Better Homes & Gardens presents “ The Garden Issue . ” Celebrate our Test Garden ’s 25th day of remembrance and get baksheesh to make your home and garden glint this give .
Jenny and Dave Marrs , stars of HGTV’sFixer to Fabulous , have mastered an telling work - life balance . Watch a couple episodes of Dave and Jenny ’s show , and you may turn a loss lead of the telephone number of times you need the TV , “ How did they do that ? ”
The married remodeling twosome has been dismantling underloved house in Bentonville , AR , and putting them back together since 2004 . Dave , along with his small structure squad , deplume off sure-enough turnout to bring out 100 - year - older cedar shingles , rips out sad carpet , and bump through walls — all with a literal smile . Jenny recasts glowering , halter way with a tranquil confidence , adding blond forest floors cover with vintage Turkish rugs , soothing inert textile , andopen kitchen shelvesstacked with manus - throw ceramic . They love their oeuvre and each other . And when the footage is blue-pencil together just - so , it feel a little like magic .
Credit:Hatch and Mass Collective
When HGTV first border on , it learn some convincing for the duet to open their family life to a flick work party . Ultimately , it was the opportunity to play up their town , the charities they love , and the people they wreak with that tip the scale leaf .
Growing the Marrs Brand
“ Our producer said to us , ‘ If you just have this one chance to glitter a national spotlight on your nonprofit study , it ’s worth it , ’ ” Dave says via video from the farm he and Jenny portion out with their five fry , multiple dogs , numerous bunnies , sheep , cattle , and chickens , plus a donkey and an Lama pacos . “ In 2018 , we begin with eightremodels . The mesh liked what they saw and ask for two more . Now we ’re up to 16 homes a season , ” Dave aver .
Turns out , asuccessful TV showis just the beginning for these creative partners . They also opened anAirbnb ( The Welcome Inn)and are launching a mercantile in the 1905 coin bank building that serves as their military headquarters .
Bring the Marrses signature look to your blank space with the Better Homes and Gardens Collection at Walmart .
A year ago , Dave and Jenny partner with Better Homes & Gardens to translate their refined modern farmhouse aesthetic into a collection ofoutdoor furnitureandhousewares sold at Walmart . The pieces , like a self-colored teak daybed swinging , are often based on image Dave makes in his shop on the farm , and the planters and stoneware are inspired by the one - of - a - form clayware Jenny love . “ If something is going to have our name on it , we want it to meet our standard but also feel manageable . That was important to us , ” Dave says .
Hatch and Mass Collective
The couple are also attached to giving back , working to meliorate the lives of children in orphanages in the Democratic Republic of Congo , where their adopted girl , Sylvie , was born . They also patronise a agriculture program in Zimbabwe with the proceeds from theiryou - pick blueberry farm .
Life in the Marrs Family
Did we mention all of this is on top of parenting five children ? Twins Ben and Nate are 12 , Sylvie is 11 , Charlotte is 8 , and the unseasoned , Luke , is 3 . Jenny start sharing floor of their uniquely creative kin on her blog , Blessings & Raindrops , in 2012 , years before HGTV stumbled into their telegenic creation .
The logistics of this imaginative but from time to time crazy life could make the best multitasker ’s head spin . How do they manage a frantic schedule and still show up for baseball games ? How do they sustain those veritable , camera - quick smiles through it all ?
“ It ’s insane , ” says Jenny , laughing . “ And there ’s a lot of editing necessitate . But it ’s our normal . It ’s our caper . ”
A distinctive day jump before sunrise . “ I ’m an eyes - receptive - at-4 - a.m. kind of person , ” Dave says , “ and Jenny ’s still up at 10 p.m. with her genial wheel turning . ” By 6:30 or 7 a.m. the whole family is awake , preparing for the day with their first chore : feeding the animals . “ We have a fieldhand who aid us with the great animals , but the kid feed the small single like the pawl and the bunny every morning , ” says Jenny , who grew up in Florida and dreamed of live in New York City . She ’s more surprised than anyone that she wakes up on a farm in Arkansas every day .
Annie Schlechter
“ Right now , we ’re on infant watch for two mama sheep to give birth , and Jenny is like a sheep midwife , ” Dave pronounce with a mix of wonder and bewilderment . “ This is a girl who grew up in business district Orlando . ”
The couple cope with in their 20s while influence at incorporated sales task . Dave , who grew up helping his dad build homes in Colorado , intimate they move to Bentonville and start a twist business organization . That was their first leap of faith . Beginning an espousal journeying in Africa was the next . relocate a vintage theater from the heart of township to a plot of land with mint of way to spread out was another . At first , it was a shock absorber to be surrounded by all the placid with a houseful of kids . Now , the peace of the farm is a welcome respite .
After the animate being eat , it ’s breakfast time for everyone else . “ All of the kids , except for Luke , make their ownbreakfastandpack their lunchin the dawn , ” Jenny enunciate . “ We manage and help , of class , but they are so self - sufficient . ” Then Dave loads the older four in the car for the schooltime run , and the nanny comes to help with Luke while Jenny gets camera - quick .
All morning , the film crowd follows the couple ’s progress from site to site ( they sometimes have four go at the same time ) , capturing their work from demolition to finish touches and all of the funny , joyful , and often heartwarming moment in between . Lunchtime is devoted to phone Call and quick merging .
“ We ’ll sit in the car to take a call , stuff some food in our mouths , and get back to employment , ” Jenny tell . “ The photographic camera are on all daytime , and we do n’t have time to hold back . Mostly , I ’m glue to my phone , learn on orders , read text . There ’s never a relaxed timeline ; it ’s always a rush with no squirm elbow room . We always ask everything tomorrow . ”
Their Filming Routine
At the start of each season , Jenny and Dave and their figure director pull together a book outlining plans for houses they ’re working on . Everything from roofing tile selection andpaint colorsto landscaping is mapped out before production begin . Jenny puddle a point to incorporate element of the householder ’ personal stories into the reimagined spaces . Every dwelling house has a wow import , like a hot pinkish range for a single mommy who have it away to dance in her kitchen or geometric hand-crafted roofing tile Jenny created with a local ceramicist for a couple catch with eclectic worldwide style .
While their remodels manage to incorporatecountry charmin diminished bites — the occasional time of origin stained - glass window or a quilt made by a local artificer — their design ethos list toward classic , with creamy marble countertop , paneling , and molding . Accent wallsand millwork are often painted in Farrow & Ball pastel , and way are furnished in a warm but minimum way .
“ That body of work ordinarily find around our kitchen table at night . Dave will make dinner , and we ’ll talk everything through to total up with a plan and a tale for each house , ” Jenny says . “ We stick to that pattern as much as we can . There are always thing that go wrong , orders that are cancelled or delayed . With building , so much can go awry . Sometimes architectural plan B turns out well than plan A. Other time , we live with it . ”
By 5 p.m. , they ’re off the clock and head to piece up kids at various practice . Back home , they call on on the radio , pour a meth of wine , and collect around the board for afamily dinner . later , the kids do the saucer . “ They ’re really good at it , ” Jenny enounce . “ It ’s been a life - modifier . ” Then it ’s prep , some downtime , and bed . Saturdays are spend on the avocation and in the bleacher for the kids ’ various games , and Sundays are for washing and rest .
If they have one minor complaint , it ’s that they never can fully sign out at the goal of the day . “ The toilsome matter about working together is it ’s always live , ” Jenny says . “ We ’re sitting at dinner and Dave say , ‘ Hey , did you get the Light Within ? ’ And I say , ‘ Oh , shoot . Let me tick off . ’ ” During challenging times , they come back to their original purpose . “ We just look at each other and say , ‘ Remember your why , ’ ” Dave order .
“ The way God build our crime syndicate is something we see back on and see the road we took has been concentrated but also wonderful , ” say Jenny , who has given up on the idea that she can hazard what ’s coming next . “ We never could have plan it this way . It can be softheaded chaos , but we ’re so grateful for how it worked out . ”
Credit:Annie Schlechter
America ’s preferent small town home renovators partake their pro tip for getting a renovation in good order the first time .
DO charter an architect to draw up plan .
“ If you want to make geomorphologic change , employ an architect who can control that they ’re possible , ” says Dave Marrs . “ Do it before you take out any studs . ” According to Marrs , many people start a DIY projection without plans and then have to ferment rearwards to even up the damage they ’ve done . “ Get a set of design and then take them to multiple contractor to compare bids . ”
DON’T buy a house before you get an review .
“ Jenny and I always charter an inspector , every fourth dimension , ” Dave say . “ Even though I ’ve been doing this for 20 years , I still require another set of eyes on a project . ” For a few hundred dollar sign , inspectors will examine the thousands of components in a house and comment thing that an excited newfangled homeowner or busy contractor may not . “ That ’s all they do . They do it every Clarence Day . Spending a little extra money on an inspector is absolutely worth it . ”
DO invest in a couple of expectant ticket items , and design rooms around them .
“ When you ’re budgeting , choose your really important items wisely and invest in those , ” says Jenny . “ Think about that showstopper that ’s decease to make you happy . Get that beautiful mountain chain for the kitchen , or the short fixture you have a go at it . Find that matter you eff and then build the room around it . ”
DON’T be afraid of a little legwork .
“ you’re able to feel small Leontyne Price , or lower - price rendering of things you bonk , if you dig a little , ” says Jenny , who advises people to get more bang for their dollar bill with some thoughtful planning and inquiry , and on a regular basis finds gorgeous tile and lighting at concatenation fund like Lowe ’s and CB2 . “ I do n’t desire to call them knock - offs , but there are almost always more affordable versions of things that you’re able to get with a footling searching . "
DO get a mode that you love , and ignore trends .
“ appear around for divine guidance and calculate out what the common thread is , ” enjoin Jenny . “ You want your dwelling house to reflect what you love , not what other masses are doing on Instagram . ” Dave add that the same individualism applies to both décor and use . “ If you only use your dining elbow room as an office , and have your meal around a kitchen island , then perchance that room should be an function . Do what works for you . ”
DON’T obsess over resale value .
“ People are so afraid to take danger in their home because they ’re overly concerned about resale time value , ” say Jenny . “ It ’s OK to make your abode yours . Go ahead and take a few design risks if they make you happy . Especially if it ’s rouge . you may always paint over it when you eventually sell the house , but love it while you dwell there . ”
Celebrating 25 Years of Our Test Garden
BHG Trend Report
Spring Organizing
Bring On Spring
Tip Sheet
Credits
Talent : Dave and Jenny Marrs
Text By : Christine Lennon
Photos By : Annie Schlechter
Produced By : Jessica Thomas
Prop Stylist : Joseph Wanek
Wardrobe : Jennifer McDonald
Hair Stylist : Shea Frakes
physical composition : Summer Shook
Video redaction : Wes celluloid
Credit:Annie Schlechter
