Old designs, new purpose

Walking into Lucy Farmer’s home, it’s obvious why she was cast as a member of the HGTV show “Beach Flip.” Her passion for taking reclaimed pieces and repurposing them is apparent from her front door, which came from the Bessemer Courthouse, to her kitchen floor, which used to be in an old general store. 

“That’s how I like to design everything,” Farmer said. “I like to find old things and give them a new purpose.” 

She and her husband, Connor, have built eight homes together. The family moved to their new home off Caldwell Mill Road in April. 

“Together, it feels like everything we do is home-involved,” Farmer said. 

Last year, Farmer came across an open casting call for an HGTV show called “Beach Flip.” Thinking it sounded like an interesting opportunity, she applied, already knowing who her partner would be. 

“My girlfriend Daphney [Massey] is a real estate agent in Birmingham and has personality plus,” Farmer said. “I knew if anyone was going with me, it would be her.”

In September, the duo got a call to come to New York for an interview with the show’s producers. That day, Farmer was “sick as a dog.”

“I was popping Tylenol and Advil and had the shakes from the 104 degree fever,” she said. “It turned out to be a kidney infection, but I barely made it through the interview.”

They expected to hear back from the producers by Thanksgiving, but as time passed, Farmer and Massey became convinced they didn’t make the cut. 

“The minute I told my husband they should have already called, they literally called the next day,” Farmer said. “When I told him we made it, he said he didn’t think we were actually going to follow through with it. The next few weeks, my whole line was, ‘What if I don’t do it?’ When I’m 80 years old, I say to my grandchildren I could have been on a TV show.”

Farmer and Massey traveled to Gulf Shores, where they spent eight weeks filming their renovation of a home. They worked 12-hour days, with a camera on them the entire time, and only got to call home once a day. Farmer said she is glad she did it, but once is enough for her. She missed her 19th wedding anniversary and her son’s birthday while she was away.

“Out of 52 weeks in the year, I was gone for eight of those,” Farmer said. “I’m glad I did it, and I would go back and do it again, knowing what would happen. But to do it for the second time – no. It was hard not seeing my family. That probably was the biggest challenge of all of it.”

Besides remodeling homes, Farmer’s love for repurposing old things led her to pursue jewelry making full-time in July 2014. She created Lucy’s Lockets, which features architectural hardware pieces that she turns into unique jewelry. The business was a success, and by January 2015, she had three employees working for her. The line is sold online and in boutiques in Alabama, including Highland’s Shoe Company in Lee Branch and Simply Southern in Inverness Heights Shopping Center, as well as several other states. 

Lucy’s Lockets was featured in the July issue of Southern Living, which has brought even more exposure to her creations. 

Farmer is also active in her community. Her two children attend Oak Mountain schools, one is a cheerleader and the other an athlete. The family is also part of Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church. 

As for the future, Farmer has signed up for several craft shows in the fall. Her goal is to get in more stores outside of Alabama.

“It’s great to have exposure in different places,” Farmer said. “I’m definitely working that angle.”