For the past four years, an incredible man named Jay Cobb has led a team of volunteers to create magical backyard transformations for St. Jude patients. Every year, Jay and his team pour their hearts into these projects, working tirelessly through the night to complete them in just 24 hours. The most amazing part? Not only do they give their time, but every single material is generously donated by local business owners, ensuring that the families don’t have to spend a penny.

Our family has been fortunate to help Jay with these builds in the past, but this year, we had a special idea: what if we featured his project on Fixer to Fabulous? We hoped it might shine a brighter light on his organization and inspire more people to join his mission.

This year’s build was for an extraordinary family—the Morrises. Kristen and Ryan Morris are parents to two sweet daughters, Hattie and Hazel. In 2018, young Hazel was diagnosed with leukemia, but thanks to the incredible care from St. Jude, she is now cancer-free and in remission. The past year, however, brought another challenge when Kristen was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Thankfully, Kristen is now also cancer-free.

When Jay told us about this family, we knew we wanted to go above and beyond to create a place where they could rest, recharge, and spend time together. While the backyard was the main focus, we decided to surprise Kristen with renovations inside the home too—transforming their kitchen, the girls’ bathroom, and refreshing the exterior of the house.

It was absolutely incredible to see over 150 volunteers come together to make this dream a reality. From electricians to roofers, everyone gave their time and talent to bring these spaces to life. What’s more, this $100K renovation was completely funded by donations—from furniture to the tiniest details like gutters.

BEFORE

The stonework on the house was nice and didn’t need painting, but the entrance didn’t have that welcoming charm we wanted for the Morrises. Our boys helped by adding the natural wood around the posts to bulk them up—I love that they now have the experience from working alongside Dave to help in a meaningful way. 

The biggest challenge here was the new roof. At one point, we had around 30 people working on it at once, racing to finish before the predicted rain would hit. We also updated the landscaping (the landscapers did an incredible job!), poured a fresh concrete walkway, painted the front door, and added new light fixtures. Now, the house feels warm and welcoming—a perfect reflection of the Morrises’ joy-filled family.

AFTER

SOURCES

Exterior Light | Kichler

Adirondack Chairs | Jack Wills Outdoor Living

Roofing Materials | Beacon Building Products

Roofing Materials | TAMKO

Roofing Materials & Installation | Conrad’s Roofing

Gutter Materials & Installation | Hunley Exteriors

Plant Materials | Spring Creek Nurseries

Landscaping Design, Materials & Labor | Foundations Landscape Company

Exterior Paint Color | Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

BEFORE

The kitchen already had a great open floor plan but needed some updates to bring it to life.

We wanted this to be a complete surprise for Kristen, as she thought we were only working on the backyard. The original plan was to keep the existing lower cabinets and only change out the cabinet doors. This is a good way to save money and time. But it turned out to be a complete transformation, thanks to Chris, our talented cabinet maker. He went above and beyond, crafting brand-new cabinets in his Arkansas workshop and bringing them in on the day of the build.

In addition to the cabinets, we added new appliances, a gorgeous quartz countertop, fresh paint, new lighting, and even an original piece of art depicting their backyard.

One of my favorite touches is the dining table Dave built. The steel base and white oak top—crafted from a fallen tree on our property—feel like such a meaningful addition to the space and It’s the perfect touch for that farmhouse style Kristen likes. 

AFTER

SOURCES

Entry Lighting | Garbe’s Lighting

Cabinets | Premiere Wood Concepts

Painting| Reiss Painting

Cabinet Pulls | Top Knobs

Cabinet Knobs | Top Knobs

Stools | Target

Chandelier | Kichler

Dining Table | Dave Marrs

Dinnerware | DJM Collection

Rug | Homebase

Refrigerator | THOR Kitchen

Dry Wall Materials & Paint | Taylormade Roofing

Paint | Sherwin Williams

Electrical Materials & Labor | Dizzy Dean Electric

Art | Buddy Whitlock

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore Simply White

Cabinet Paint Color | Farrow & Ball Drop Cloth

BEFORE

The bathroom was a good size but felt outdated. We completely transformed this space with new flooring, a new tub, new tile, new lighting, new fixtures – new everything! Chris worked his magic again, crafting a custom vanity painted in a light lavender—perfect for young girls like Hattie and Hazel. Gold accents throughout the space added the perfect mix of elegance and fun.

AFTER

SOURCES

Bathroom Labor | Re-Bath

Sconces | Ferguson 

Mirror | Ferguson 

Faucet | Moen

Vanity Knobs | Ferguson 

Vanity Pulls | Ferguson 

Shower Tile | White Gloss Acrylic ReBath

Flooring | Calacatta Marbello Luxury Vinyl Tile ReBath

Shower Kit | Moen

Tub | Straight Skirt Tub White ReBath

Toilet | Kohler

Electrical Materials & Labor | Dizzy Dean Electric

BEFORE

The Morrises already had a pool that provided a much-needed escape during tough times. Our goal was to enhance it and make the backyard a place where the family could truly relax and play together.

We started by matching the back of the house to the updated front, adding a patio, fresh trim, and new landscaping. Then, we dove into the most ambitious project of all: Jay’s plans for a three-level, 1,400-square-foot composite deck complete with handrail and a pergola.

We also followed through on Jay’s ideas for a basketball hoop and frisbee golf area, turning the backyard into the ultimate family hangout spot. This part of the build was definitely the toughest. The crew battled rain and exhaustion, but if you ask any one of them they’ll tell you that seeing it all come together and seeing the excitement on the family’s faces made every challenge worth it.

AFTER

SOURCES

Roofing Materials  | Beacon Building Products

Roofing Materials  | TAMKO

Roofing Materials & Installation | Conrad’s Roofing

Gutter Materials & Installation | Hunley Exteriors

Building Materials | Builders FirstSource

Deck Lumber | Star Lumber

Decking Materials & Hardware | M&M Lumber Company

Decking Materials & Installation | Cowen Construction

Railings & Gates | BlueLinx

Plant Materials | Spring Creek Nurseries

Landscaping Design, Materials & Labor | Foundations Landscape Company

Ceiling Fan | Kichler 

Electrical Materials & Labor | Dizzy Dean Electric

Outdoor Furniture, Basketball Goal, Pole Pad & Installation | Jack Wills Outdoor Living

Pool Ladder & Float | Fiesta Pools & Spas

Concrete Material & Labor | Integra Concrete

Paint Materials & Labor | Chameleon Painting & Remodeling

Restrooms, Handwash Stations, Storage, Dumpster & Delivery  | On Call Services and Rentals

Kristen, Ryan, Hattie, and Hazel are full of love and joy, and I hope these spaces help them rest, recharge, and create beautiful memories together. When I think about what this team accomplished in just 24 hours, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude—for the volunteers, the donors, and the chance to be part of something so special.