Heavy/HGTV/Getty Jenny Marrs.
Dave and Jenny Marrs transformed the home of Sarah Boon, the owner of a therapeutic horse ranch, in the “Home Town Takeover” premiere. But as Jenny revealed on Instagram, it was the off-camera moments on Boon’s farm that became “cherished memories.”
After filming one evening, the three youngest Marrs children – Sylvie, 11, Charlotte 8, and Luke, 3 – rode horses on the ranch. Jenny wrote of Boon, “she was so gracious even though she had to be exhausted.”
“Charlotte, of course, hopped right on a horse fearlessly,” the HGTV star captioned the Instagram carousel. “Sylvie, however, was timid and a little nervous. She isn’t a fan of large animals (when she first came home from Congo, she was terrified of all animals…she has come SO far). Yet, Sarah’s calm and gentle demeanor put her at ease. She rode with a smile on her face and even felt confident enough to have her little brother join her.”
The couple has joined Ben and Erin Napier on season 2 of “Home Town Takeover,” helping revitalize the town of Fort Morgan, Colorado. As Ben explained on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” the “Fixer to Fabulous” hosts will focus on residential projects while the Napiers tackle community-wide ones.
“As I watched Sarah encourage and lead my girl, I was struck again by the good work she’s doing in Fort Morgan, Jenny continued. “She made a lasting impact in one evening on my daughter and I can only imagine the long-lasting impact she is going to make there in her community.”
Dave and Jenny also share 12-year-old twins Nathan and Ben. While they did not ride horses, they were on hand to see the work being done in Fort Morgan.
“Having our kiddos here to see all of the work we’ve been doing and meet the families we have had the joy of working with has been so very good for my heart, Jenny captioned an October 2022 Instagram photo of the family. “Hometown Takeover has been a lot of work and we have had to be away from home more than we have ever had to before. But, oh my goodness, we are so proud of the work being done and cannot wait to share these inspiring stories with the world.”
Sarah Boon’s 1997 House Received a ‘Sophisticated Ranch’ Makeover
Dave and Jenny focused on modernizing Boon’s 1997 house in the premiere, turning to a “sophisticated ranch” design.
“We really wanted to draw from the beautiful blue skies and all of the natural elements, like the woods and the bricks and the coppers,” Jenny said in the episode. “All of those things that are just found in nature and bring that into her home.”
As viewers saw, among the exterior updates were new paint and shutters. They also replaced the roof and opted for a dutch door. Inside, they utilized lighter wood tones and updated the kitchen with brick flooring and navy cabinetry. The entrance to the ranch was also updated with a Texas-style custom sign.
Boon bought the 100-acre property with her ex-husband.
“When things didn’t work out and he wanted to leave, I wanted to stay,” Boon explained in the April 23, 2023 episode. “I fell in love with this community and this was the way of life that I wanted for my children. Having a property this big, there’s always maintenance that takes time and takes a lot of money. It was tough on my own but to not keep this place my place my kids love, it was heartbreaking. I’m not giving up on this place. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
Boon has 36 horses on her farm, admitting in the episode that she has loved the animal since the sixth grade.
“I have the opportunity to work with people with different disabilities,” Boon said of her work in the episode. “Teaching somebody that they can handle a 1200-pound animal helps people on so many different levels.”
In the episode, Dave and Jenny also renovated the local business, Zazzy Cafe.
The HGTV Couples Will Complete 18 Renovations Throughout Season
Throughout the six-episode season, the Marrses and Napiers will “mobilize 10 all-star HGTV and Food Network talent to help complete 18 renovation projects across homes, local businesses and public spaces,” HGTV explained in a press release. “The goal for the renovations, which range from refreshing a local bowling alley and revitalizing a public park to sprucing up the downtown business district and updating homes of local heroes, will be to amplify the town’s charm, build community pride and catapult Fort Morgan into a new era of limitless potential.”
As viewers saw, they were joined by “Farmhouse Fixer” Jonathan Knight and “Girl Meets Farm” star Molly Yeh in the premiere.
“What a gift to be a small part of this revitalization,” Jenny added on Instagram. “I‘m immensely grateful for the people we met and the stories we were a part of and I pray the town of Fort Morgan is abundantly blessed by this project.”