On “Fixer to Fabulous,” Dave and Jenny Marrs are accustomed to making small, humble homes feel more spacious and special—and a recent episode proves their handiwork doesn’t necessarily require adding pricey features or square footage.

In the season 5 episode “Historic Home Meets Potential,” Dave and Jenny are tasked with renovating a tiny, two-bedroom, 776-square-foot house owned by Blake and Shelby. Shelby’s parents live right around the corner, in a home that Dave and Jenny had previously remodeled.

“Word of mouth is so important,” says Dave in an understatement.

You might find yourself spreading the word about Dave and Jenny once you witness how they make this cramped old house feel a lot larger and more sophisticated—all while somehow keeping its historic charm intact.

See what they did, with plenty of tips you could apply to your own abode.

Remove the ceiling for a sense of space

Since this is a small and historic home, anything the Marrses can do to make the place feel spacious is welcome.

“The biggest thing I want to have happen is I want to open up the ceiling so we can see the vault,” says Jenny. “We want to make this small space feel bigger. If we can raise the ceiling, it makes your eye go up and gives the illusion of bigger space. I think that’s going to make a huge difference in the space.”

Keep brick for more character

While inspecting the attic, Dave finds an old chimney. Thrilled, he climbs down and rips away the walls that surround the brick to see if it can be easily exposed.

“It’ll be so pretty,” exclaims Jenny. “We’re now uncovering it, basically just restoring history. It’s not going to be functional, but it adds so much to the space. I think it’s absolutely worth keeping and exposing.”

It’s a good reminder that anytime you find used brick in a home—whether it’s part of an old wall or a chimney—it’s a good idea to salvage it, because it adds character to a home.

Cover the deck for more living space

“This is not a big house, so we need to do anything we can to capitalize on space,” says Dave. “Back deck? Great. But if it’s a covered back deck, now all of a sudden, you’ve got three seasons to use this extra space.”

He plans to extend the back deck and cover it with a roof that has a vaulted ceiling, making it into an indoor-outdoor space that will be welcoming nearly year-round.

Shou sugi ban is a hot trend

When deciding how to decorate the newly expanded primary bedroom, Jenny opts to transform a wall behind the bed with a technique known as shou sugi ban.

“It’s basically a method of taking cedar and burning it,” says Jenny. “Shou sugi ban originated in Japan. It was a way to preserve the wood and protect it from insects, which made it great for exteriors. But it also makes for a really great accent wall.”

She says they’ll use tiny strips of burnt cedar on the wall.

“So it almost looks like a black feature wall, but it’s just something that’s a little bit unique and different,” she explains. “It’s kind of fun, kind of unexpected.”

Blake and Shelby love it.

“It’s modern but also [has] the natural look that we were going for,” says Blake.

A fence adds safety and a finished aesthetic

“You know what is amazing to me is how a fence can make such a big difference,” says Dave as he works on a nontraditional white picket fence in front of the house. “This fencing is a composite. It’s great. You don’t have to paint it, there’s no maintenance, it doesn’t give you splinters.”

He adds that it’s also very practical.

“You want to be out in the yard, and you don’t want to have to worry about your daughter going out into the street,” he says. “It’s a safety issue, but it does make it look amazing.”

Does this fixer-upper end up fabulous?

It’s quite remarkable how Dave and Jenny turn a small, old house into a delightful dwelling that its owners adore as soon as they set foot in the front door.

“Dave and Jenny are all about the details,” Blake says. “I feel like everything we asked for was met and then some. They really exceeded our expectations.”

Shelby agrees: “This house is really a dream house for us. We’re really excited for all the memories that we’re going to make.”

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