A second run leads to a home run

Longfellow resident Mary Haugh got a second run at life and decided to give vintage homes a second life, too.
After surviving an aggressive form of cancer in the prime of her professional marketing career, Haugh launched Second Stripe.
She aims for homes that function as though they’re new but have the authentic feel of their original construction along with elements of joy infused throughout. It’s work that has given her new ways to apply the skills she’s developed over the last 30 years, and has infused a new sense of purpose into her career, inspiring those around her.

Diagnosis: aggressive breast cancer
Haugh always knew that cancer was probably in her future in her 60s or 70s. Her maternal great-grandmother died of cancer in mid-20th century, her maternal grandmother had breast cancer four separate times in her 70s and 80s, and her mother had it at age 68. “It was a surprise to be diagnosed when I was, in 2018,” she remarked.
“With my family history, the decision between lumpectomy plus radiation versus a double mastectomy was wrenching. I went with the lumpectomy, thinking radiation afterwards was the right way to go.” But they found evidence of cancer, a different kind, in the sentinel lymph node. That led the medical team to deduce that she had more cancer somewhere. So they recommended a double mastectomy anyways. She sought other opinions, going to the University of Minnesota and then Mayo, where they found the second cancer in the same breast, an inch from the first. She had another surgery, followed by radiation. Then there were five years of Tamoxifen. She will have scans every six months for the rest of her life.
“I’ve had long lasting after-effects which are still impacting me, six years later,” Haugh noted. Radiation fibrosis and musculo-skeletal issues ended up contributing to or causing a torn meniscus, broken tibia, Baker’s cyst, lipoma, a second torn meniscus, knee surgery and extended PT. “It’s been a long, long journey. Frustrating at times for sure. I’ve had many setbacks,” she said. “But I improve and start over. And improve some more. I’m lucky. I really am.”

House fire: burden becomes outlet
Within a month of the diagnosis, they had a house fire and had to move out for the restoration.
“At the beginning it felt utterly and completely overwhelming,” admitted Haugh. “I couldn’t take on another burden. But, as things progressed, it became a great outlet, something else to focus on. Something productive and tangible and visible. A creative outlet.”
She appreciated it so much that in 2022, Haugh decided to begin her own restoration company, Second Stripe.
“Learning something new is exhilarating,” she observed. “Stressful to be sure, but exciting. Being able to take skills I’ve developed over decades and apply them to a whole different business has been so much fun.”
Growing up in Macalester-Groveland, Haugh attended Saint Mark’s grade school on Dayton Avenue, and then Derham Hall High School on Albert Street. At St. Thomas, she earned her undergrad in psychology, business, and economics, and then got a master’s degree at the University of Minnesota in journalism, where she was also a TA for the psychology of advertising course for three years.
She had spent her entire career in advertising (and still maintains her marketing business, Persuasion Arts & Sciences). As the one on the team who had to understand what the consumer wanted and didn’t want, she sought to get inside their head and experience something like they would. These design thinking skills transfered easily into the renovation business.
Haugh positions herself as the user, the mom, the dad, the host, and considers what will make their life simpler and more enjoyable – not what’s the easiest, most efficient thing to build. For example, a dishwasher should be next to the sink, preferably on the right, not across the room.
Having worked on branding and design meant years of following consumer trends and differences in generations, and developing visual design across a variety of industries and materials.
Her experience in marketing also brought her in contact with dozens of brands and products in home, construction and real estate financing. She worked on windows, doors, cabinetry, plumbing products, Lowe’s stores, furniture, appliances, kitchens, décor, garage doors and systems, tools, hardware, millwork and paint.
She’s also lucky to have family members in the business. Two brothers are general contractors, one has been in real estate investing for decades, and another is a math teacher by day and a carpenter and furniture maker the rest of the time. One sister is in design. Her mom designs and re-designs her home at age 85 (she recently hung wallpaper from the top of a ladder, and made bench cushions and curtains). Her dad was a lawyer who could fix anything.
“I spent two years researching sub-contractors and partners. I met my current crew leader, JP Lopez, when he was part of the restoration team for our house fire six years ago. He’s not only incredibly talented, but is an amazing human being. Anybody he connects us to stands up to his scrutiny. The systems people – plumbing, electrical, HVAC – we work with local, small-moderate sized licensed firms that know code. We absolutely don’t mess around with that stuff.” Sub-contractors include Highland Electric, Weld Plumbing, Standard Water, and Metro (Hero) HVAC.

A LOVE OF VINTAGE HOMES
Haugh purchased her current home, a 1923 bungalow, in Longfellow in 1994. “I’ve been able to renovate and restore almost all of it over the years, updating systems, aesthetics, and overhaul the landscaping front to back. What I’ve come to appreciate about the neighborhood, especially the few blocks around us, is the sense of being part of a neighborhood, a community, which has pride in our surroundings, and appreciation and gratitude for each other and the neighborhood.”
She added, “We won the lottery in terms of neighbors when we were raising our girls, now ages 16 and 20.”
Haugh appreciates being part of the greater Longfellow community “which has a richness of longtime residents, new homeowners and residents, retirees and young families with small children. Being close to the river, to Lake Street, to Minnehaha Park, and to Saint Paul across the Lake Street and Ford bridges gives us almost an embarrassment of riches in natural surroundings, city living, schools, restaurants, retailers, and access. We can be most anywhere in 15 minutes.”
She seeks to give back, and has mentored others in advertising, working with The BrandLab, St. Thomas, the 4A’s, the University of Minnesota, MadWomen, and other professional associations. Plus she’s on the board of Saint Paul Highland Ball.
She advises people to have patience when redoing their homes. “It’s hard to do a whole house at once – or quickly. I’ve been working on my own Craftsman for more than 20 years, bit by bit. If you can do a room at a time or a floor at a time, do it when you can.”

Tips to avoid sub-standard fixes
Today, the median age of a home in Minneapolis and Saint Paul is 71 and 69 years, respectively, with more than half nearing their 100-year mark from the housing boom of the 1920s. They represent a classic golden era of house building and craftsmanship that define neighborhoods, and Haugh is passionate about saving them from the wrecking ball.
Haugh appreciates the feel of history in these vintage homes. The solid natural materials that last. The craftsmanship and care that went into their construction. The uniquenesses. And the quirks, like a little hidden compartment or something left by previous owners that tells a story.
To preserving the historical beauty of your home, she suggests keeping up with the maintenance and structural elements. “It’s not fun stuff, but taking care of a small problem or doing preventative things goes a long, long way,” said Haugh. “Have your sewer scoped regularly so if there are cracks you can take care of them before the whole thing collapses and you’re looking at $25,000 for a new line along with whatever interior damage happens because of sewage backing up into a basement. I speak from experience on that one.”
She encourages people to do their research ahead of time before starting anything. “I learned that there are six different ways to repair a sewer line, each with a drastically different cost attached.”
Get the best quality, natural materials that you can, Haugh advises, to avoid re-doing something five or 10 years later. Recognize that convenience costs money, sometimes 50 percent or more than other options. This is where a little research can go a long way. Locally, for example, check builders’ material outlets and LL Flooring for deals. “We had some flooring shipped in from Pennsylvania that was 30% less even with the shipping,” said Haugh. They wanted a vintage style rug for one of their rooms. It was priced at $1,700 at a major retailer, but she identified who the manufacturer was (listed in the online specs) and found it online for $258.
She also recommends people explore architectural antiques suppliers. “Locally we love Architectural Salvage on Selby Avenue or Bauer Brothers in Northeast. And garage and estate sales. You can find fantastic furniture, doors, wood work - all that. Solid wood doors for example can be $50-150 vintage, and might just need some stripping or sanding, or maybe just a fresh coat of paint. New solid wood doors run $6-800 or more. Vintage wood furniture pieces can be re-purposed to be sink vanities, dressers, buffets, and bar carts for pretty minimal investment. Old door hardware often just needs a soak to get paint off and then some oil to bring back their patina. “

‘Your home should make you happy’
For Haugh, the architecture and solidity of vintage homes is something she values, and she seeks to keep what still functions. At the same time, she aims for a fresh and current feel. She applies these rules to cabinets, doors, windows, and flooring.
“Hex tiles are totally endemic for these neighborhoods’ homes. But mixing up sizes and colors balances the age with a fresh twist. Maybe it’s best described as classic with some eclecticism and something whimsical here and there,” she said.
Some of her favorite light fixtures are from Pottery Barn Kids. Recognizing that Minnesota is gray and overcast from November through March, color is a huge part of her design style.
“It’s also about infusing joy where we can. I love a phrase from Annie Selke: your home should make you happy.”