The invitation from the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce for the grand-reopening party and ribbon-cutting at Pines & Palms Resort was clear: “To help create a great visual for TV, please try to wear a light blue or turquoise shirt if possible.”
And the attendees of last Saturday’s event, which was being filmed by HGTV, definitely got the memo. Ralph Lauren would have wept happy tears at the gathering’s perfectly laid-back elegance: Little girls in long sundresses piled in a hammock, while women in floral cocktail dresses sipped champagne. Even the sky was perfectly turquoise.
Despite this event looking easy Keys-y, it was actually years in the making. According to Katie McKimm, one of the owners of the Pines & Palms Resort, the redo of the resort involved two families, two HGTV stars, a grand wedding, two general contractors, a “rock star” manager, a loyal staff, scads of kids and a lot of building permits.
“We just wrapped filming in February,” she said, referring to the show “Building Baeumler,” which documented the resort’s makeover. “We, as friends, purchased the resort in May 2022.”
Locals may be happy to learn that Pines & Palms was bought by two families, the McKimms and the Reizens. The matriarchs, Katie McKimm and Raynie Reizen, met seven years ago while on a field trip for their preschoolers. The women realized their husbands both liked to fish, arranged a fishing trip together to the Keys (the families are originally from Naples), and the rest is history.
“We fell in love with the area and started fishing here all the time,” McKimm said, proudly pointing out that 13-year-old Mackenzie Reizen took home first place in the junior-angler division at the Fish for Holly Tournament in January. “We wanted to give back to the community.”
The previous owners of Pines & Palms, Sara and Jim Bernardin, had a goal to sell to a family who cared for their property, said McKimm, who spoke passionately about keeping the local spirit of the property’s cluster of cottages, which has been around since the 1930s.
“We could have gone in, demoed, and done a high-rise. We kept the cottages,” she said.
The McKimms and the Reizens also opened up the Sea La Vie Beach Boutique on site with Pasta and Angela Pantaleo, longtime Islamorada residents and business owners who have filled the store with artwork and jewelry. In addition, the Paris Coffee Gone Coastal Coffee & Take Two Kitchen food trucks are now on the property.
“No employees were let go or put on leave,” McKimm pointed out. “Some employees have been here for 20 years. Our general manager is Baiba Palatgave. She has been instrumental in our renovation. A true rock star. And it took 2 general contractors to get projects done — Native Construction and Lombardi Development. The grounds were completely renovated by Mike Flaugh.”
After they bought the property, the two families were introduced to Sarah and Bryan Baeumler, the popular HGTV hosts who restored and designed their own resort in the Bahamas on the show “Renovation Island.” The Baeumlers agreed to help redesign the Pines & Palms, and they documented it for their new series, “Building Baeumler.” All rooms were remodeled, along with the office, pool and pool bar.
Sarah Baeumler told Keys Weekly that “my goal was to breathe new life into each space while keeping its charm and character intact. We wanted it to feel effortlessly inviting, where coastal comfort meets laid-back luxury. The design brought re-imagined bathroom and living spaces, natural textures, soft ocean-inspired tones, and thoughtful details that make every space feel warm and welcoming. It’s all about creating a place where guests can slow down, soak in the surroundings of the Florida Keys, and truly unwind.”
And somehow, in the fall, despite the construction tape still being up in some parts of the property, the Baeumlers, McKimms, and Reizens managed to coordinate so that Pines & Palms could host a wedding for 120 in November.
“It created some drama,” McKimm said with a laugh. “But we pulled it off.”
As the new glossy photos and website attest, the makeover is a stunner.
Pines & Palms Resort is located at 80401 Old Highway, Islamorada. For more information, go to www.pinesandpalms.com. For more info on photographer Justyna Pohl, go to @justynazpohlphotography on Instagram.
