Casa Chocolate, Bohemian Historical district

Casa Chocolata Some houses are carefully planned. Others reveal themselves slowly, piece by piece, to someone willing to listen. For pastry chef Michael Baugh, this 1922 Craftsman bungalow spoke loudly enough to stop a demolition. When Michael purchased the home from the City of St. Petersburg in 2002 for $15,000, it was scheduled to be torn down the following week. What stood before him was less a house than a challenge. The roof was gone. There were trees growing through the interior. Windows were missing, the front door had vanished, and the walls bore bullet holes from less glamorous days. Most buyers might have walked away. Michael saw potential. "'d come home from work and ask myself, What does this house need?'" he recalls. Without formal training as a carpenter and with no architectural plans, he began rebuilding Casa Chocolata almost entirely by hand. Over the course of nine months, the structure slowly transformed. Aluminum siding was removed to reveal the original wooden clapboard beneath, restoring the home's distinctive Craftsman character with its double-gabled roofline and stepped rafters. Inside, Michael stripped the house down to the studs, removing lath and plaster and rebuilding each room with patience, creativity, and a keen eye for detail. The result is a home filled with handcrafted artistry. Look down and you'll notice intricate floor inlays,

including a compass rose and nautical star designs made from bloodwood, oak, and maple. In the den, a striking double herringbone pattern anchors the space, a reminder that craftsmanship often lies underfoot. One of the home's most charming moments occurs at the top of the circular staircase, where architectural details evoke the feeling of standing on the deck of a ship. Throughout the house, Michael's love of repurposed and "found" objects becomes clear. Unexpected materials and whimsical touches appear everywhere, from salvaged trim to a copper cappuccino maker reimagined as a light fixture. HAPPINESS Outside, the backyard has been transformed into a lush tropical retreat. Where once there was little more than bare ground, Michael created a garden oasis complete with a swimming pool, jacuzzi, raised patio, and arbor. The extensive paver courtyard tells its own story. After receiving a $26,000 installation quote, Michael decided to do the work himself. What began as five pallets of pavers ultimately became nineteen, all carefully placed by his own hands. More recently, the home has taken on yet another life. When the pandemic forced the closure of Michael's beloved Tampa bakery, Let Them Eat Cake, he converted the former carport into a working bakery studio. Today, the space allows him to continue baking award-winning cakes and pastries while mentoring aspiring chefs and supporting charitable efforts including Make-A-Wish. Casa Chocolata is more than a restored bungalow. It is a testament to vision, perseverance, and the belief that a house, much like a recipe, becomes something extraordinary when crafted with care. As Michael likes to say, every screw and every nail in this home was placed with love.