The Story
As a military couple, Jewel and Gary Marlowe have moved 13 times over the past 20 years. They bought their Colonial in Fairfax Station, Virginia, with hopes of settling in for the long haul. Built in 1994 with over 3,800-square-feet of living space, it had cathedral ceilings and grand windows, but that’s where the appeal ended. Parts of the house were run down, and it completely lacked originality. A designer and a tireless DIYer, Jewel had a vision formed largely from years in transit with Gary, a fighter pilot. “When you’re used to living in cookie-cutter military homes, you learn to differentiate yourself through design,” she says. “I put color, glamour and soul in every room.” Since there are often four kids in every room, Jewel figured out how to keep the look down to earth. She went high-low, splurging on wallpaper and investment pieces (she’s got a thing for grand chandeliers) and sourcing vintage treasures from Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. While stationed in England, Jewel flipped furniture for extra cash, and she tapped that skill once again, redoing drab fabrics and adding molding and other flourishes. “Each item is special,” she says, “but nothing is too precious that it can’t be used — or sat on.”
