Design-savvy Cara Morey transforming Princeton on, off ice

There always seems to be that one room homeowners would like to remodel if they win the lottery or otherwise eliminate financial concerns.

That dream became a reality for Cara Morey when the Canadian TV show Divine Design featured her family and the basement of their then-Toronto home. Now with the luxury of a leadership position, she spent some of the offseason overseeing a similar makeover at Hobey Baker Rink.

“My office is completely redesigned,” the first-year Princeton women’s coach told Pucks and Recreation. “We took out some of the walls and redecorated the space to take advantage of natural light. We also added a conference table.”

“Our locker room also has a new shape and design, and even the bathrooms got an upgrade,” she added.

Divine Design, which aired on HGTV from 2003 to 2011, featured host Candice Olson, one of Canada’s most renowned designers. Each half-hour episode highlighted Olson’s thought process of redesigning a family’s living space.

Morey, promoted after Jeff Kampsersal left for Penn State in June, appeared on the show in 2007. Almost 10 years later, she reflects fondly on that experience.

“When we moved into the house for the first time, I was obsessed with HGTV,” she said. “I loved all the shows that they ran on the program. I kept looking at the basement thinking about what I wanted to do with it so I decided to apply and they got back to me.”

What made this room’s transformation extra special for Morey was that it was not just for her. It was for her husband Sean, a former NFL wide receiver who won a Super Bowl with the Steelers, and her three daughters as well.

“The girls were two and four, so they were not entirely sure what was happening,” laughed Morey about the camera crews suddenly popping up. “However, at that time, nothing fazed them, so they loved it.”

Despite the girls’ enjoyment of their sudden fame, the production crew instructed Morey and Sean on how to react to the room’s transformation, which took six weeks to complete.

“The crew wanted our reaction to be authentic,” said Morey, who had to vacate the room for the final two weeks of the project. “However, it was hard for us to have any other reaction other than saying, ‘Oh my God.’”

Her basement’s new look was complete with a bar and sports area. The space accommodated a TV visible from anywhere in the room, plus furniture that allowed visitors to socialize in either area.

More importantly, Olson created brilliant displays of sports memorabilia, including a prominent emphasis on Sean’s Super Bowl ring.

“We had no idea what it was going to look like,” reflects Morey. “When we first saw the finished product, we thought it was someone else’s house.”

With these changes, the Morey household has been quite the hub of activity, especially around family gatherings.

“Our house was one of the spaces where our family gathered for holidays,” reminisces Morey. “We lived in a Toronto neighborhood called the Beaches, so it was a perfect place for a gathering. We actually had my cousin’s bachelorette party there. There are a lot of fine memories of the family coming together.”

Beyond these changes, her family’s appearance on Divine Design has helped her instill a love of sports to her daughters.

“They are interested in whatever sports we sign them up for,” she said. “All three play hockey while they also play a mixture of lacrosse, field hockey, swimming and flag football.”

After her husband signed with the Arizona Cardinals in March 2007, the Moreys had to sell the Toronto home. But the presence of extended family in the neighborhood allows for more memories down the road.

“Our cousin lives near there now,” said Morey. “When we go visit, we sometimes take the girls past that house and look at it each time we drive by.”

Despite the fact that they are no longer living in that remodeled home, Morey’s love for HGTV has not wavered.

“We often spend nights watching HGTV programming, including the show House Hunters,” said Morey. “And often the girls will watch too.”

Watching HGTV has been a welcome diversion as Morey prepares to make good on her first big break in coaching. The bar on the ice is lofty enough. Her team is coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons and seeking its second NCAA tournament bid in three years.

Having brought her unique outside interests to spruce up her historic workplace, she is already making a mark. But beyond the rink, home modeling remains a steadfast hobby. The Moreys have already brought their Toronto takeaways to their current residence in New Jersey.

“We have a new carpet and sectionals at our home in Princeton,” said Morey. “I am trying to recreate our home based on what I learned from Divine Design. If I wasn’t a hockey coach, I would do interior design for a living.”