10 Things You Didn’t Know About “Fixer Upper” Stars Chip And Joanna Gaines

2

9. Get Out of my Dreams, And Into my Car!

Chip finally met Joanna at the auto shop when she was working there in the office. He brought his car into have the brakes fixed and Joanna quickly fell for his wicked sense of humor. Joanna expressed her appreciation for Chip’s quick wit on their anniversary via Instagram. Along with adorable pictures, she gushed, “Happy Anniversary Chip! Thank you for the 12 good years of laughter, leadership, and adventure. No one makes me laugh harder than you do. You are strong and fearless yet kind and tender hearted. Thank you for teaching me to be brave and for loving me well. @chippergaines.” So sweet!

3

8. Magnolia Market…

Joanna originally opened Magnolia Market as her own business but it didn’t take long before Chip jumped in there to up the ante! The business has since expanded and now it includes Magnolia Homes and Magnolia Realty. Not bad! When asked about how it all came together, Joanna told designmom.com, “I used to own a shop called Magnolia. I started it when we first got married and kept it for a few years. To be honest, I missed out on a lot of my oldest son’s first year because of the shop. So when I found out I was pregnant with my second child, I decided to shut down shop and stay home with my kids. I still longed to do design because it serves as such an outlet for me. My husband and I have renovated homes together since we got married, so we decided to start Magnolia Homes. Chip manages the construction side, and I do all the design work. We love giving homes their stories back. Some of the homes we have done I could honestly say most people would have bulldozed! Our passion is to breathe new life into them.”

4

7. Four Kids

These two have one big, happy family! They are the proud parents of two boys Drake and Duke, and two girls, Ella Rose and Emmie Kay! It’s hard to believe that having young children doesn’t get in the way of their pristine home but Joanna explains how she has integrated her children into her design approach: “My philosophy is to embrace where you are and the season you are in. If you have children, create child-proof, inspiring spaces where they will thrive. It took this recent move to help me realize that I have to be intentional with whatever space I am given. Creating an environment of fun, creativity, and order does not just come naturally. I had to work at it and become a student of my children. I had to get into their minds and figure out what they loved and what inspired them. I had to make a choice to let go of some of the things I love as well as my expectations of what a pretty home should be.”

A photo posted by Joanna Stevens Gaines (@joannagaines) on Apr 19, 2016 at 8:32am PDT

5

6. They are Animal Owners

The couple own a farmhouse that is over 100 years old, and to complete the country feel, they also have over 60 animals on their 40 acres! They take care of all kinds of barnyard buddies with everything from chickens, to goats, and cows! Joanna’s favorite animals are the goats though, due to their playful nature!

6

5. Got the Show for Being Themselves!

The couple really lucked into the gig with HGTV. The network contacted them and approached them with a proposition for their own show after seeing pictures of the house they flipped. Chip got his start flipping houses when he was still in college, and it became an enjoyable endeavour for pair moving forward. Who knew you could be so successful pursuing your passion! What an inspiration!

7

4. They Budget like the Rest of us!

Even Joanna sticks to a budget when she goes to flea markets to find all of her décor gems. She shared advice to those shopping and decorating on a budget with designmom.com: “Be creative and enjoy the hunt. Use antique light fixtures you can get for $30 at a junk store. Also, so many major stores like Lowes have great products at very affordable pricing. There are also a lot of sources on the internet that copy certain styles from big names but at discounted pricing. One thing I always like to keep in mind is adding character to your home, even in the building process. Old architecture, corbels, and old doors are always fun to incorporate in a new home. Just remember to use quality where it counts like kitchens and bathrooms, or you will pay later!”

A photo posted by Joanna Stevens Gaines (@joannagaines) on Mar 8, 2016 at 8:07pm PST

8

3. They Don’t Own a Television!

There seems to be something wrong with being TV stars while not even owning a television yourselves, but that’s exactly the situation for Joanna and Chip! They say they keep their children entertained with a tree house in the yard and the countless acres of farm land!

A photo posted by Joanna Stevens Gaines (@joannagaines) on Feb 17, 2016 at 4:19pm PST

9

2. Dreams do Come True!

Chip always dreamed about being a baseball player or a politician, but Joanna actually dreamt about being on TV! While she didn’t imagine that she’d have her own design show with her hubby, she did want to be a broadcast journalist! She also revealed that she secretly wishes she had her own cooking show! I’m thinking that may just be in the cards for this do-it-yourself lady! You know we’d all watch that!

A photo posted by Joanna Stevens Gaines (@joannagaines) on Feb 8, 2016 at 4:45pm PST

10

1. There are no Limits on Set!

Both Chip and Joanna have completely blended their real lives with the show’s production and more often than not there are either children or animals running around between their legs while filming. While these endearing moments are often edited out of the final cut of the show, it’s amazing that the couple have been able to so seamlessly incorporate rolling television cameras into their lives. And we love to watch the incredible couple!

Jessica Bowden