Way out west on St. Pete’s Central Avenue there’s an aqua blue oasis disguised as a salon. Proprietor and hairstylist Charley Soderbergh is not only a wizard with scissors and haircolor, he’s a painter — and, as befits his profession, a genial expert at the art of conversation. (A knack for dialogue runs in the family; his brother is writer/director Steven Soderbergh). He moved here from Atlanta just a few years ago, and it didn’t take long before he attracted a loyal clientele of both women and men. With local artists like Chad Mize on the walls (as well as artworks by Soderbergh himself), a peaceful garden out back, and expert colleagues Reneata Collins, the highly skilled “facial guru,” and Arielle Lane, a nail technician who also paints, draws and plays the musical saw, Charlie has cornered the market on full-service beauty, inside and out. 5337 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-433-5230, luxstudio.com. —David Warner
Goods & Services: Tampa Bay businesses that did it right.
Tampa Bay businesses that did it right.
RUNNERS-UP: AER Apartments, Post SoHo Square Apartments
Wood wizard Jon Stine is known for crafting beautiful longboards, beer taps and very-high-end custom furniture, but countertops — who knew? When my boyfriend and I went searching for wood countertops that didn’t look like 1985-married ScanDesign, we ran into Stine working in the back room of Anderson Lumber and learned, shockingly, that we could afford him. He added artistic touches — tying together the tones of wood between the high-top and the work surface, carving out space for a mermaid compass rose, and using his power tools to add creative weathering to the cypress — all without calling attention to itself as “art.” Facebook: Stine Custom Woodworks, LLC. —Cathy Salustri
RUNNERS-UP: Autoworks of Tampa, Big John’s Brake & Alignment Service
RUNNERS-UP: Grow Financial Federal Credit Union, Suncoast Federal Credit Union
