DIY Network

Oh, do I have a treat for you! We curated the best images captured by our Cabin Cam into a series of slideshows. Now you can clearly see the transformation of this historic home from weathered, cedar shingle-clad cottage to inviting Southern-style coastal getaway.

Enjoy the time-lapse pictures and stay tuned for more informative content!

Congrats to Annette Harris of Morgan, UT. She is the proud winner of our Cabin Comforts gift set. An identical gift set will be presented to the winner of the Blog Cabin 2013 Giveaway.

Keep checking the blog for additional info on this year’s home. We have yet to cover landscape details, creative outdoor spaces and building challenges, plus Core Sound culture. The photo above was captured over the weekend, as project manager Dylan Eastman put the finishing touches on the outdoor kitchen. Rescue Renovation show host Kayleen McCabe popped by for a tour of the home and was happy to lend a helping hand.

I am pretty certain you will flip when you see the virtual tour of this amazing property!

From left: Emily Guthrie, Jody Wiener and Kathy Guthrie

Morehead City-based interior designer Emily Guthrie and business partner Kathy Guthrie (no relation but great friends since grade school) got a call from the local chamber urging the duo to show up at a casting call of sorts. Blog Cabin 2013 project manager Dylan Eastman was hosting a meet-and-greet in search of an interior designer. “We made an appointment to meet with Dylan on a Friday at 5 because usually no one does anything after Friday at 5,” says Emily. They met for dinner and talked about the remodeling project, their design philosophies and more. Having Dylan’s undivided attention paid off: Emily and team got the job and quickly became immersed in the world of Blog Cabin.

Emily brings to the table a background in both fashion and interior design. The Morehead City native owned two women’s clothing boutiques before making the transition to interior design — initially working with her husband, a builder, to stage spec homes. Armed with three storage units filled with furnishings and accessories, Emily decided to open her own 1400-square-foot design shop in 2011 and relocated to her current, larger location in October 2012. Her customer base reaches as far afield as Topsail Beach (a two-hour drive from Morehead City), and she stands apart, she says, for her unusual take on the classics. Walking the High Point Furniture Market each season keeps her vision fresh. “If we like the design of a piece and it’s out of the norm, we will buy it. We like to start our own trends” she says. “We find that when everyone else has the same look it loses its charm, so we try to buy the things that nobody else has.”

Jody Wiener, a graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, joined the team shortly after Emily opened her first shop and offers a contemporary lens that Emily relies on. “She’s helped me take it to another level,” Emily says. Jody has clocked in endless hours at Blog Cabin, creating style boards for each space, interpreting the show hosts’ vision for rooms, decorating and, when necessary, painting furnishings.

Emily describes the overarching design aesthetic at Blog Cabin 2013 as “coastal casual.” “It’s got a nice mix of industrial, recycled and reused elements with a very cool palette. It’s very relaxing,” says Jody.
Ready to renovate your own historic gem? The duo offers up advice, based largely on their experience at Blog Cabin. “Be willing to make mistakes,” says Emily. “Sometimes you are so afraid of making a mistake that you don’t do anything. So try it.”

“Take your time and be open-minded,” adds Jody. “And look at things outside of the box: Take an old piece of furniture and don’t just paint it but change its purpose. And, above all, don’t throw out your shutters.”

At long last, we have answers to questions you posed in a recent blog entry. A special thanks to project manager Dylan Eastman for sharing so many interesting tidbits. Enjoy this informative Q&A.

I had the privilege of being a fly on the wall during the filming of the “Kitchen Crashers” episode of Blog Cabin 2013 (May 4-5). This was my first opportunity to watch the filming of a DIY Network show. What a thrill!

The crew was an absolute delight. Producer Jay Baker greeted me as if I was one of the gang. His big Tennessee smile made me feel immediately at ease. And Chris Grundy and Alison Victoria? Top-notch talent, humble, gracious … and oh so funny. Chris proved a laugh a minute, while Alison, without missing a beat, whipped out the classic comebacks. On-screen chemistry in spades!

Cameras were catching every moment of the ad libs, few of which will hit the cutting room floor, I am sure. The crew muscled through a grey, cold rainy Saturday to capture scenes for a captivating how-to project. Chris and Alison first picked through the reclaimed wood pile and then headed to a makeshift construction area near the dock where they sliced down, then ripped beams for a very cool kitchen furnishing (Hint: It has legs. And don’t be surprised if some matching coasters surface). Cabinet installation followed by a field trip were also on the day’s filming to-do list.

Candid Snaps: Blog Cabin 2013 Location

I had the opportunity to chat with Jay in between takes. I was fascinated by his creative process and his approach to this year’s episode. “My thought is to always to land at the place, take a look at the environment and figure out a way to involve as much of that environment into the show as possible,” he said. “We are in a special place that people will travel extensively to get to. We all have. So let’s show people why.”

Small kitchen size is a challenge this year, but Jay plans some workarounds; directing such talented hosts definitely helps. “You get someone with Chris’s energy level around someone with Alison’s energy level: They just self motivate. They are great at that. You just try to repeat that over and over and over because that’s why someone at home would want to watch this.”

For Grundy, being the Blog Cabin 2013 master of ceremonies has been a blast from the get-go. Although this year’s home is a tad smaller than the 2012 Maine home, the coastal location, beautiful water views and friendly locals make up for the building challenges. Mutual affection amongst crew members also makes for a stellar experience. “I love working with all the people that are here. I like having fun and all these people make me laugh,” he says. “And Alison Victoria — from the moment she shows up in a boat, everything gets better.”

Note: Although Cabin Cam comes down today, we have alot more to share, including a Q&A with our remodeling experts, an interview with the interior designer and content related to HGTVRemodels.com’s Remodeling of Blog Cabin 2013 package. Stay tuned!

A big part of Blog Cabin’s appeal is that phenomenal view of Core Sound. How is the remodeling team making the most of the home’s waterfront location? First, by making sure the newly renovated home offers views from every possible vantage point and then by providing a front-row seat to all the action. Rebuilding the dock took some creative thinking but now offers a spot to bask in the sun, nature watch (yes, dolphins play in these waters) and fish for flounder, red drum, croaker, mullet and skates.

To learn more, please visit the Remodeling of Blog Cabin 2013 package on HGTVRemodels.com where we’ve just launched features on waterfront views and dock reconstruction. I truly appreciate project manager Dylan Eastman’s sensitive, environmentally friendly approach to home remodeling and land development.

Today begins the Cabin Comforts vote for party products. Please vote up to ten times per day for entertaining items and then enter once per day for your chance to win a gift set identical to the one we present to the winner of Blog Cabin 2013.

Blog Cabin 2013 show host Chris Grundy basks in the warm North Carolina sunshine in between takes.

We are presently in the episode filming portion of our Blog Cabin 2013 coverage. I encourage you to follow our show host Chris Grundy via his Facebook and Twitter pages. And don’t forget to like DIY Network on Facebook to watch exclusive videos (psst … an exclusive vlog is going up today) and get home site updates.

Today begins voting for bedroom-specific Cabin Comforts. Please cast your vote and enter for a chance to win the entire gift set!

In other news, please be sure to check the Cabin Cam at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday. Film crews are at the house shooting epsiodes of Blog Cabin; you may see someone familiar as you pan across the property (wink, wink).

It’s that time again. Post your Blog Cabin 2013 questions and we will select the very best queries and pose them to project manager Dylan Eastman and project contractor Ryan Crosser. A follow-up Q&A article will be posted in the weeks to come.

Deadline to post your questions is Monday, April 22, at 5 p.m. ET.

Ready, set … go!