Dave and Jenny Marrs are the husband and wife contractor and designer, respectively, on the Arkansas-based HGTV show “Fixer to Fabulous.” Fans can’t seem to get enough of HGTV’s home renovation shows! “Fixer to Fabulous” premiered in the fall of 2019 and since that time, Dave, Jenny, their crew, their kids and their many pets have taken up residence in our hearts. The couple had no prior experience with television shows or productions but have proven to be naturals in front of the cameras. Show
The third season of this hit show is set to premiere on November 16, 2021, according to Premiere Date. That means we have, as of this writing, just 18 days until we get new episodes of this delightful show! Dave and Jenny focus on the homes in their Bentonville, Arkansas neighborhood, and per HGTV press materials, “From dilapidated front porches to squirrel invaded attics, there’s nothing this husband and wife team can’t make fabulous!” In the past, some HGTV shows have faced allegations of being fake or fixed. Is HGTV’s “Fixer to Fabulous” real? Here’s what you need to know: When HGTV Approached Dave and Jenny Marrs They Weren’t Interested“Fixer to Fabulous” is a verified hit and fan-favorite now, but, it came close to never happening. When producers from HGTV contacted Dave and Jenny Marrs about doing a show set in their northwest Arkansas home, they wanted nothing to do with it. During an interview with Arkansas Online, Jenny revealed that they received an email about doing a show for HGTV. “We thought it was spam. I was like, ‘Oh, sure,’ Delete,” she said. Dave said, “We originally said, ‘No.’ We didn’t really have an interest. And I was just worried. I was thinking, ‘Small town? They’re going to try and portray it as this backwoods thing.'” The couple were told it was a long shot that the project would get greenlit because the production company was shooting “sizzle reels” with various people in several small towns across the U.S., the outlet revealed. Of course, that isn’t what happened. The couple was naturals in front of the camera and great representatives for Arkansas, despite the fact that neither of them is originally from the area. Dave is from Colorado and Jenny is from Florida, Arkansas Online revealed. They moved to the area in 2004. The show also wasn’t called “Fixer to Fabulous” at first. A 2017 interview with the Arkansas outlet Talk Business & Politics revealed the pilot was originally called “Almost Home.” The tagline for the show was going to be, “Dave and Jenny Marrs are renovating one historic house at a time until it’s almost home.” Is ‘Fixer to Fabulous’ Real or Fake?HGTV shows have come under fire in the past when rumors that they were fake or fixed proved to be true. Sorry, “House Hunters” fans, the people on the show have already closed on the home they end up buying before the episode is shot. Another hit HGTV show, “Love It or List It” has also been accused of being staged and not quite real. Country Living reported that the ending of the show isn’t quite true. If the family says they’ll love it, sometimes they actually end up listing it, and vice versa. Other shows, including “Fixer Upper” have been accused of being staged and not completely truthful. We have good news for “Fixer to Fabulous” fans — so far, in the two seasons of the show, there have been no reports of Dave and Jenny Marrs staging things or doing anything fake in any way on the show, TVOvermind reported. Do Homeowners on ‘Fixer to Fabulous’ Get to Keep the Furniture?Whenever an HGTV show reveals the completed home renovation the entire space looks flawless. From perfectly placed couches to the artwork on the walls to the bowl of lemons in the kitchen, the completed scenes are picture-perfect. However, sometimes once the cameras stop rolling all that brand new furniture and artwork is carted off and returned to the store or home staging company that provided it. That’s the case on “Fixer Upper.” Joanna Gaines revealed that the homeowners on her show have the option of purchasing the furniture she uses to stage the home but sometimes the homeowner’s budget is shot before they get to that point. The same thing happens on “Fixer to Fabulous.” Much of the furniture used in the reveal of the completed renovation is there for staging purposes and not there for the homeowners to keep, Distractify reported. Much like on “Fixer Upper,” the budgets of the homeowners don’t always allow for all new furniture. However, one difference with “Fixer to Fabulous” is that Jenny Marrs typically updates some of the furniture the homeowners already own and that is theirs to keep. In an interview with PureWow, Jenny said, “If there’s a piece of their furniture that we can use, we do. But otherwise, I work with a local firm and pretty much figure out what I would do for the client. And then the homeowners have the option to buy it at a discounted rate.”
When it comes to HGTV shows, there are a lot of great options to pick from. Some of the network's most popular shows include "House Hunters," "Fixer Upper," and "Property Brothers," but there are many more in circulation (via USA Today). There is so much home renovation content out there it can sometimes be overwhelming! One of HGTV's latest hits, "Fixer to Fabulous," has been a popular show since it debuted back in 2019 (via TV Over Mind). The series is hosted by the real-life married couple and home renovation powerhouses, Jenny and Dave Marrs. Based in their home state of Arkansas, the show follows the couple as they work with real-life clients to turn their fixer-upper into their dream homestead. While fans of the show have enjoyed watching the Marrs couple transform homes into their full potential, they've also fallen in love with the couple themselves. And although the Marrs family welcomes fans into their lives via their HGTV show, many might be unaware of what goes on behind the scenes.
It's no surprise that the Marrs couple has been able to make business and family life work for them, given their history. According to About You, the couple met at work back in 2002. Fresh out of college, they were both working for the same company, Newell Brands' Rubbermaid, but in different branches. Although Dave's role at the company had him traveling often, that didn't stop the pair from connecting — and the rest is history. The pair tied the knot back in 2005, meaning they've been together for more than 15 years! After Dave decided to leave the company and pursue construction, Jenny took on the role of "sugar mama" (via House Beautiful). While Dave's new venture was a bit slow to get off the ground, Jenny kept working her sales and marketing job. As a result, she was the breadwinner. "We were broke, and I had a real job. He was just starting, so I was the 'sugar mama,'" Jenny joked to About You.
These amazing home renovators live in their own remodeled house, which is a farmhouse from 1906 (via House Beautiful). In a post from Jenny's blog, Blessings and Raindrops, she talked about how they became the owners of such a historic house. "This one walkthrough changed the course of our family's life. We would eventually take that old home, pick it up and move it to the outskirts of our little town. We would restore it and build our life inside those four walls," she said. "It would become the place where we would welcome our two daughters miraculously into our family and then the place we would renovate and expand once more after we outgrew the four walls with the arrival of our littlest man." The couple doesn't just live in their farmhouse, but they've also taken on the roles of farmers! They have their own blueberry farm in Arkansas where the proceeds from blueberry sales go to the HelpOneNow program in Zimbabwe, which provides financial support to orphaned children in Africa (via Only in Ark). With the Marrs family, there's much more than meets the eye.
NORTHWEST, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A lawsuit has been filed against Dave and Jenny Marrs, the couple who hosts HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous show. According to documents, Marrs Construction and Marrs Developing approached a Northwest Arkansas couple with an offer to renovate a home for the show in 2018. HGTV’s ‘Fixer to Fabulous’ casting for Season 3 in Northwest Arkansas The lawsuit states the Marrs “did not maintain an Arkansas Contractor’s License” and “Neither Marrs Developing, LLC nor Marrs Construction, Inc. obtained the required construction-related permits from Benton County, Arkansas for the remodel to occur at the home“. The lawsuit states the plaintiffs have been responsible for fixing improper renovations. The plaintiffs are asking for at least $75,000 in compensation. KNWA/FOX24 reached out to both Dave and Jenny Marrs for comment and have not heard back. This story was originally published 11/20/2020. It has been updated to reflect new information. Fixer to Fabulous is one of our favorite shows on HGTV. The series, which wrapped its third season in March, follows Bentonville, Arkansas, husband-and-wife Jenny and Dave Marrs as they overhaul old homes in Northwest Arkansas— all while raising five young children and running their own blueberry farm. Last month, the network debuted Fixer to Fabulous: Welcome Inn—a four-part spinoff series following the couple as they transform a historic 1870s house near downtown Rogers, Arkansas, into a charming retreat where you can now book a stay. With Jenny’s eye for design, and Dave’s handy craftsmanship and general contracting background, the couple has restored over 300 homes in their area. But besides their work on the show and through their local business Marrs Developing, Jenny and Dave are passionate about numerous causes around the globe including community transformation, family preservation, and orphan care. Their hearts are truly present in everything they do. Here are 13 things you might not know about HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous couple Dave and Jenny Marrs. They watch every episode with their fans Following the season two finale of Fixer to Fabulous, Jenny penned a sweet note to fans on Instagram thanking them for tuning in each week. She also revealed that she and Dave watch each episode for the first time right when fans do. "We don't get to see them before they air and it's kind of like walking down memory lane as we watch," she wrote. She went on to explain that it can be "nerve-wracking" at times "because we have no control over how the work will be received." View full post on Instagram Despite her and Dave's qualms, they're grateful for the feedback they receive. "You all allow us the great privilege of joining you in your living rooms on Tuesday nights and you send Dave and I the kindest words of encouragement and tell us how we made you laugh or how we inspired you to take a risk and paint a wall or try a project you’ve been putting off for years," she noted. ➡ Love knowing what your favorite HGTV stars are up to? Same. Let's keep up with them together.
"Thank you for cheering us on and for watching this fun little show of ours. We don’t take the privilege lightly and we pray that this season was a bright spot in the world," Jenny wrote at the end of her post. They met in 2002 at workAfter graduating college in 2002, Dave was offered a job at Newell Brands' Rubbermaid, as he told About You. It's through this role at Newell Brands that he met Jenny, who worked in a different department. The two quickly became close; however, Dave’s job profile required him to relocate and travel frequently. The couple dated long distance for a while until they decided to take the next step. In 2004, Dave left his job at the company and decided to move to Arkansas to pursue building and construction—which held a special place in his heart as he had grown up building log cabins in Colorado with his dad. "So, I did the corporate world for two years, which was enough. It allowed me to meet Jenny… but I just got sick of it," he told the outlet. "When I said I [was] going to start building again, Jenny took a big leap of faith and said we’ll try Arkansas for a couple of years," he recalled. Fast forward sixteen years later and Dave, a Colorado native, and Jenny, who hails from Florida, never left Arkansas. "I think, like a lot of people do here, we came for a stint and realized how great a place it is, Jenny said. "This is home." Jenny was Dave's "sugar mama" for a while After the couple moved to Arkansas in 2004, Dave started his own construction company, Marrs Developing. At the time, Jenny was still pursuing a career in marketing and sales. However, she pitched in as much as she could on the design end. While she had no official background in design (as she had studied marketing and public relations in college), she always loved getting in touch with her creative side. "We were broke, and I had a real job. He was just starting, so I was the 'sugar mama,'" Jenny jokingly said in 2018. She revealed that in 2012, eight years after Marrs Developing had launched, she officially left her corporate and joined Dave full-time at the company. They've been married for 17 yearsJenny and Dave got married on April 2nd, 2005. "Thanks for being my main squeeze forever and ever, Mr. Marrs. I'm sure glad I snagged you," she wrote on Instagram in 2017 for their 12-year wedding anniversary. View full post on Instagram TV was never on their bucket listWhile many HGTV stars have talked about the casting tapes they sent to the network that helped them land their shows (see Erin and Ben Napier's reel here), Jenny and Dave never made one. In a video on their blog, they reveal that HGTV approached them with the prospect of a show after word got out about the couple’s business and their passion for reviving historic homes in a small-town community. When the couple was approached by HGTV via email, Jenny thought it was a joke. During Fixer to Fabulous season one, she even said that she thought it was spam and deleted the message right away. View full post on Instagram They live in a farmhouse from 1906In a blog post titled "These Walls," Jenny recalled the day in 2012 when Dave took her and their two sons at the time for a walkthrough of an old farmhouse that he had been asked to demolish. The house was an eyesore, yet the couple knew they had to save it. That being said, they had to physically move the dilapidated farmhouse somewhere else quickly, as it was en route to becoming a parking lot. Fortunately, Dave had purchased an empty plot of land in the neighborhood a while back. Although he originally bought this land with no vision, it became the starting point for the couple’s first major restoration project as well as where they would raise their budding family. They have five kids under nineCurrently, the HGTV stars have five children together: one-year-old Luke, 5-year-old Charlotte, 7-year-old Sylvie, and twin boys Nathan and Ben, 9. View full post on Instagram They waited 602 days to meet their daughter SylvieAs you may already know, Jenny and Dave adopted their daughter Sylvie from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa. They knew instantly she was the one on Nov. 12, 2012 — that's the day they came across her adoption profile online and started the process. By August 2013, the paperwork was settled and she was finally their legal child. Dave and Jenny were hoping to welcome her home within the next month but ran into a major roadblock. The Congolese government shut down, which meant that no adopted children could leave because as exit letters had been suspended. These letters are required for a child to leave the country. During this grueling waiting period, Jenny became pregnant with their now-5-year-old daughter Charlotte. Unfortunately, Charlotte was a high-risk pregnancy for Jenny. That being said, Dave took the lead in trying to bring Sylvie home as he was the only one who could travel back and forth to Africa. View full post on Instagram "I specifically went over to Congo, waited outside our U.S. embassy to try to get in and plead my case with the U.S. ambassador," Dave told People in 2019. "When I tell you, anything that we could do… we were on the phone with congressmen, with our state representatives—like, the Vatican, we tried." Finally, on July 8, 2014, Sylvie’s foster mother was given permission to fly her to America, and Jenny and Dave finally welcomed their new daughter home. It was just a little over 600 days after they knew she was the one and started the adoption process. She joined them at age 2. Jenny is older than DaveJenny Marrs was born on January 24, 1979. She is currently 42 years old. Dave Marrs was born on February 26, 1980. He is currently 40 years old. The show originally wasn't going to be called Fixer to FabulousThe show’s pilot first aired in November 2017 with the title Almost Home. After a positive response from audiences, HGTV greenlit the series for eight hour-long episodes—or in other words, eight stunning transformations, each with a strict six-week timeline. This was a totally new (and fast-paced) ballgame for Jenny and Dave; however, they quickly adapted. By the time Almost Home was ready for air in October 2019 (after months of delays) the network decided to change the name to Fixer to Fabulous… and the rest is history. View full post on Instagram They started their blueberry farm to help kids in ZimbabweJenny and Dave’s berry farm, aptly named The Berry Farm, isn’t just a place for locals to come to pick their own fresh berries and/or host special events. As Jenny writes on the Marrs Developing blog, the couple started the berry farm "as a way to provide educational skills and opportunity for orphaned and at-risk teenage boys in Marondera, Zimbabwe." View full post on Instagram In particular, the blueberry is very symbolic to the couple as it is a crop that will continue to yield fruit over a long period of time. As the farm's website notes, "if you nurture berries and properly care for them, their investment will span decades." This is similar to "the way we are investing in the lives of the children in our program." They raise sheep, goats, donkeys, and more on their farmThe Marrs family has a plethora of animal friends in their backyard. While the animals make a great addition to The Berry Farm, Dave and Jenny never expected they'd have so many mouths to feed. View full post on Instagram On Instagram, Jenny opened up about how their barnyard of animals came to be. In 2017, the family started caring for Trixie, a baby lamb, who needed around-the-clock bottle feeding. She was just too adorable to resist. As Trixie grew up, "we added a couple of friends and she had a baby," Jenny wrote. Now the family is currently caring for a handful of sheep, cows, mini donkeys, chickens, bunnies, llamas, and more. "Never, ever, ever did I expect to live on a farm with animals that we care for each day and actual food that we produce and eat," Jenny explained. "Yet, here we are. Making it up and learning as we go." View full post on Instagram Jenny and Dave place an American flag on every house they renovateEvery Jenny and Dave Marrs renovation project isn't complete without an American flag. As Jenny wrote on Instagram: "It’s important for us to place an American flag on every house in honor of everyone who has served our country; including my amazing Father-in-law and my Papa." View full post on Instagram Follow House Beautiful on Instagram. |