The Urban Assault Vehicle

Four or five years ago, I dragged Ryan out to look at a trailer with me.  I had decided that we would buy a vintage trailer and fix it up.  We would work on it together, fall even more madly in as we fixed it up side by side, and then take fun, family camping trips every free weekend we had.  We looked at this particular trailer and it was rough.  Ryan did not seem interested at all, but I persisted, sticking my head into every nook and cranny and asking how it got each dent on the exterior.  We stepped out of the trailer and I saw his eyes light up.  "Is that for sale?", he asked, motioning to an RV in the yard.  Next thing I knew we were standing inside the GMC motorhome getting a history lesson about the owners  "baby" and how he wouldn't sell it for less than 20k.  That was such a shocking amount of money at that time.  Especially since we were there to look at their $400 trailer.

When we got home, Ryan showed me picture after picture of GMC motorhomes on the internet.  He explained that he had loved them ever since the movie Stripes.  I laughed it off.  After all, I was after a canned ham.  Not that 70's behemoth.   

A few months later I bought and brought home a 50's canned ham, prime for a restoration, with enough original details to make it a charmer.  I couldn't wait for us to get to work.  We never did.  It languished.  He wanted to update the interior and make it modern.  I wanted to preserve the linoleum and and finish it to the exact original standards.  It sat untouched save for the girls playing the occasional game of house in it.

A few weeks ago, while browsing listings for vintage trailers, I came across a GMC Motorhome for $1000.  It hadn't run in years and was rough, but I was intrigued.  It was cooler than I had remembered it.  I liked the giant windows.  It sparked something in me.  I tried to buy it, but it sold before I could get a mechanic to agree to see it with me.  Something had been awakened, though.  I now wanted a GMC motorhome.  I scoured the internet looking at ads, forums, manuals, brochures, pictures and anything else I could find.  

Finally, through the GMC forum, I found the perfect coach for sale.  Mechanically sound, with a chance to do some cosmetic upgrading on the interior.  

We leave Sunday morning for Awahnee, CA to meet Frank and Freddie (already love them) and buy the '76 GMC Eleganza.  Lucky for us, the price has come down considerably since our first encounter.

Now for a name...

Not So Neutral Curtains

I'm looking for new drapery panels for my bedroom.  Turns out 95% of the designs on the market are neutral.  Think white, off-white, beige, tan, taupe, and cream.  I want something with a bit more punch since the drapes will cover the entire back wall to disguise two oddly different windows.  I rounded up a few that don't disappear on the wall.

I want these but these ones from West Elm but they appear to be sold out.

Sunny and happy set from Anthropologie.

How fun are these ones from Z Gallerie?

This pair from Crate and Barrel would be amazing against a gray wall.

Have You Met Eloise?

She is two and some change.  She is still the newest member of the Haus Proud team and by far the most disruptive.  I blame the long stretches of inactivity in the shop solely on her.  Okay, and the co-op preschool Adelaide and I joined last year.

Adelaide is five now but when she was little, she would accompany me estate sale-ing, thrifting and anywhere else I dragged her.  She was happy so long as she was being held and I was able to do a little one handed shopping.  Eloise is a different story.  She wants to be put down, unless I want to put her down.  She wants to pick up anything she deems breakable and then test that theory.  She wants to scream and cry until I (and the people around us) can take it no more.

The estate sale ladies all knew Adelaide.  They would call her Shirley Temple and she would coyly smile at them from behind my leg, twirling her adorable ringlets.  Ellie's estate sale shopping was a different story.  She charmed them all right.  That kid has a smile that melts hearts!  And then she proceeded to pull everything down off the tables and threw a tantrum when I intervened.  I am fairly certain we are no longer welcome at their sales.

I am sad that Eloise and Haus Proud don't get along as well as I would like.  I just have to remind myself that while both are only a few years old, Haus Proud will always need me.  I only get a short time of being the most important thing in Ellie's world.

Happy Customer!

A customer of mine recently blogged about her purchase from Haus Proud.  I love this kind of feedback!  It makes all the hours of digging though junk for the diamonds worth it!

HousePet: it's 70 degrees in my kitchen: A little more than two years ago I made my first vintage item purchase on Etsy. Sure I had bought some art prints and other handmade go...

A Peek Inside Haus Proud HQ

Last week when I was staging I realized the only thing that would work in this one nook was a mirror that was back at Haus Proud headquarters. I dragged my client back to see if there was anything we wanted to pilfer from the shop. She took a good long look around and said "boy, I would love to organize all this stuff". Not exactly the image I was hoping to portray. But to be fair, I usually conduct my business online. Anyway, it spurred a cleaning jag. I've only tackled a small corner, but thought I would share some photos.

I have always wondered how other vintage sellers keep their merchandise and would love a peek into their worlds. Figured I would be brave and share mine. You can see more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57321574@N08/sets/72157627465391720/

And, yes, most of the stuff is not yet listed! If anyone wants to come and babysit the girls, I will get right on listing new items in the shop.

Haus Proud Does Haus Staging

About a month ago I got a call from a friend of mine, Lauren. She was just at a mutual friends house and loved the styling I had done for her. She is a realtor and was looking to have a house staged for a client. She already had a lot of the bigger pieces, but needed small stuff to fill in. Since I could probably fill several small houses with the amount of stuff I have floating around here, I said yes! Combining my first love of interior design with great vintage goodness with a splash of real estate? Yeah, kinda up my alley. It was a crazy long day, but the results were well worth it.

It certainly didn't hurt that the homeowners did a fantastic remodel. I am wild about that blue painted concrete floor!

Why I Love Vintage

A quick peek in my house would tell you that I love vintage. I would say that close to 80% of the furniture in my home is 50-100 years old. I realized long ago, that besides character, vintage furniture represents a wonderful bargain. Many of the items from yesteryear were made by different standards than the stuff today. It was built to last. Not to say that there aren't high end furniture manufacturers out there today. I can't tell you how many times I have drooled over the pieces in the Baker showroom. But I can't afford Baker. At least not new. A few years ago I picked up a 1950's table from their New World collection for $50 at the thrift store. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture I have ever seen. The wood grain, the construction, the hardware, the detailing... exquisite. I have found that buying vintage has afforded me quality furniture on a shoestring budget. Viva la vintage!