Tom Vorjohan and his girlfriend, Pam Arnold, were walking around a boat show in Gulfport last year when they stumbled across a vendor who had reconditioned old ship portholes into eclectic silver mirrors. “I loved the oversized bolts and rivet holes, so we bought three and figured we would somehow incorporate them into the renovation of our St. Petersburg home,” says Tom.
Just a few months prior, Tom and Pam, who currently live in Knoxville, Tennessee, purchased the Broadwater home with the intention of making it their future residence. The guest bathroom was part of the first phase of the remodel. Doug King, the owner of King Contracting, is in charge of the renovation. “Our goal was to open up the space, so we gutted the entire bathroom and removed the soffit over the sink to make the ceiling appear higher,” says King. “The porthole mirrors were then the jumping off point of the design.”
King and his team also removed the dated tub to make way for a new curbless shower and added a new floating vanity and toilet, as well as a light fixture that features Bluetooth technology to allow guests to listen to music. “Tom really wanted his guests to feel comfortable when they visit and this space allows for that,” he says.
The round shape of the porthole mirrors inspired Tom to design the layout of the tile used in the bathroom. “I wanted penny round tiles from the floor all the way to the ceiling,” he says. “I needed to create a pattern because I didn’t want the room to be dizzying, so the color blocks helped to establish the straight lines that we were able to form from circles.”
“The whole concept is impressive. Tom’s ideas led to an amazing design,” says King. “And for a guest bathroom, it is pretty unique.”
RESOURCES Contractor Doug King, CR, MBA, King Contracting, Inc.; Lighting Progress Lighting, Lightingdirect.com; Painting Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200, Z.F.P., Inc.; Flooring Matte Snow White penny round, Tons of Tile; Plumbing fixtures Brizo Vettis faucets; Kohler Bancroft showerhead; Kohler Veil toilet, supplied by Ferguson; Shower glass Largo Glass; Plumbing Mark-Ed, Inc.
Article by Christina Kleiner/Photos by Rob Barger
Article originally appeared in Housetrends Tampa Bay – November/December 2019