‘Fixer to Fabulous’ Unveils the Next Big Thing Every Homeowner Will Want This Year
HGTV
On “Fixer to Fabulous,” Dave and Jenny Marrs always go all out when making over a house, but the latest episode proves the pressure is more intense on some projects than others.
In “Rustic Cape Cod Reno,” they’re remodeling a 1980s Cape Cod for Shea and Nick. Shea is Jenny’s hairdresser, and she also styles all the women in her family plus just about everyone else she knows. So understandably, Jenny wants to return the favor with a renovation that really blows her hairdresser’s hair back!
Luckily, the 2,200-square-foot, three-bedroom, 2.5-bath home that Nick and Shea just bought has lots of potential. Bonus: Shea and Nick have a whopping $220,000 to spend to make it even better.
As the Marrses get to work, they come up with some truly surprising ideas and decor lessons that all homeowners might be inspired to incorporate into their own homes.
Gray is so over
Warm-toned living roomHGTV
When discussing color choices and gray is mentioned, Nick asks, “What’s next?”
Dave surprises everyone by immediately weighing in.
“Grays are on their way out,” he says. Then he looks quizzically at Jenny and asks, “Is that right?”
“That’s true,” says Jenny. “I think warmer and charming.”
Get rid of the dropped soffit kitchen
Kitchen with dropped soffitsHGTV
“The kitchen! This dropped soffit!” exclaims Dave as he spies the cupboards with space between the top and the ceiling.
“I know what you used to do up there,” says Jenny. “You put the fake plants—the plastic plants and the roosters.”
Dave and Jenny both know that today, designers simply install cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling. This not only provides more storage, but also leaves less room for dusty foliage and kitschy kitchen decor.
Gas-burning fireplaces are lower maintenance than wood
Gas log fireplaceHGTV
Everybody raves about having a real, wood-burning fireplace in the living room, but they seem to forget the maintenance that comes with it.
Nick hasn’t. He knows what it’s like to deal with the wood, ashes, and chimney maintenance. So he’s ready to have the wood-burning fireplace converted to a gas log model. Dave says it’s easy-peasy.
Jenny takes advantage of the opportunity to make the fireplace far more stylish.
“This brick fireplace has got to go,” she says. She uses stone instead of brick to warm things up and moves the insert up to create a small hearth. These changes make the fireplace not only easier to maintain, but also look far cleaner and more stylish.
Pullout staircase storage is the next big thing every homeowner will want
Pullout staircase storageHGTV
Jenny points out that when you put a closet under the staircase, a lot gets buried in the back and heads get bumped on the slanted ceilings.
So she asks Dave to design pullout staircase storage. That way, the homeowners can easily see and access whatever they store in there.
“It’s amazing how much extra storage these give,” says Dave after installing them. “I’m pretty impressed.”
Synthetic shakes are the wave of the future
Dormer window with synthetic shakesHGTV
Since all the siding on the house needs to be removed and replaced, Dave decides to try something new with the shakes, or shingles, that give the house its Cape Cod style.
“I actually really like this shake siding,” says Dave. “Going along with the Cape Cod look, it’s a synthetic shake, which is great, because I know Shea and Nick do not want to be painting real cedar every two or three years.”
Surprisingly, synthetic shakes are almost zero maintenance once you get them installed, and when painted, it’s hard to tell the difference between synthetic and real wood.
Renovated Cape CodHGTV
In the end, Shea and Nick are overwhelmed by the Marrses’ work.
“I am shocked. It’s clean, beautiful, everything feels so much bigger,” says Nick. “The colors that they chose, the whole thing is inviting.”
“I know that Jenny was super nervous about taking this project on, just because we are friends,” says Shea. “But she did an amazing job.”
Jenny is relieved, saying, “There was a lot on the line for this one, but I can tell, they love it!”
It looks like Jenny’s locks will also stay looking lovely, too.
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