Who doesn't love a story with a happy ending? With Daryl Kalm and Claudia Becerra, the happy ending was just a beginning. The two met in high school in 1986 while Claudia was living in the US as an exchange student from Colombia. After dating for a few months, Claudia had to return home, but the couple reconnected in 2011. "The minute she picked me up at the airport," says Daryl, "it was like going through a time warp. Here was the girl I remembered from when I was 16 years old." The couple married in 2012, purchased a home in 2014 and are now thrilled to — with the help of Dave and Jenny Marrs, hosts of Fixer to Fabulous — fashion the home of their dreams.

Of course, Dave and Jenny were up for the challenge: They have a knack for taking ordinary properties and transforming them into vibrant, stylized forever-homes that reflect their clients' tastes, personalities and needs. Daryl and Christina wanted novel interior features, international touches and a nod to their love of travel. “Our town is full of old houses that need someone to fix them up and make them a home again,” says Jenny. “There's literally not a better feeling," adds Dave, "than finishing a house for someone that you know is going to live there for a long, long time.” Let's step inside the renovation.

The home was built in 1989 and boasts 1,320 square feet, three bedrooms and two baths. The current owners bought the house in 2014. They love the location but aren't thrilled about the dated and lackluster appearance of the home, inside and out. The front entry is awkwardly positioned and dark, with visually obtrusive bars on the front door.

Curb appeal to the rescue: The house received a freshly painted board-and-batten exterior, upgraded landscaping, new exterior lighting, window boxes and natural cedar-shingle siding for the gable. The Marrs' also relocated the home's entry, so it's no longer crowded into a corner.