‘Fixer to Fabulous’ Reveals a Sweet Upgrade We Should All Add by Our Front Door

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“Fixer to Fabulous” has returned for Season 2—and its hosts, Jenny and Dave Marrs, have a lot at stake helping homeowners who are particularly eager to make their lake house feel like a restful respite.

In the HGTV series’ season premiere, “A New Lease on Life,” Dave and Jenny meet Troy and Melode, who are hoping to give their house on the lake some classic lake-house style.

While Jenny and Dave always want to deliver top-notch looks with their stylish renovations, this project is especially close to their hearts because Troy is recovering after having a brain tumor removed. The tumor had left him blind in one eye, and though he and his family are already doing well, Jenny and Dave want to give them one more reason to celebrate.

With a $310,000 renovation budget and six weeks to finish the home, these two need to work hard to make Troy and Melode’s dream house a reality.

Read on to find out how Dave and Jenny transform this plain abode into a stunning lake house, which might inspire a few new upgrades to your own home (whether it’s on the water or not).

A home’s exterior needs to fit its surroundings

Melode and Troy thought their house looked too plain.

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Melode and Troy love living by the lake, but they hate that their house doesn’t have a classic lake house look. So Jenny and Dave decide to give the home a traditional Nantucket lake house vibe by fixing up the exterior.

They add cedar siding, which brings warmth to the home. Then they install black horizontal railings to the new back deck, which give the house dimension without blocking the view of the water.

With new siding, this home looks like a true lake house.

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Of course, Troy and Melode love the new exterior. Once all the work is done, it looks like a modern take on the classic Nantucket lake house.

“Wow, it’s perfect in every way,” Melode says.

A custom entryway makes a house feel like a home

This detail really customizes the home.

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Jenny and Dave are taken by Troy’s story of recovery and are touched when he and Melode say that now they’re always trying to “seize the day.”

So, Jenny and Dave decide to surprise the homeowners by having “Carpe Diem” etched into the wood flooring in the entryway. This permanent welcome is fun and unique, and a special nod to Troy and Melode’s journey.

“Every time you walk in the front door—anytime anybody walks in your front door—your story starts right here,” Jenny says.

When Troy and Melode finally see the custom feature, they love how unique it is.

“It’s awesome—it’s something you don’t see every day,” Troy says.

White matte appliances create a high-end kitchen

These white matte appliances make the space look even brighter.

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When Dave and Jenny first see the house, the kitchen is a blank canvas. The cabinets and appliances have already been removed, but even with the space completely open, the kitchen space feels small and dark.

So they decide to expand the kitchen and fill it with high-end design.

Jenny knows that Melode wants the kitchen to be filled with light colors, so she chooses light-blue cabinetry. Then, to bring in some white tones, she chooses white matte-finish appliances. To finish the kitchen, Jenny adds some light-wood open shelving.

In the end, the kitchen looks gorgeous. Jenny explains that she wanted to make this kitchen feel like the waterfront was brought inside, and with the blues, whites, and sandy-colored shelves, it looks just like the beautiful lake.

Bring some color into the bathroom

This bathroom needed to be rearranged.

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Jenny and Dave work hard to make sure that the whole house is filled with light and bright features, but they decide to make a change when it comes to the bathroom. While many would choose light tiles for a bathroom, hoping to make this small space seem larger, Jenny and Dave still want to give Melode and Troy’s master bathroom some character.

“I picked this cement tile because the pattern is bold [but] still classic and just a little unexpected,” Jenny says of the black and white floor tile.

These tiles bring some dimension to this otherwise white bathroom.

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When Troy and Melode finally see the bathroom, they’re overwhelmed by all the gorgeous details, from the new lighting to the glass shower to the large soaking tub. And they can’t help but notice the unique floor tile, too.

“I would never have thought about putting that color in here,” Melode says, “but it goes perfectly.”

Get creative with lighting fixtures

This canoe light feature adds some fun lake house style to the space.

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While the whole house looks beautiful, Jenny and Dave also lavish some attention on the boathouse, transforming it from a simple spot to dock the boat to a stylish hangout spot.

With hanging plants, bar stools, and even a sink to keep beers cold, this dock has all the amenities of a modern backyard. Still, this space is extra special because it’s on the water, so Dave wants to give it a nautical theme. He ends up repurposing an old canoe as a fun lighting feature.

When Dave and Jenny finally reveal the new boathouse, Troy loves it.

“We really wanted a place, like, where you could come down, get out of the sun, have a beer after you’ve been fishing,” Dave says. From the look on Troy’s face, this looks like a mission accomplished!

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