Country Music Star Shay Mooney Gives His Sister the Sweetest 'Fixer to Fabulous' Renovation
Shay tapped friends and farmhouse experts Dave and Jenny Marrs to transform an old family home into a healing getaway.
When it comes to turning a farm into a homestead, Fixer to Fabulous hosts Jenny and Dave Marrs are the experts. They purchased their own Bentonville, Arkansas, home in 2012 and moved the 100-plus-year-old structure (yes, moved it!) to a blueberry farm on the outskirts of town. So when their friend Shay Mooney, one half of the country music duo Dan + Shay and coach on NBC's The Voice, approached them about renovating his grandmother’s farm house and barn for his sister (fellow musician, Gabrielle (Gabby) Stone) and her fiancé Graylan, the Marrs knew exactly what do to.
Gabby's Story
As with all of Jenny and Dave’s projects, the renovation was about more than simply building a home. “When Shay asked us if we’d want to be a part of restoring his great grandmother’s home for his sister to live in, we were immediately on board," Jenny wrote on Instagram. "Gabby had miraculously recovered from a traumatic health scare [emergency brain surgery] and was about to get married on the property. So many good things had come together for this one."
"This is just one way for all of us to come around my sister and jumpstart her dreams," said Shay. "It's really, really special."
Renovating the Property
On the list of wants for Gabby and Graylan's property: a designated escape for Gabby to continue her recovery process and a special spot for Gabby and Graylan to tie the knot in front of their friends and family.
“We've worked on a lot of tight deadlines, but we’ve never ever had a wedding as our deadline,” said Jenny during part one of the two-episode special.
Before tackling the main house, Jenny, Dave and Shay decided to first convert a barn on the property into an in-law’s suite. The space would serve as a sanctuary where Gabby could focus on her physical, emotional and mental health. They outfitted the existing structure with a full-kitchen, living room, work out room, sauna and loft (complete with a piano for Gabby to write music). The cherry on top of the conversion was a large patio with panoramic views of the property — the perfect place for Gabby and Graylan to host their wedding ceremony.
“Oh my gosh, are you freaking kidding me right now?” Gabby said during the reveal of the former barn.
“Shooketh,” was the word that came to mind for Graylan.
In Jenny and Dave fashion, they added heartfelt and personal touches throughout the entire space. Dave built a table for the dining area with lyrics from Gabby’s first song engraved on top. He also crafted an aesthetic wooden rack for her guitars.
“There’s a light now at the end of the tunnel from this really hard season that she’s walked through, and this space is the start of that next season for her,” said Jenny.
Stream the entire two-part special on Max (Season 5, episodes 12 and 13). For more farmhouse-chic renovations, follow Jenny and Dave on Instagram at @jennymarrs and at @dave.marrs.