My Houzz: Collected and Creative Appeal in Tampa

What should a couple do when their newly built home lacks the charm and character their tastes dictate? They make adjustments, like painting the kitchen cabinets and changing out the floors. Then, if that’s not enough, they fill it to the brim with pieces that are unique, stylish and eclectic.

Florida resident Amy Bay, a professional DIYer, and her husband, Chris, a sales director for a school bus company, wanted to move from their historic home in the city to a newly built house in the suburbs, so they could raise their son in a quiet, traditional community like the ones they grew up in. The home they built came with standard tile floors and cabinets, which the Bays knew they would quickly change out and upgrade for a more inspired look. “The house was very vanilla,” recalls Amy. They traded the carpeting and tile for hardwood flooring once they closed on the home, and installed interior arches for more character and charm.

“While my husband and I completed most of the work,” Amy says, “our friends and family helped immensely as we continued to make changes.”

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Amy and Chris Bay; their son, Carson (age 11); and their Great Dane, Merlin
Location: Tampa, Florida
Size: 2,120 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built: 2004

The living room is where the family enjoys watching television and entertaining friends. “The sofas were pretty torn up by Merlin, so I had them re-covered,” says Amy, alluding to the family’s Great Dane. “Slipcovers for these sofas were extremely pricey, so I had a local seamstress, Wayne and Marion, make slipcovers for me out of drop cloth purchased at Lowe’s.”

Amy used vintage French linen for the slipcover on the ottoman. Her love for repurposing items is evident in the chicken coop mirror and the industrial illuminated letters behind the sofa.

Wall paint: Wheat Bread 720C-3, Behr


The living room media cabinet was custom made by a local artisan. Amy made the Advent calendar from mismatched stockings; son Carson loves to find a new treat in one on every day of Advent. Amy crafted the burlap Christmas trees lining the cabinet. The clock was handed down to her by a friend.

Cabinet: custom; clock: Anthropologie (no longer available); wall paint: Wheat Bread 720C-3, Behr


Amy loves working with salvaged wood and metal. She made the round mirror out of a rusty piece of metal she found on a trip to the Round Top Antiques Fair in Texas. This is her favorite place to travel to every year and is the source for most of her treasures.

Table: zinc top, Blue Moon Trading Company; cabinet, chairs: Anthropologie (no longer available); art: Wisteria; frames: Four Corners; window treatments: custom; chandelier, wire baskets: vintage finds; wall paint: Wheat Bread 720C-3, Behr


Amy loves turquoise and has collected china and pottery in that hue for years. She displays her collection inside a cabinet from Anthropologie, festooned with a homemade garland. “I love rusty metal for some strange reason,” Amy says. The old bowls seen here are dressed for the holidays with greenery, limestone balls, sea stars and decorative spheres from Pier 1.




The home’s foyer sports Amy’s favorite color and an arched entrance into the kitchen-dining area. Amy changes the foyer’s decor according to the season. An original trolley sign from Europe is covered with two burlap ribbons to display holiday cards. The vintage arrow above it was purchased at an antiques fair in Atlanta.

Chandelier: Restoration Hardware (no longer available); rug, paper lanterns: Blue Moon Trading Company; main wall paint: Wheat Bread 720C-3, Behr; accent wall paint: Majestic Blue, Benjamin Moore


Amy’s creations and repurposed items are sought after by clients throughout the Tampa area. Her crafty abilities are on display in the entrance hall, which features a mirror, shelf and garland that she made. The old display box is a found item filled with shells that she’s collected with Carson on trips to the beach. The reclaimed-wood “Christmas tree” was found at the Round Top Antiques Fair.


Amy gave the kitchen’s dark wood cabinets a facelift by painting them a light gray. “I feel like it made a significant difference in the space,” she says. The cabinet tops are lined with more antiques fair finds, such as breadboards, artwork and old wine jugs.

Chandelier: Zentique; green metal cabinet: Blue Moon Trading Company


The family’s kitchen island is an old factory cart; it sports unique items such as a bottle holder found on a flea market trip. The charming lantern chandelier is from the local shop Blue Moon Trading Company.


The former pantry was eliminated to accommodate additional cabinets and a nook for the kitchen’s refrigerator, so Amy turned a custom piece into the kitchen’s pantry and message center. She painted the piece grayish blue and applied chalkboard paint to the front. The stools are made from old tractor seats.

A collection of old oil cans and a wooden soda crate displayed atop a vintage turquoise table keep the industrial feel going. Amy’s collection of vintage odds and ends continues atop the pantry.


The shared office space is light and airy, with bright colors offset by neutral walls. “I like to use a pretty basic palette, since I change things so often,” Amy says. “A neutral wall color and hardwood flooring give me the freedom to change a rug or artwork without a problem.”

Frame: custom, Four Corners; wall paint: Wheat Bread 720C-3, Behr


The couple’s bedroom pairs vintage finds with new pieces — a look that Amy calls a mix of bohemian and eclectic. “I have an ever-changing style where I will get rid of something and replace it with a piece I have now fallen in love with,” she says. The custom window treatments are made with drop cloth canvas; the table is vintage.

Bed: Restoration Hardware (no longer available); wine jug lamp bases: custom, Bay to Bay Lighting; Burlap Flared Drum Lamp Shade: Pottery Barn; bedding: Anthropologie (no longer available); wall paint: Majestic Blue, Benjamin Moore


Amy added a piece of wrought iron to the top of a vintage wood cabinet. “I had no idea what to do with it, until one day it dawned on me to place it on top of the cabinet,” she says. “It fit perfectly.”

Monogrammed pillows: Blue Moon Trading Company


The laundry room door was replaced with a barn door made from old barn wood. The door was hung on tracks purchased from a tractor supply company. The dental cabinet is one of Amy’s oldest pieces, and she loves the worn, rusted look of it. The Bays also like featuring their son’s artwork throughout the home, as shown here with his ice cream cone art.

Wall paint: Wheat Bread 720C-3, Behr


Carson’s bathroom has an industrial feel, with its light fixture, locker basket and vintage dental cabinet. Amy went to a local antiques fair when one of the booths was getting ready to close, and managed to snag the cabinet for only $100, as the vendors didn’t want to haul it home.

“This is one of those pieces I will always keep,” says Amy. She kept the cabinet its original color but had it sprayed by an auto paint shop.


The front entrance gives guests a warm welcome with its square wreath and unique planters. Amy bought the wrought iron wall hangings years ago and added the upside-down wire trees years later. At first she had no idea what to do with them. “And then it dawned on me that I should turn them into planters,” she says.

The couple planted a vine by the front door to infuse the entry with charm. “It has taken years to grow,” notes Amy. “But once it grew, it helped add character to the home.”


Merlin lounges on an old army cot on the patio. Amy hung vintage water basins on the wall and turned them into planters.

She loves hunting for new items for the home too. “Luckily, I have a husband that doesn’t mind me mixing things up often,” she says. Even Merlin was found on one of her shopping trips.


The couple has collected bottle caps over the years and incorporated them into the top of the outside bar. (The orange caps were arranged to spell out the family name.) The family loves to entertain outside and has even hosted Christmas dinner here, as Florida winters are mild.


Chris built the pergola, which is draped with white lights to brighten up the space in the evenings. The front of the bar is adorned with vintage industrial letters; the stools were made from old Bali boat wood.

“We love to entertain,” says Amy, shown here, “and typically have parties and get-togethers where we have a few drinks, more than enough food and great fun.”

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