Jenny Marrs Releases Debut Book on Creating an Authentic Home You Love

The HGTV star's House + Love = Home hit shelves on November 14th.

Along with co-hosting hit HGTV show Fixer to Fabulous, designing a Walmart collection, caring for their five young children, advocacy, and orphan care, writing a book was just one more thing to add to Jenny Marrs's long list of successes. The designer's debut book hit shelves on November 14, and centers around a theme that connects all of her work: love.

Related: The BHG Home Collection by Dave and Jenny Marrs Aces the Coastal Look

Despite her busy schedule and other endeavors, Marrs says that House + Love = Home has actually been a long time coming. The idea sparked in spring 2020, but it took a backseat among the chaos of the pandemic. She spent a large part of those years between then and now writing and editing—a labor of love.

"I've always wanted to write a book," Marrs tells Better Homes & Gardens. "When I was a kid, it's what I wanted to be when I grew up: a writer."

While she says she intends to write multiple books, Marrs decided to start her publishing career with a coffee table book, due to the recent growing interest in them. Every chapter details a different area in the home, and she starts each one with a personal essay about her family and how they relate to that space. While flipping through the pages, you'll also find stunning images of projects she's worked on over the years with husband, co-host, and design partner, Dave, including their own home.

"I didn't want to just write a how-to design book, there's already so many really wonderful books out there like that," she says. "Its focus is on creating each space with intention in your home, it's what Dave and I have done with clients over the years. We try to ask questions like, 'How do you want this space to feel?' or 'How do you want to use this space?'"

The book's title was born years prior to publishing. When the couple started their company, Marrs came up with the philosophy, "Home+Love=Home," and it's guided their business ever since.

"A house is just four walls and roof, but a home is about making it personal and bringing your story into those walls," she says. "Otherwise, it's just a house."

Dave has a special part in the book, too: "Dave's Corner" is featured in a handful of the chapters and helps turn the book into an accessible design source that Marrs hoped it would be. It's in this section that the handy contractor shares how to build simple, step-by-step projects for readers to tackle on their own, like how to build a mudroom bench for storage.

Related: Dave and Jenny Marrs Balance Family, Fame, and Farm Life

"It's not about making a magazine or Instagram-worthy home, it's about making a space for your family and making it a place that you love," Marrs says. "You want it to reflect who you are and for it to feel personal and warm—that's what a home should be."

She hopes readers see the book as encouragement and inspiration, rather than making them feel that their current home isn't good enough. Through working for her clients, Marrs has sensed a need for authenticity rather than trying to impress others when designing their homes.

"It's not a typical design book," she says. "I hope people really read it and find inspiration from the photos. I hope it's not a book that just sits on the coffee table. I'm also excited to share more about our family. I share stories about our children, how Dave and I met, and even about my parents."

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