Dave And Jenny Marrs Bring Modern Elegance To Dated Sliding Glass Doors

When it comes to making grand doorways, Dave Marrs and Jenny Marrs have it down to a T. They've showcased several front door design solutions that transform homes on HGTV's "Fixer to Fabulous," because they know how important it is for the face of a house to make a good impression. From creating a showstopping front door using a stunning brass inlay to adding symmetrical gas lanterns on either side of the main door to provide a vintage touch to the house's exterior, the husband-and-wife tandem really knows what it takes to beautify entrances. And so when challenged to bring modern elegance to a living room with dated sliding glass doors, the real-life couple and onscreen co-hosts did not break a sweat while addressing the issue head-on.

In "Fixer to Fabulous" Season 5 Episode 15 (available on HBO Max), Dave and Jenny were tasked to renovate a lake house in Northwest Arkansas. The property had a lake view from the living room, with a large glass window beside a sliding door to the back deck. As Jenny walked into the living room, her eyes were immediately drawn to the issue. "We have another slider [door] I see. We need to figure this out because these two windows aren't consistent," she said in the episode, "They're not the same height. It feels weird, so we need to clean that up." Seeing how dated the setup looked, the renovation and design experts decided to combine the two fixtures for a more clean and modern style. "Since we had taken out the sliding glass doors from the dining area, we added a big slider here," Jenny wrote while discussing the project on their blog, Dave and Jenny Marrs.

Homeowners Rick and Lisa Phillips loved so many things about their neighborhood, including the hiking trails, the dock by the lake, and the abundant greenery. They dreamed that their home could be a space for large, friendly gatherings, but the outdated living area felt cramped. Given their interests and the location of the property, it would have been a missed opportunity not to take advantage of the natural light and beautiful scenery. By giving the living room a simple sliding glass door upgrade, Dave and Jenny Marrs were able to seamlessly introduce a more open-air concept — one that blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. "Now that it's just a big wall of glass, it really sets the mood for the living room that you're in this amazing lake house," Dave said in the episode (via HBO Max).

Wide sliding glass doors are a hallmark of modern, contemporary design, but the elegant upgrade had some practical benefits too. "I didn't realize it until we framed it, how much space that was," Dave explained, "[the new door] will give them good wall space, but it's something that they can really look out at the lake." Modern doors are typically much more energy-efficient too, allowing in more light while also reducing heating and cooling costs. Beyond all of this technical speak, the biggest advantage of Dave and Jenny's renovation was giving Rick and Lisa a simple way to expand the entertainment area of the house when guests visit. They could now slide the doors wide open, so everyone can socialize and move from the living area to the deck with ease.