Fix This Home in 24 Hours | Season 7

Written by Jenny Marrs on January 20, 2026. Posted in Fixer to Fabulous, Season 7.

What a roller coaster. In just 24 hours, I went from excited to worried, to frustrated, to happy, and finally to joyful. It was tough, but in the end, it was absolutely worth it to see so many people come together to lift up a family that has been through so much. Dave and I are incredibly honored and grateful to be part of this amazing project.

Jay Cobb, one of the kindest men you’ll ever meet, organizes a 24-hour marathon build for a St. Jude family every year. As a former patient himself, Jay gives back to the hospital and its families year-round, but once a year he takes on the giant challenge of creating a spectacular outdoor surprise for one child.

We’ve been helping Jay for the past few years, and every year the projects get bigger and bigger. This year, he wanted to build a pool for the sweetest little girl, eight-year-old Teal Esmeyer. Teal has undergone multiple brain surgeries due to a tumor. Her father Bo, mother Dru, and little brother Judd, as you can imagine, faced a difficult year. Teal and Bo stayed at St. Jude for five months while Dru remained at home with Judd. Now that they are all back together, we wanted to give them a beautiful place to rest, recover, heal, and be happy.

Jay spearheaded this entire project, connecting donors and over 150 volunteers. The whole thing was challenging, but incredibly rewarding. It brought Dave and me so much joy to see the heart of a community come together this way and for the Esmeyer family to know how much they are loved.

Kitchen

BEFORE

View Gallery

View Gallery

The kitchen’s layout, with a diagonal island and bulky pantry, felt cramped and dated. We removed it all and completely gutted the space to start over with a cleaner, L-shaped layout. By straightening out the island, which also has cabinets underneath, we gained so much more space and storage.

Our go-to cabinet maker, Chris, built and painted the cabinets at his shop in Arkansas. Thank you to our painters who stepped in to touch up the many, many areas where the paint was ruined on the drive over. The cabinets turned out beautiful, with their rich green color and modern gold knobs.

Dave built a wooden round table to create a cozy banquette dining area in the corner. With the new cabinets, all-new appliances, and an updated dining area, this is now a modern and super functional kitchen.

AFTER

SOURCES

Range Hood | Hoodsly

Can Lights | Garbe’s Lighting & Home Decor

Range | Unique Appliances

Refrigerator | Unique Appliances

Dishwasher | Unique Appliances

Sink | Home Depot

Faucet | Amazon

Countertops | Santa Margherita

Cabinet Knobs | Emtek

Cabinet Pulls | Emtek

Cabinets | Premiere Wood Concepts

Art | Buddy Whitlock

Art | Juniper Print Shop

Plumbing Materials & Installation | Alert Plumbing Heat & Air

Building Materials & Labor | Builders FirstSource

Paint Materials & Labor | River Paint Construction

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

Cabinet Paint Color | Sherwin Williams Rosemary

Living Room

BEFORE

View Gallery

View Gallery

View Gallery

The floorplan of the living room didn’t change, but a few updates made a big difference and made it feel like a whole new space. We added a built-in to the far wall where the Esmeyers can put their TV while keeping the room looking updated, with decorative shelves on both sides. Dave and the guys made a special coffee table and matching side table with wooden interlocking pieces that pair perfectly with the cozy donated sofa. The space is finished off with painted walls and new window treatments that pull everything together.

AFTER

SOURCES

Sofa | Wayfair

Rug | Amazon

Art | Juniper Print Shop

Drywall Repair | Drywall Repair Specialists

Building Materials & Labor | Builders FirstSource

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove

Built-In Paint Color | Farrow & Ball Drop Cloth

Bathroom

BEFORE

This small bathroom does a lot of heavy lifting, so we wanted to give it an update that would make it look pretty while still allowing it to keep up with a family of four. We saved so much time by using Re-Bath. We’ve used this company before, and it’s such a great way to do a quick and inexpensive update. I’m so pleased with how this small space turned out. The green paint makes the white shower wall look even brighter and really lets the hardware pop. With the updated vanity, flooring, and lighting, this bathroom is so cute.

AFTER

SOURCES

Bathroom Renovation | Re-Bath

Playhouse

We wanted to give Teal a space she could truly call her own, something with room for an art studio and a princess theme. We dreamed up a gigantic playhouse that could grow with her over time. From the outside, it looks like a small guest house, but on the inside it’s young and whimsical, just like Teal. For the sake of time, we built the playhouse off-site, then transported it to Tulsa and used a giant crane to fly it over the main house and carefully set it in place out back. From there, we jumped right in, finishing the interior with flooring, electrical, and decor.

We wanted the playhouse to be usable year-round, so we brought in a company to install an HVAC system. The sweet people at Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, and Electric not only installed a Daikin unit for the playhouse, but they also donated a brand-new, full-size HVAC unit for the main house as well.

The inside of the playhouse turned out incredible. We leaned into a princess-inspired design with light-colored flooring and paneled walls, velvety pink curtains, and large white cabinets to hold art supplies, complete with a pull-down desk. A cozy couch and a large, comfy throne topped with a crown make the space feel extra special. Of course, we also framed and displayed a few of Teal’s original art pieces on the walls.

In a small basket, we placed a few toys donated by Learning Express, which was so thoughtful of them to include Judd as well. His journey is obviously different from Teal’s, but he and the entire family have been impacted by the challenges they’ve faced over the past year.

AFTER

SOURCES

Chandelier & Door Knob | Garbe’s Lighting & Home Decor

Sofa | Wayfair

Rug | Wayfair

Chair | Throne Kingdom

Organization Cabinet | Create Room

Packing & Organizing| Clutter Away NWA

LiteZilla | LiteZilla

LVP Flooring | Tarkett

Electrical Services | Dizzy Dean Electric

AC Unit | Daikin

Backyard

BEFORE

The Esmeyers had a great space to work with, a large, flat area that was perfect for what Jay had in mind for his family. What Teal wanted more than anything was a pool, so of course that became our biggest focus. I’m sure you can imagine my frustration when, for a moment, it looked like we might not be able to deliver on that wish. But that challenge quickly turned into an opportunity for our team of volunteers to shine. I was amazed by how easily and quickly the Fiesta Pools team and our volunteers stepped up, moving the entire pool structure just a few feet to meet the city’s strict code. We lost a few hours because of it, but thanks to the Tulsa Fire Department, the pool was filled with water in no time.

We also added a modern deck around the pool and gorgeous stone next to it to create a large patio. New landscaping was added everywhere, including at the front of the house, adding color and joy all around. We asked the same landscaping company – Foundations – from last year to help us. Every little nook and corner has a flowerbed or a bush or a soothing fountain. It just brings everything together and makes the back feel happy and homey.

Since we took down their existing pergola, we gave them a new one to provide cover from the rain and shade, plus patio furniture all around – including adirondacks – to make it the ultimate hangout for family and friends.