Every corner of our city has a story. Step Inside St. Pete is inspired by the impressive architecture & interior design within our beautiful, blooming city of St. Petersburg, Florida. Whether you live in Uptown, Downtown or any district in between, we love every style of St. Pete. Each month, we’ll show you our city up close and like never before.
For the second chapter of Step Inside St. Pete, we’re crossing over to Susan and Mark Croson’s home, in the northwest streets of Historic Kenwood. Mark works at the local Gulfport Marina and Susan works at our neighborhood Trader Joe’s on 4th St. It’s a Friday morning, and they’ve invited us over for coffee & treats from Fray’s Donut House.
Creativity Lives Here
Originally from Maryland, Sue and Mark had a certain feeling when they stepped inside this colonial bungalow back in 2015. Since then, they’ve transformed it into their own tropical paradise. As soon as they moved in, the duo got started on their renovations — building a beautiful fenced yard for their dog, Honey, painting each room a different color, building an outdoor shower, and most recently, creating the tiki hut!
“We’re outdoors people.”
Sue Croson talking about herself and her husband, Mark.
Because Sue works with the Trader Joe’s creative team (every sign is hand painted locally), she is inspired to design each home improvement to be unique. Mark handled the structure and functionality of the tiki bar, while Sue painted the entire wall by hand and turned it into a lifelike mural (shoutout to Tyler Beaird for his help throughout the construct as well!). Another standout piece in their home is the iconic Key West wooden signs they’ve created and personalized to destinations they’ve actually traveled to, customizing each sign to match their memories. If something wasn’t made by Mark & Sue, it was bought locally at vintage stores like Vintage Modern St. Pete, Deja Vu and so many more.
The Happy Home
Whether it’s a public “Porch Party” or a private “luau” with the Crosons, it’s important to step inside someone’s home to get the entire look and feel. If you look closely at the details, you’ll notice each room is centered around one piece of art that comes from the non-profit, PARC, a local organization that looks at people with developmental disabilities as people with capabilities empowering them to live life to the fullest.
Sue and Mark’s paintings of birds and sea creatures by underprivileged artists enrich their space with finer art and meaning. Sue and Mark’s bungalow is not only beautiful, it is joyful. Besides the décor, each room is filled with games and activities for everyone to enjoy. Get ready to grab a ukelele or rattle next time you’re at their oasis! Thanks to Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe on Central Ave., we brought a bottle of bubbles to celebrate the couple’s 40th anniversary year. Cheers to Susan and Mark Croson on creating their dream home in St. Pete and sharing it with all of us!
If you’re proud of your space, we want to see it. Email hello@ greenbenchmonthly.com at least three (3) pictures of your home or business and the name of your neighborhood district. Please include Step Inside St. Pete in the email’s subject line. Selections will be made to show homes and businesses that highlight the diversity of design here in St. Pete.
