DIY Network

Victoria Lesser chats with Knickerbocker Group construction manager Marcus Golding.

Designer Victoria Lesser isn’t one to dive into projects without a plan. And Blog Cabin 2012 is no different. The process of furnishing this historic home has unfolded in a thoughtful manner and in logical steps.

Victoria’s first visit to Waldoboro came days after Blog Cabin 2012 was secured. A drive from her home in upstate New York to Waldoboro took her on a journey up the East Coast and through quaint New England towns. Her task before a single furnishing could be purchased or placed? To decipher the “inherent nature of the area,” she says. “There’s obviously a tradition up here,” says Victoria of the town, which is dotted with quaint cottages and rustic barns. Once she had a handle on the community, she stepped inside the as-is home for a closer look. “I had to examine the bones of the house and approach the interior design in a way that would respect the area and the feel of the space,” she adds.

Hammering down a specific vision was the next step in Victoria’s process. And for inspiration she looked no further than the property’s own barn. “I have always dreamed of converting a barn to a home,” she says. Understanding that conversion was not an option, she wanted to do the next best thing: bring the barn look to the home across the street. Thus evolved an “elegant barn” theme that will be carried out from first floor and bedrooms to the Mega Dens family room.

Bringing this unique look to life will require a collection of furnishings sourced in Victoria’s hometown, Matthews, Virginia (site of Blog Cabin 2011), and in and around the town of Waldoboro. The designer’s favorite haunts during her current stay in town include Nobleboro Antique Exchange (store owner Lisa has proved invaluable to Victoria and the Good Housekeeping team), Elmer’s Barn (“That place is extraordinary,” says Victoria), The Shady Lady and Scuttlebutt Antiques. Victoria has scooped up architectural salvage that will be used in how-to projects, furnishings fashioned from repurposed materials, and odds and ends that capture her eye.

Victoria is pretty tight-lipped when it comes to providing specific interior design details. That information must remain a mystery until the launch of the virtual home tour in August. But she gushes when asked about the town of Waldoboro and the experience of working at Blog Cabin. “I have never heard such amazing sounds as I’ve heard here,” she says of the symphony created each morning and evening by crickets, songbirds and woodpeckers. And she casts aside any worries fans might have about dark interior spaces: “The light in the house is gorgeous. And it’s the light of Maine,” she says. “It’s so pleasant to be inside. When the sun is shining and I’m in the house, I’m thinking, ‘Gosh, it feels so nice in here.’”