House + Love = Home: Creating Warm, Intentional Spaces for a Beautiful Life

Marrs—who stars in the HGTV series Fixer to Fabulous—debuts with a pleasant blend of personal reflection and design advice. “We believe a home should reflect the personalities of the ones who live there,” Marrs writes, discussing how she has approached decorating clients’ houses. For instance, Marrs shows the 1,000-gallon aquarium she installed in the entryway of a couple who loved the beach and encourages readers to decorate their own entry areas in ways that “introduce the story of who you are,” which might include “a gallery wall of family photos” or “a treasured object from a memorable trip.” Marrs’s style mixes mid-century modern and contemporary farmhouse aesthetics while utilizing unexpected applications of color, such as a kitchen anchored by a fuchsia and gold oven range. The stories about Marrs’s family that introduce each chapter feel extraneous (a chapter focused on the living room begins with an account of her family’s Christmas morning ritual and includes no design commentary), but her guidance on sprucing up each room of the house is sensible and specific. For instance, she suggests that placing a runner in front of the kitchen sink adds “warmth and functional comfort” and that mounting curtains “as high as possible” gives “the illusion of more height in the room.” Marrs’s fans will find much to love. (Nov.)