At Home with Mar Jennings

Mar Jennings sits outside his happy place—the former garage he converted into a studio—at his home in Westport. It’s where he works, entertains, and does much of his creative thinking.

The side garden features natural stepping stones, pebbled walkways, and lush plantings. Sourced from Gault Stone in Westport, the pebbles are native to Connecticut.

The studio’s casual furnishings include faux-wicker chairs from Outdoor Design & Living in Fairfield and pillows and accessories from Millie Rae’s in Westport.

Custom latticework under the garden’s pergola lends both visual interest and privacy

Casual seating complements a perfectly pruned hemlock from Oliver Nurseries in Fairfield.

Jennings personalized a small fountain with three vintage letters once displayed at the former Westport Bank and Trust Company (the W was flipped to become an M).

In the same way that gardens captivate us by evolving season after season, Mar Jennings keeps his garden-adjacent spaces ever-changing—and ever-enchanting.

Soon after the designer/TV host/realtor moved into his Westport home in 1997, he designed a one-car garage to complement the house, a new-build that he tailored to his taste. But it wasn’t long before Jennings saw the folly in allotting such a premium space—including the driveway—to a car. The garage included a second-floor loft for storage, but Jennings recognized additional potential there, too.

As Jennings’s house began to feel more like home, his landscape plan came to fruition, and his professional projects broadened to include hosting his own television show, he started making changes to realize an indoor/outdoor space he now refers to as his Garden Studio.

Jennings started by repurposing the first floor of the garage into an office and workroom. He added lighting and enhanced technology so it could be used in the production of his syndicated home-makeover show, Life on Mar’s. At the same time, he designed and furnished outdoor gathering spaces, and then, just last year, he turned the loft into a comfortable guest suite.

“I’ve always wanted to share my home, to entertain as well as work here,” he says. “The transformation happened gradually, starting with upgrades to the garage doors, updated shelving, the addition of sconces, and a large retail window framing the garden.” Jennings wanted the studio to celebrate the seasons, too. “In summer, the garage doors often remain open, allowing for a seamless connection with nature,” he explains. “In winter, the lush plants that have found refuge within add to the studio’s charm.”

Jennings says the structure’s evolution from its original single purpose to a multipurpose sanctuary mirrors the evolution of his work and his brand. “Both are inspired by my passion for entertaining, beauty, and nature,” he says.

The site of numerous parties and celebrations, the studio was included in a garden tour last spring that attracted 1,800 visitors. There’s no telling what else is in store for his beloved space, says Jennings: “The studio really has become a cherished extension of my home.”