Inn This Together: Episode 4 - After the Fire

Episode 4 of Inn This Together was full of surprises.

There is so much to celebrate in this final episode. We got the sign. We built beautiful rooms. We overcame floods. We reached milestones we had dreamed about for years. Most importantly, we learned that a group friends who stick together can accomplish about anything.

But, I know for most folks, it’s hard to focus on anything besides the final minute. The final moment when two years of work was erased in a matter of hours.

Early mornings. Late nights. Wasted.

Beautiful trim, millwork and moldings. Gone.

Carefully chosen paint colors. Erased.

New flooring and ceilings. Gone.

Furniture destroyed. Artwork ruined.

A dream came true. Almost.

Now what? What do we do now? The truth is, we didn’t know what to do.

HGTV viewers are just finding out what locals and our closest supporters have known for 10 months. After two years of hard work, just as we crossed the finish line and wrapped filming of the television show, The Heirloom caught fire.

In this episode of The Heirloom Podcast, Jim and I speak publicly for the first time. We recorded this conversation thirty days after the fire. It was hard. The wind had been knocked out of us. We were still trying to understand what was next and how to find our balance. But, I am so glad we had each other and our Laurel community.

Since then, we’ve had much time to contemplate and to dream about what's next. It's still not easy, but we know that God has ordained this. Nothing about that day surprised Him. And while we do not understand all His purposes, we trust His providence. 

The fire took much from us, but it did not take our hope. It didn't erase our determination to make our little home town shine brightly. 

By God’s grace, we will build again what we lost.

As a viewer, it's easy to imagine that the last minute of Inn this Together took everything from us. But, don't worry. It didn't.

We still have each other. We still have our framily, our friends, our coworkers and our community. And together, we will keep doing what we've been doing for these last twenty years: building to make our place better.

You do the same. 

Keep building, friends. 

Josh

PS 

Many people ask to help us by setting up a GoFundMe. We are deeply grateful for that kindness. However, while losing a building is difficult, it’s harder to lose a home. Since the fire, we’ve become sensitive to every fire truck that passes. For those who want to give financially, we’d encourage you to consider helping families in your own community who have suffered a house fire.

If you’d still like to support us, please check out the limited edition Photo Rail our team made from salvaged flooring from The Heirloom. We wanted to offer something tangible in return—a small reminder that restoration is possible, and that we aren’t the only ones building for someone.