Jenny Marrs on Getting More Privacy

“Fixer to Fabulous” star Jenny Marrs said she knows how to offer homeowners more privacy. Is the white picket fence making a comeback?

During a 2020 episode of her HGTV series, called “An Old Rancher Gets a Chef-Inspired Facelift,” Marrs created a personalized oasis by adding an enclosed courtyard in front of the homeowner’s home. They added cushioned chairs, a small table, decorative rocks, and potted plants.

“We all agreed that the iron post on the porch had to go, a change that allowed us to add a functional and fun design element to the front of the home,” Marrs wrote on her blog. “While keeping in theme with the mid-century design, and taking inspiration from Palm Springs, we created a small courtyard to the side of the porch with a slatted wall for privacy.”

At the end of the episode, the clients said they were pleased with the feature.

“You got a little bit of privacy,” Marrs told them. “You guys can hang out here.”

Dave and Jenny Marrs have starred on HGTV’s “Fixer to Fabulous” since 2019, according to the Internet Movie Database. The couple has been married since 2005 and they have five children:  4-year-old Luke, 9-year-old Charlotte, 11-year-old Sylvie, and twin boys Nathan and Ben, 12.

Sylvie is their adopted daughter from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa, according to People. 

The Marrs’ transform properties in their hometown, Bentonville, Arkansas.

“Dave and Jenny Marrs embrace small-town America by renovating classic homes in and around their hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas,” their bio on HGTV says. “This resourceful and creative couple transforms historic houses in desperate need of an update and turn them into charming forever homes.”

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Marrs Might Have Been Ahead of the Trend

Marrs might have been an early advocate of a burgeoning trend.

Adding fences and slatted walls to porches is a style that is picking up steam in 2023, according to Andrzej Lipski, a real estate investor from Next Door Properties, LLC in North Carolina, who spoke to Homes and Gardens.

“Privacy fences have started to get popular in some markets over the last few years,” Lipski told the elevator. “With many homes built in developments, it can feel like your neighbors are right on top of you. A porch provides an aesthetic to the home and shade when one wants to be outdoors. Adding privacy fencing can bring a little extra indoor comfort while still being outside.”

“With a privacy fence, you can create an inviting and cozy outdoor living space on your front porch,” he continued to Homes and Gardens. “It provides a sense of seclusion, enabling you to relax, entertain guests, or engage in activities without feeling exposed to passersby.”

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How Popular Are Fences Becoming?

Fences are expected to become more popular over the next decade.

Data from Grand View Research says, “the U.S. fencing market size was estimated at USD 8.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.0% from 2022 to 2030. ”

There are a few different types of fencing people can choose from. As outlined by U.S. News — depending on the budget and an individual’s taste — they chose fences that are hedges or shrubs, vinyl fencing, wood fencing, or brick or stone.

Season 5 of “Fixer to Fabulous” is slated to air in the fall of 2024.

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