Clothing racks full of men's and women's vintage clothing fill the store's many rooms. Handmade crafts and jewelry are scattered across the walls and tables. Local art decorates the newly opened store, and vinyl records line one complete wall. Downtown Provo's Coal Umbrella is a store that has a little of everything.

"There's nothing else like it in Utah Valley," said part owner Trevor Huish. "I've heard a lot of people say that it's like a place they would go to in New York City or Los Angeles. There's a vintage theme [throughout] the whole place."

Located at 157 North University Ave., Coal Umbrella is owned and operated by two married couples: Trevor and Jessie Huish and Maht Paulos and Liz Lightfoot. It has been open since December 2007.

"It's a collection of handpicked vintage clothing," Trevor Huish said. "Hip clothing, handmade items, books, art zines, with a current music record collection and modern art gallery."

When the second story space went on the market at the end of last year, the team of four rented out the place and spent the next two months renovating - fixing up the floors and walls, adding carpet and painting.

"It was a dream of all of ours," Huish said. "I had always wanted a record shop and art gallery. Maht [Paulos] had been collecting vintage clothing for 10 years and selling it on eBay.

"Each of us has a section of the store that we are responsible for. Our partners do the clothes and jewelry. My portion is the records, and my wife does the specialties, the handmade books and things."

The owners of Coal Umbrella hoped to help restore and bring to life the downtown Provo shopping area. The store is part of the Downtown Provo Gallery Stroll.

"The point was to start to build up this block, the culture, art, [and] local businesses," Huish said. "We've teamed up [with other stores] to sort of help each other build up the walking downtown Provo again."

Each month Coal Umbrella features a new artist, usually someone local, and displays their artwork on the store's walls for that entire month. A silent auction is usually held throughout the month to bid on the artist's pieces. On the first Friday of every month, an opening gallery show is held, where the new artist introduces his or her work, and people gather to admire and bid.

"We get all kinds of people: old people, middle-aged women, college kids," Huish said. "People come to look at the art or to look at the records, and some come just for the clothes.

"There's something here for anyone, ... lots of treasures."

For more information, visit the store's Web site at www.coalumbrella.com.

Copyright Brigham Young University 26 Jun 2008