Kenwood Gables Bed and Breakfast

BY MARCIA BIGGS

When Jayson and Reymond Lazaro dream, they dream big. With the opening of the Kenwood Gables Bed and Breakfast last fall, the couple’s dream came true. But renovating the sprawling historic Tudor Revival home became a road paved with ups and downs that continued over 3 1/2 years.

After spending the year searching, the couple purchased the five bedroom house in late 2016. Reymond spotted it for sale on the internet, its magnifi cent high-ceilinged Great Room with ornate carvings above the fireplace catching his eye. Jayson grew up in Pinellas County so was familiar with St. Pete, but Kenwood in those days was not a desirable neighborhood. He was amazed to see the transformation two decades later.

Taking a leap of faith, the couple packed up their New York condo and headed to St. Pete to begin their new life as owners of a historic bed and breakfast. And an adventure it became. Their goal for the home was to create comfortable elegance, each room with its own individual character. “The home had been renovated and was turn-key ready for a family,” said Jayson, “but we needed to do a lot more renovation and restoration to bring it up to code for a bed and breakfast. I was a fashion designer in New York for the better part of 25 years. Reymond is the experienced one as far as hospitality and sales go. He lived in Havana, Cuba, where he owned and operated a B&B or ‘casa particular.’ ”

The next couple years would be filled with repairing and restoring stucco throughout the house to make it similar to the 1920s style, installing a proper fire alarm and sprinkler systems, removing carpeting on the second and third floors and installing wood floors, renovating the stairwell, baseboard and trim, and restoring the cypress in the great room and porch.

In the backyard, they added a pool, a pergola and a lounge deck and lush landscaping. Paperwork, inspections, and approvals seemed to be never-ending. “I did extensive research on Tudor Revival home color palettes,” said Jayson. “Most of them were quite dark, but we kept going back to a really deep blue and decided to go with that color since the Great Room is so large and has so much light.”

They worked closely with a contractor to make sure all renovations were done to the specifi cations and design plan. Reymond was trained in Cuba as a carpenter, so took pride in restoring the woodwork trim and other details throughout the house.

The Lazaros have had great fun furnishing the home, scouring consignment shops, thrift stores, salvage yards and home furnishing stores. Some items, like the porch rocking chairs, a wardrobe and cathedral bed they restored themselves. Reymond’s favorite room is the Brewton Vintage Room. It’s fi lled with an eclectic mix of hand-picked furnishings including artwork from Cuba. Jayson’s favorite room is the Great Room with it high ceiling and welcoming fireplace. They offi cially welcomed their first guests last November, anticipating a busy spring and summer. The pandemic has created a bit of anxiety, Jayson admits, with most guests cancelling. They feel fortunate to have received several grants for small business owners, including one from the city’s Fighting Chance Fund, to help them survive the summer months.

And hope continues to grow.

Homeowners Jayson, left, and Reymond Lazaro

“We feel this is a new chapter in our lives,” says Jayson. “We love St. Pete and we both have family in the state. We could not have done this without all their support, encouragement and love.”

The Nomad Suite

The Castaway Suite

About the House

Located in the Historic Kenwood neighborhood at 2801 7th Avenue N., the Tudor Revival home was built in the early 1930s as a seven-room house. Kenwood Gables’ first owner, Mrs. Grace Brewton, moved to St. Petersburg from Washington, D.C. in 1920 and was credited with contributing to Kenwood’s development during the 1920s.

Mrs. Brewton undertook some renovations and added a large room, quite probably the Great Room, adding more bathrooms and enlarging the kitchen throughout the years. She lived there until her death in 1962. The property had at least six owners from then until Jayson and Reymond Lazaro bought it in December 2016. Records indicate since 1962, the residence was converted into apartments, fell into disrepair and underwent remodeling including the addition of two ground fl oor master suites. The Kenwood Gables B&B received recognitions in 2019 for Best Preservation by Preserve the Burg, a preservation society preserving the character and construction of a building. In September, the Lazaros were recognized with a Best Business Award by the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association.

The bed and breakfast offers five guest rooms including two master suites on the main floor, both with French doors opening onto a poolside deck, and three vintage rooms on the second floor. The Nomad Suite is a colorful, cheerful poolside suite in rich jewel tones decorated with ornate textiles and art drawn upon the exotic bazaars of north Africa and the markets of India, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Castaway Suite, in contrast, is tranquil and light, an oasis of white-washed coastal chic with a king-size poster bed and soaking tub.

The Astoria Room reflects on the New York Queens neighborhood where Jayson lived; it’s a cozy room with design books, magazines, photos and artwork and other fashion mementos from his career.

The Brewton Room is an homage to the original owner, that honors private homeowners and business owners for Mrs. Grace Brewton, a blend of Boho-chic with modern and traditional touches.

The Burlington Vintage Room is a quaint escape that is just steps away from a sitting room nook that’s stocked with books and games.

To make reservations at Kenwood Gables Bed & Breakfast, go to thekenwoodgables.com or call (727) 289-1199. To drop in, please call in advance or email thekenwoodgables@gmail.com