The 1926 Colonial on Palace Avenue looks as if it might have been imagined for a vision board of the American dream. Or, reimagined. The fresh white exterior contrasts with the crisp black shutters and flower boxes.
A child’s swing hangs from a tree, a tree that also provides shade for two Adirondack chairs positioned on a circular patio of bluestone. Under the portico, a doormat welcomes visitors with the message, “So happy you’re here.” As she opens the front door to the home in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood of St.
Paul, Mary Haugh’s smile is just as welcoming. It’s not really her home, though; she’s an investor who is selling the property after buying it to update in a way that honors the vintage charm (including sourcing period hardware and doors at architectural salvage shops) while applying modern elements (such as removing the boiler and adding ductwork to install forced-air heating and cooling). Just don’t call her a flipper.
Through her company, the Second Stripe , she’s more like the Queen of Second Chances. “I much prefer to think of it as revitalization,” Haugh said. “We call them ‘ Second Stripe Revival Homes ‘ — it’s a revival, a restoration and renovation to bring joy and life to a 100-year-old house.
“Our focus is on houses from the 1920s in St. Paul and Minneapolis because there are so many of them, and there so many that need revitalizing.” The Second Stripe is not only a second chance for the houses; it represents.