Bayshore Gardens grew in the 1950s and 1960s on the Sarasota Bay side of US 41, just north of the county line, around a community park that still anchors the neighborhood. Its block homes were built with kitchens that suited their day: small, closed and short on drawers. Modernizing one is mostly about reclaiming space.
Modernizing a Mid-Century Bayshore Gardens Block Home Kitchen
The history is unusually well documented. A New York syndicate led by developer Sydney R. Newman bought about 3,200 acres of former tomato fields in 1955, the grand opening in 1956 offered four model homes in seven designs, and by April 1958 some 400 houses stood, designed by Sidney Wilkinson and built by Bayshore Gardens Inc. As a result, many of the earliest kitchens follow a small set of plans. Homes from this era usually combine concrete-block exterior walls and plaster with compact U- or L-shaped kitchens and soffits above the uppers. Original terrazzo often hides under later flooring. Common cabinet problems are worn boxes at the sink, blind corners, shallow uppers and a refrigerator opening too narrow for a modern unit.
Modular cabinets fix most of this without moving walls. Corner pullouts and drawers recover lost storage, uppers can grow taller once soffits are checked for ducts or wiring, and a wider refrigerator opening is a matter of re-planning the run. Opening the kitchen to the living room is wall work, permitted and done by a licensed contractor.
Living near Sarasota Bay also means humid air and, on low-lying streets, flood exposure. Moisture-resistant boxes, a sealed sink base and a flood-zone check before any large remodel make sense here. Manatee County’s floodplain staff can tell you how FEMA’s substantial improvement rule applies to your home.
Is Bayshore Gardens Inside Our Regular Sarasota Service Area?
Yes. Bayshore Gardens sits just north of the Sarasota–Manatee county line, a short run up US 41 from our location at 2235 6th St, and it is closer to us than several Sarasota County neighborhoods. The census-designated place, home to 19,904 people in 2020, runs from Sarasota Bay on the southwest to Bowlees Creek and Whitfield on the southeast, with South Bradenton to the north. The 100-acre main campus of State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota, including the Neel Performing Arts Center, is a handy landmark when giving directions. Since 2014, University of Florida students and residents have inventoried the neighborhood’s mid-century houses, and a state historic designation is still being pursued. Homes in the 34207 ZIP code are covered, as are neighboring South Bradenton and Longboat Key.
We have not published a project or a customer review from a Bayshore Gardens address. What applies here is our process and our overall record: 5.0 stars across 28 Google reviews, which you can read on our reviews page.
Kitchen, Bath and Countertop Services Near Sarasota Bay
Kitchen Remodeling
Kitchen remodels that recover storage in compact 1950s and 1960s layouts, keeping the plumbing inside block walls where it is and spending the budget on cabinets, counters and lighting.
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Custom Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinets made to measure for plaster-over-block walls, soffits and tight corners, with corner pullouts and drawer stacks that suit the repeated floor plans of the late-1950s houses.
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Cabinet Replacement
Like-for-like cabinet replacement for sink bases worn by decades of slow leaks, set on the existing terrazzo where it survives and sized to the original kitchen footprint.
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Kitchen Design & 3D Rendering
3D design that lets you compare an opened or rearranged mid-century kitchen with a refreshed original layout before committing, including the cost of any wall work that needs a permit.
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Bathroom Remodeling
Updates for the small original bathrooms in Bayshore Gardens block homes, built around a vanity sized to the exact wall width with drawers in place of a single door.
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Countertops
Granite and quartz tops to replace worn laminate and tile counters, templated after the cabinets are set so short runs and window returns in older kitchens fit cleanly.
Learn more →Also planned for Bayshore Gardens homes: Custom Closets · Walk-In Closets · Reach-In Closets
Planning a kitchen or cabinet project in Bayshore Gardens? Book a technical visit.
Call (239) 545-0550Visit, 3D Kitchen Design and Installation for Bayshore Gardens Homes
- 1
In-home technical visit
A salesperson or technician measures the kitchen, checks soffits and wall plumb, notes the floor you plan to keep, and talks through what the room needs to do for you.
- 2
3D presentation
Your layout is developed in specialized software and presented in 3D, so you can compare a closed kitchen with an opened one, or a full replacement with a partial one, before deciding. Our kitchen design page explains this stage in detail.
- 3
Delivery and installation
Cabinets are delivered, set and leveled over your existing floor, and countertops are templated and installed on the finished boxes.
Bayshore Gardens is unincorporated, so permits for plumbing, electrical or structural changes come from Manatee County’s building department rather than the City of Bradenton or Sarasota County. Those trades are performed by contractors licensed in Florida, and we coordinate our cabinet and countertop installation around them.
What FT Cabinetry clients say
5.0★ average from 28 Google reviews · Read all reviews
“Great work...great people. Reliable. Super recommend them”
“FT Cabinetry is a true example of excellence in craftsmanship and customer service. I highly recommend FT Cabinetry to anyone looking to transform their space with stunning, durable, and beautifully designed cabinets! Great team.”
Reviews come from FT Cabinetry clients across our Southwest Florida service area.
Kitchen and cabinet questions from Bayshore Gardens
Can you modernize a 1950s Bayshore Gardens kitchen?
Yes. Most modernizations keep the room’s footprint and replace the cabinets, countertop and hardware, which avoids moving plumbing inside concrete-block walls. We add drawers, corner pullouts and taller uppers where soffits allow, and show the plan in 3D first. Opening a wall or relocating the sink is possible, but that part needs a permit and licensed trades.
Do you remodel bathrooms in Bayshore Gardens block homes?
Yes, with the vanity and storage at the center of the plan. Bathrooms of this age are often small, so a vanity built to the exact width, with drawers instead of a single door, makes a real difference. Tile, shower and plumbing changes are coordinated with the right licensed trades and permitted through Manatee County when required.
Is Bayshore Gardens inside your regular Sarasota service area?
Yes. At roughly 20 minutes from our 6th Street location, Bayshore Gardens is one of our closest Manatee County neighborhoods, and technical visits, delivery and installation here run the same way they do in Sarasota. Call (239) 545-0550 to arrange a visit at a time that suits you.
Can terrazzo floors stay in place during a cabinet replacement?
Usually, yes. Terrazzo is common in homes of this age, and new cabinets can be set on it with care. The open question is what lies under the old cabinets, which may be bare slab or a different material, so we check at the technical visit. That lets you match the old footprint or plan a floor repair before installation day.
Bayshore Gardens on the map and nearby
Nearby areas we serve
Guides for Bayshore Gardens homeowners
What Happens at a Kitchen Design Visit and 3D Presentation
What gets measured at the in-home visit, what to have ready, and how the 3D kitchen design is built, presented and revised.
Read the guide →
Kitchen Remodel Cost in Sarasota, FL: What Drives the Price
Published 2026 figures for Sarasota kitchen remodels vary widely; scope, cabinets, countertops, layout changes and condo logistics explain why.
Read the guide →