and its durability exceeds expectations.”

In Florida, you get a lot of sun and natural light coming in through the windows. Other surfaces can be damaged, and whites are particularly vulnerable, but REHAU matte products offer UV resistance. “We wanted something white that we could keep clean,” said the Savons. “The thermal healing technology and anti-fingerprint of FENIX NTM sold us.”

FENIX NTM also offers low light reflectivity and features a smooth, soft touch surface, which appeals to the masses. This product combines an elegant look with state-of-the-art technological performance.

The REHAU cabinet doors chosen not only completed the kitchen, but also gave it a much richer, more expansive look – which appealed to the Savons.

Once the renovation was complete, Bright reflected on the homeowner’s reaction after seeing their new kitchen. “They absolutely loved it. We have a lot of happy clients, but they were just so excited and young…they couldn’t thank us enough!”

The Savons chimed in saying, “We can’t even put into words our reaction. Every day we walk in the front door and can’t believe we live here. This is our house! Our vision came to life; it is so gratifying. All of the pieces came together and, with Michael’s craftsmanship, it was truly perfection.”