Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Wednesday that he does not believe the solution to the botched dismissal of former Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey is to start over and redo a vote on the new commissioner.

Our collective concern has been focused on the way Gerry Baileys dismissal was handled, not on the way Rick Swearingens hiring was handled, Putnam told the Herald/Times, a day after Chief Financial OfficerJeff Atwaterhand-delivered a letterto Gov.Rick Scottasking to reopen the search for a new commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Im not sure that this proposed cure matches the disease that were concerned with.

Putnam and his fellow Cabinet members, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Atwater, have been stung by their decision to let Scott and his staff mislead them into thinking that Bailey voluntarily resigned from the post on Dec. 16. Scott initially claimed it was voluntary and then, when pressed last week, admitted he forced Bailey out.

The Cabinet unanimously voted to replace Bailey last week with Scott's hand-picked choice, Rick Swearingen, a former FDLE agent who served on the governor's security detail often during much of the governor's first term.

Putnam said he is concerned about the disruption of a vote to backtrack on Swearingens unanimous election by the Cabinet last week. My primary focus is that we have strong leadership and stability at FDLE, he said. The proposal late Tuesday by Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater to backtrack the vote that elected Rick Swearingen with a candidate being pushed by Atwater is. Theyre a long way from that in terms of stability given everything thats going on.

We should be very cognizant about how we are managing and how we are empowering the leadership of that agency, and their work on a day to day basis, based on concerns, frustrations, anger about the way the previous leader was treated.

Now, Putnam said, he wants to see the governor and the three independently-elected members of the Cabinet exercise more authority, deliberation and transparency in discussing all decisions before the board.

He said Scotts response to Atwater,which indicated that the governor wants to clean house of three other agency heads appointed by the Cabinet, is an opening for a new discussion.

Scott responded to Atwater late Tuesday that he wants the Cabinet to consider discussing the removal ofKevin McCarty from his job as Florida Insurance Commissioner;Marshall Stranburgfrom his post as executive director of theDepartment of RevenueandDrew J. Breakspearfrom his job as Commissionerof theOffice of Financial Regulation.

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Putnam disagrees with Atwater: redo hiring Swearingen hire is too disruptive

(Courtesy photo)

A downstairs half bathroom, often called the powder room, is an excellent room to tackle when you want to spruce up your home without spending a lot of time or money. It is also probably the one room your guests spend more time in than you do, meaning it's easy to overlook, but its appearance has quite an impact on how visitors experience your home.

When we moved into our house, the half bath had ostensibly been recently remodeled (unlike the rest of the 1960s structure). For a long time, we let it be. But then, as often happens when you remodel the rest of your house, it started to look tired and outdated, so we set about giving it an inexpensive refresh with these four simple steps:

1. A lick of paint: A new paint job is the most straightforward way of updating any room. The theme of our half bath had been a "classic" green and gold. For a more modern look, I chose a red, silver and gray color palette. A coat of Sherwin Williams' French Grey ($40 a gallon) brought the room into the 21st century in one afternoon. Gray is a very hot color right now, especially in bathrooms, and I can see why: It's bright and airy in daylight, but adds some drama and style when lit up in the evening.

2. Refresh the fixtures: We removed all the old faux bronze fixtures and replaced them with chrome-and-white ones. It's important to pick your faucet first, since it's a focal point.

3. Look at your lighting: Lighting is a crucial part of any refresh, especially in the small confines of a half bath, where lighting can be tricky. We kept the lights positioned on either side of the mirror, which got its own update from a coat of red spray paint to take it from traditional to contemporary in minutes. This positioning helps diffuse the light and avoids those ugly shadows you get from direct down lighting. Light fixtures can be pricey, so we shopped around until we found these Progress Lighting Lynzie single fixtures for $40 each.

4. Replace the toilet seat: Of course, a whole new toilet will really refresh a bathroom, but when you're on a budget, switching out a toilet seat makes a surprisingly big difference. We spent $14 on a Glacier Bay wooden toilet seat with chrome hinges, which really pulls the whole room together.

In total, the refresher came in at just under $220.

(Courtesy photo)

The half bath is much more of a focal point than you might think, and by investing a small amount of time and money it's easy to transform it into something special.

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Refresh a half bath in four steps

By Deborah K. Dietsch January 22 at 5:30 AM

Now you see it, now you dont.

Homeowner David Sayles slides a lacquered wood door to close his kitchen from view. He pushes identical panels in the opposite direction to hide a built-in bookcase. Once closed, the row of 8-by-4-foot partitions blend into the similar white walls of the adjacent living room.

I dont like staring at appliances or dirty dishes in the sink, says Sayles, 48, a health-care specialist. I didnt want the kitchen and living room to be part of the same space.

Concealing everyday necessities is important to Sayles in maintaining his clutter-free home. Few furnishings take up space in the rooms, and most personal belongings are stashed out of sight. His two-level condominium showcases the abundant storage spaces and intensive level of detail required of super-minimalist design.

I like glass, metal, clean lines, Sayles says, pointing to his steel-framed dining table. This is the kind of aesthetic that I gravitate to. I find it relaxing, calming and serene.

The spare two-story apartment presents a stark contrast to its host, a Victorian townhouse near Dupont Circle. Sayles bought the unit in 1997 for $298,000 and waited until 2013 to remodel. I wanted a change and thought I would buy a new condo on 14th Street, but prices have skyrocketed, and I couldnt find a place I liked, he says.

At a friends recommendation, Sayles turned to Kube Architecture in the District to renovate his condo in a stripped-down style reflective of his taste. The remodeling required gutting the 1,350-square-foot interior to raise the ceilings to 10 feet, increase the supply of daylight and achieve the spacious flow of a loft.

The kitchen was expanded and fitted with Ikea cabinets, stainless-steel appliances, synthetic quartz countertops and the sliding doors. On the second floor, the back bedroom was opened to a sleek new bathroom shared with the master bedroom in the front.

New closets, their doors lacking visible hardware, stretch along one entire side of the upper level. Even the owners toothbrush and shaver and an electrical outlet are designed to disappear, all hidden within a small cabinet over the bathroom sink.

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A seamless, minimalist D.C. condo maximizes storage and lighting

Defective Roofing Slates - Know What to Look For!
Those of you who don #39;t have a lot of experience installing natural quarried roofing slates need to watch this video. You need to know what to look for when c...

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Why Cedar Shingles are Considered the Right Roofing Material
Custom Shingles offers Steam Bent Cedar Shingles for a wide variety of roof and wall applications. These shingles give an appearance of spontaneous and natural craft.

By: Sarah downes

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Why Cedar Shingles are Considered the Right Roofing Material - Video

Metro Express Roofing Promo Video
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Beechworth R D: Weather Testing
http://www.abedward.com - (847) 827-1605 - We are Chicagoland #39;s Premier Roofing, Siding, Gutters and Windows Experts. At A.B. Edward, we enjoy working closely with our customers to provide...

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Beechworth R&D: Weather Testing - Video

Brian and Tishia Brown, 4417 Appletree Court, reroof residence, Barnes Roofing and Gutter Cleaning Service, $7,765.

Belt Highway LP, 615 N. Belt Highway, tenant finish for Leslie Swimming Pool Supplies, JCOR Inc., $180,000.

Edwin and Linda Obermier, 7117 S. 10th St., construct residential detached garage, King City Lumber Co., $43,380.

Thomas Edward Development LLC, 5334 Barbara St., remodel interior of house, $18,000.

Catherine Bales, 2621 Folsom St., reroof residence, Kincaid Co., $9,800.

Ronald and Vickie Howard, 2002 Main St., construct patio cover over existing patio, Alenco Home Improvement, $7,876.

Robert and Judith Reed, 1709 Dewey Ave., reroof residence, B&K Roofing, $17,900.

Michael and Sandra Adkins, 3318 Primrose Lane, reroof residence, Barnes Roofing and Gutter Cleaning Service, $3,895.

Kenneth and Pamela Brown, 3925 W. Haverill Drive, reroof residence, Barnes Roofing and Gutter Cleaning Service, $5,446.

Jeffrey and Laurie Coe, 3300 Douglas St., reroof residence, Barnes Roofing and Gutter Cleaning Service, $7,769.

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Building permits, Jan. 22, 2015

Maryland diocese: Bishop at wheel in fatal hit-and-run Maryland diocese: Bishop at wheel in fatal hit-and-run

Updated: Tuesday, December 30 2014 8:57 AM EST2014-12-30 13:57:43 GMT

An Episcopal bishop who was the driver in a hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist in Baltimore was charged four years ago with drunken driving and marijuana possession, court documents show.

An Episcopal bishop who was the driver in a hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist in Baltimore was charged four years ago with drunken driving and marijuana possession, court documents show.

Updated: Friday, December 12 2014 7:58 AM EST2014-12-12 12:58:11 GMT

Police say a man was arrested after he was found naked and masturbating outside of his Stuart home. According to tcpalm.com, the incident happened back on November 14. Police say the man, identified as 21-year-old Anthony Smith, told deputies that his mother won't let him watch pornography inside of the house.

Police say a man was arrested after he was found naked and masturbating outside of his Stuart home. According to tcpalm.com, the incident happened back on November 14. Police say the man, identified as 21-year-old Anthony Smith, told deputies that his mother won't let him watch pornography inside of the house.

Updated: Thursday, December 11 2014 8:32 AM EST2014-12-11 13:32:38 GMT

Police say a teen is dead after he allegedly tried to rob a man on a D.C. street and had his own gun turned on himself.

Police say a teen is dead after he allegedly tried to rob a man on a D.C. street and had his own gun turned on himself.

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Cannonball found in chimney of Georgetown home

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Window Replacement Tampa FL | How to Determine the best in Your Area | Free Report - Video