Like most people, I’ve gotten trapped in a Fixer Upper marathon on HGTV. You tell yourself that you’re just going to watch through the final reveal, and then you get stuck on the next episode because you want to see which unkempt house the new people choose. It’s a vicious cycle! I don’t even feel guilty about watching Fixer Upper – Chip and Joanna Gaines are super-religious types, but they never really bring any fire, brimstone or politics into the show. You can enjoy the show relatively guilt-free, which is how millions of people came to be fans of the Gaines. Fixer Upper is one of the jewels in HGTV’s programming, and unfortunately, we’re just going to have to make do with reruns. The Gaines have announced that the current season will be their last:
After five seasons and millions of fans, Chip and Joanna Gaines are officially saying goodbye to their hit HGTV show.
“It is with both sadness and expectation that we share the news that season 5 of Fixer Upper will be our last,” they wrote on their blog Tuesday. “While we are confident that this is the right choice for us, it has for sure not been an easy one to come to terms with. Our family has grown up alongside yours, and we have felt you rooting us on from the other side of the screen. How bittersweet to say goodbye to the very thing that introduced us all in the first place.”
The announcement comes as a shock to viewers who have followed the couple on their journey from a small-town construction and decorating duo in Waco, Texas, to international celebrities. Since the pilot aired in May 2013, Fixer Upper has become one of the highest-rated shows in the network’s history. But being on TV is just one part of Chip and Jo’s home improvement empire. The couple’s growing portfolio of successful businesses includes retail compound Magnolia Market at the Silos (which draws up to 40,000 visitors every week); paint, rug, wallpaper and furniture lines; a quarterly magazine; a real estate company; a luxury vacation renta; a soon-to-open restaurant and a New York Times bestselling book, with a second, Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff, due out Oct. 17.
Despite all their success, the Gaineses have always stayed true to their humble beginnings.
“We’ve been all over the world now,” said Chip, 42. “But there’s something really romantic about not just saying, ‘Remember where you came from,’ but really living that out.”
And if their fame and fortune suddenly came to a halt, well, they’d be okay with that too. “We’ve got everything that our hearts desire,” Chip said. “I don’t see how we could be happier.”
And the couple never wanted their children Drake, 12, Ella, 10, Duke, 9, and Emmie Kay, 7, to grow up in the spotlight. “They’re so young, and we want to give them the chance to have a normal childhood,” said Joanna, 39. “Family is the most important thing in the world.”
So… they’re quitting their incredibly successful show because they want their kids to have a normal life? And yet… the Gaineses are going to keep building their empire, they just don’t want the HGTV show anymore. I don’t know. It feels like something fishy is going on. It feels like there’s going to be more stuff coming out in the next few days/weeks/months. #1 theory: Chip f–ked up. #2 theory: They’re tired of “being in the closet” as conservative Republicans and want to be free to do all of the churchy, Republican stuff they can’t do now on HGTV. If you have any other information, please share it with the group!
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I’m obsessed with this couple and their gaggle of gorgeous kids. Can anyone confirm if mama is of Native American heritage. Cos, y’know…cheekbones!
She is Korean/Lebanese/German.
She’s half Chinese (her mother). She did mention once how people always try to guess, and that she did actually play Pocohantas in a school play.
Her mother is Japanese
I looked it up because I thought the same thing, but she’s actually Korean, Lebanese and German. I think her mother is Korean and her father Lebanese and German. She’s gorgeous.
Her mother was on one episode and I’m pretty sure she was Southeast Asian, so that would explain the cheekbones!
Also obsessed with Joanna. I’m sorry but how are you in a fitted pastel tee in the southern heat with no pit stains?! Mine would be to my hip. She’s a unicorn.
I love how the first three responses are all different, haha.
Lol, yes, proving Joanna’s point! Thank you for the correction, everyone. I’m so embarrassed for getting that wrong (giant memory fail)!
It is in her book. She’s part Korean.
Those reality shows kill marriages. I think they saw the negative influence and decided to stop.
Not the reason, tho hGTV may hope you think so.
I haven’t ever actually seen the show but I do know who they are and I have been seeing her name pop up a lot lately. she has a line of clothing with Matilda Jane that did very well and now they have the target line coming out. I have a feeling that they used the show to catapult them to stardom and now that they have it they don’t have to do it anymore and can pursue more lucrative revenue streams.
What do you think the reason is Liberty? I think it has to be something big for them to give up the main thing that drives their popularity.
I agree and think they’re doing the smart thing. There is a little bit of buzz around their impact to Waco – some of their houses being sold for big bucks, crowds of tourists, etc. Why not step back and run Magnolia and spend more time with the kids?
Too bad they’re ending the show. It’s been great to have it on in the background while I do other stuff. So many of the house transformations are completely amazing—-just saw the rerun of the houseboat redo, which turned out shockingly good. A small quibble is that she sometimes adds too many trendy accessories to the houses.
But I don’t think Chip messed up, as in infidelity. I think they, but especially, she, got bored with the format. I think he’s like a big, goofy, Tom Cruise lookalike, kid. But she’s basically more sophisticated, and getting more so at gathering speed. I think she outgrew the confines of the format, which showcases his goofiness,
Binging is how I enjoy watching the show, too. You can’t stop at just one. Even though Joanna’s decor became a bit one-note I always enjoy watching the process and seeing the final product. It’s just a fun, light show. I also have a feeling there’s more to the story here about them ending the show. I hope not, but hmmmmm….
I don’t know how these shows work but they could just be sick of it. It probably takes up a lot of their time resulting in neglecting their family and other businesses. Part of me feels like they got a better tv deal.
Yeah, I wonder if they will have a regular slot on GMA or something similar. Good money, way less work.
Would you please tell me: what is GMA?
Good Morning America.
NO DOUBT! The other shoe will drop soon!
I feel like there is something shady going on re: Chip (I’m an optimist, what can I say?) But I thought the same thing about Jason Chaffetz and he’s happily slinging lies for big money on Fox News so don’t ask me.
It just doesn’t make sense for them to end the show right now. It’s like the Kardashians, this show is such a great vehicle for their brand it’s like an enjoyable hour long commercial. Nobody gives that up for no reason. And if it’s a new show it would probably be announced silmultaneously to avoid this kind of speculation.
Yeah, I have a feeling Chip screwed-up somehow.
This is a very plausible theory given the tendencies of the “family values” crowd, if you know what I’m saying…
Jason Chaffetz left to save his own skin and future political career. He saw how the tide was turning and knew if he got out now he’d be able to make the big bucks on Fox and set himself up for being Governor of Utah, taking over for Orrin Hatch in the Senate and/or running for President. That’s the scandal but in the era of Trump it isn’t nearly salacious enough, though.
Meh. I guess I’ll have to find something else to watch on a plane.
That’s a surprising decision. I don’t watch their show, but I see them everywhere, the show has gotten very big. Maybe they asked for huge money, and are calling HGTV’s bluff? Or they figured out they can make more money with the other stuff from last time.
Thank. God. I own a design/build firm and if I go to one more meeting where the client says, “Do you know Chip & Jo!? That’s EXACTLY how I want my house to look!!!” I think I might scream!
She definitely has a style, but I find them to be so saccharin and over the top. And uninspired. Definitely a one note player.
I’m so glad to hear you say that! I enjoy the show and the characters in and of itself but I can’t stand her word pictures, distressed everything, shiplap obession and farmhouse style. It isn’t me at all, and I’ve often wondered if I am just tacky and tasteless since everyone else seems to worship them.
You are not alone. I’ve thought these two were bland and sketchy from the start. I don’t get the worship either, ugh.
It’s not just you! I think their stuff is beautiful and homey, but it is NOT me. I am very traditional, and prefer warm tones in my home, so her cool grays and country chic is pretty far from my home décor.
Yes I agree with you, it’s always the same house! And I do like her, but the whole series is a bit too sugary, and they are so HAPPY it’s just weird.
I enjoy watching the show, and wish her all the best but she is not a competent designer because she does not have any formal training in design–it is very evident. A truly gifted designer evolves and every home they work on is unique even if there are a few touches that indicate the source of inspiration and influences. She is very one-note and heavy-handed. I watch the show for light-hearted comedy. It is great for teaching you what not to do with your home. Her giant clock obsession is hilarious. Sometimes there are several giant clocks in each room. Shiplap is hackneyed and overplayed. It should not be put into every room and every style of home–she once ruined gorgeous Arts and Crafts bungalow by shipping it to death. Every home is turned into “modern country farm-house with an edgy Restoration Hardware on a budget look”.
Right…but when you’re a TV celebrity designer, people come to you for your signature look. She’s not being hired by an of-the-moment NYC fashion designer to implement the client’s wishes because said client just doesn’t have the time to do it all themselves. Also, the idea of designer as artist is a little hilarious too. That’s a very romanticized idea of the practical work that most designers actually wind up doing.
The problem is that her “signature look” looks a lot like a West Elm/CB2/Wayfair/World Market display room. That decorating “style” is the same generic, sanitized, modern/earthy aesthetic that I have seen a million times over.
Is it pleasant? Certainly.
Is it tasteful? Sure.
Is it unique or creative? Nah, not even a little bit.
I think the point Gisele DeCorvin-McGraw was making is that designers ARE artists. As someone who went to art school and knows how intensive and laborious it is to get a design degree, I think it’s important that people understand that it’s a skill that you study, practice and train for like anything else. It takes a natural, raw talent just to get into design school and then it takes a lot of work and devotion to progress and evolve as an artist over the course of your education.
And I agree that her style in really amateurish compared to some of the amazing interior design you see these days. But this is what most people want: they want unoffensive and pleasant even if it means entirely bereft of style. I personally prefer designers that take risks but then again, that’s not what her show is all about so meh.
I could not agree more, she has absolutely ruined some pretty great old houses.
She always takes out the cabinets in the kitchens and leaves bare shelves that hold next to nothing. One note is right.
And my point was that as true as that is, once you come out of school, you use all your artistry as a marketable skill for the masses unless you get lucky and hit the big time in an artsy and individuality loving market. Plenty of artists pay the bills by plying their art as a trade. Designers are no different in that regard. Also, I studied design myself.
There is something SO dark to me about these HGTV couples. They’re not aspirational to me, just creepy. How can any couple maintain a healthy relationship when people are literally obsessed with them? You can’t maintain a lifestyle after you’ve commodified it. I can never watch their show because it all seems fake.
So, I guess you get a lot of Shiplap requests? 🙂
I love the show and their family dynamic, but I wouldn’t let her NEAR my house.
I don’t get it at all. I used to like to look at the house tours on apartmenttherapy.com, until so many of them followed her home aesthetic and then went on about how eclectic their choices were. When they all had a white open concept kitchen and the home decor all looked same-ish and Pottery Barn-ish to me.
Interior designer here and I literally yelled “AMEN!” when I read your comment haha!! My other personal favorite is when, here in our very expensive Northeast area, my clients wonder why they can’t get their entire house redone for $80k. Also, someone I know is showing off an entire house of shiplap on social media. Why must I cry?! 😂😂
I can’t really take Joanna’s style against her, even if it’s a lot of staging as opposed to more actual designing. She’s self-taught, came up in Waco, and she came to be known for a camera-friendly, generally pleasing country luxe style that somehow gave her an occupation, a TV show, and then a budding business empire. That’s her brand. Why would she risk going way off-brand on television to prove a point or explore her growth as a designer? I suppose that may be part of the reason she’s ok with closing down the show. She’s relatively young and can still learn a lot without fear of not only displeasing a client but a TV viewership as well.
This is coming from a working graphic designer who went to art school, has artsy friends, and wishes she had more time to be artsy and innovative and all that, but has somehow built a career on certain kinds of commercial work. It’s not art and sometimes it’s not even great design, but it pays the bills, puts money in the bank for the big things, and keeps new clients coming in. It’ll be a while before I can afford to go off-brand too. Lol
I don’t get the impression that they are “deliberately” politically and religiously conservative. They are from a small city smack in the middle of the Bible Belt. I’m thinking that their level of conservatism is probably just the local norm. Although I’m happy to be corrected on this assumption by actual Texans.
Actual Texan. I live in Austin, though (some may argue that it’s not really Texas…). Definitely the norm. You are correct.
Yeah, mom mom watches them so I’ve casually viewed the show from time to time myself. They seem like people who are neither over-the-top with rhetoric nor people who are out of the ordinary for where they are from. It’s time for everyone from this country to stop acting like everyone else is or should be exactly like them.
Yes. Waco is AWFUL for that sort of thing. Absolutely filled to the brim with Baptists (Baylor University is there) and a LOT of uber-conservatives.
I ate in a Panera in Waco about two years ago, and it slowly dawned on me that EVERYONE in the place, even the people working there, were white. IN TEXAS! Do you KNOW how hard that is to find??? I was so creeped out, I wrapped up my sandwich and left. (I’m white and from Dallas.)
All the most super-judgy, super-conservative people I know live in Waco, which is part of the reason why I never watched their show. (Shudder)
I think what was meant is they deliberately “hide” their religious and political views on the show. If you don’t have a tv show then you don’t have to worry about constantly working to appear neutral. Although I don’t know what a person’s religious or political views have to do with remodeling someone else’s house, anyway.
I’ve never seen the show, haven’t binged a home improvement show since Trading Spaces. I just came to say that I heard recently that it’s rebooting so people who will miss this show can tune into Trading Spaces. It was a good one, truly bonkers at times!
OMG, Trading Spaces! I loved the concept of that show! I wonder whatever happened to Ty Pennington? I liked some of the designers, but I think it was also the first time that I concretely realized that just because you were a designer didn’t mean that you had good taste. LOL!
I thought Ty moved on to that Extreme Home Makeover show on ABC. Not sure if that’s still on or what he’s doing now. The show was mesmerizing, wasn’t it, the worse the designers were? I discovered it while home on maternity leave and it came on right when my newborn would nap. It was such a guilty pleasure for me.
I hear they’re bringing Hildy back! Cardboard rooms and painted sofas for everyone!
Don’t forget hay on the walls and furniture on the ceiling, lol!
Trading Spaces will have to up the budget, lol. On the new shows they spend $1000 on a counter top, let alone the whole room. That show was a train wreck in design. Just plywood, cheap fabric and paint. The older gentleman, I think his name was Frank, was probably the worst decorator I’ve ever seen.
Yeah, I think the low budget aspect was kinda quaint back in the day but since HGTV has upped the ante I think they will have to, too.
Agree about Frank, although I’ll say Edward (I think that was his name) was pretty bad, too. Both guys whose style made me cringe in advance for whoever ended up with them!
I loved that show!! Paige Davis is still one of my favorite TV hosts ever.
Remember how upset people would be if they got Hildy or Doug?!? That horrible floor to ceiling brown fireplace? I’ll never forget how that woman just burst into tears and ran from the room. Poor thing – fantastic TV.
Yes! Hilly and Doug were the absolute worst. I used to really pay attention to people’s reactions when they got one of the bad designers, which were most of them. Lol!
I enjoyed the first few shows. By the end of the first season, Waco has enough shiplap siding to sink a ship. None of the renovations have space in the house for a piano or book case. It’s all open concept. Time for a new show.
Open concept is the thing. Of course they’re going to push a lot of it until it’s no longer the thing and something else becomes profitable.
They have a product line coming to target apparently. I wonder if they just have too much going on?
They may be ending the show but I think they are launching a magazine. I got a shill marketing letter about it last week that went straight in the recycling bin.
I saw the magazine “The Magnolia Journal ” at the checkout counter in my grocery store, it’s out. They also want $20 for a 1 year (4 issues) subscription. I personally never pay for magazines, I get subscriptions free thru surveys etc etc.
I’ve been wondering how they can do it all, with her Target line, the show, the silos, the bake shop, the B&Bs, the magazine…sheesh, I’m sure I’m missing something too!! Anyways, something has to give when you have small children like they do, so the show makes the most sense since they are now a household name/brand and can continue making money doing the other stuff.
I think they probably felt overwhelmed with everything, sat down and looked at what needed to go to free up some time. Chip might come off as a “good ole boy” goof, but I’ve seen interviews where people say he’s the brain behind everything. She does the design, but he’s the business guy. I even remember her saying that she tells Chip her ideas and he makes them happen.
I think their family is very important to them and if something was going to give, it was going to be the show. It’s not just the show they have to produce, they have to find the houses, do the work, film it and do promos for their show. So, do they continue to do a show they don’t own/produce and is probably the least profitable thing they do, or continue to build their own empire where they dictate their schedule and own everything?
I’d choose the latter too.
They don’t have to find the houses, though. Every single applicant is required to ALREADY own a home in Waco that needs major renovations. The house-hunting part is just for show, literally.
Brittney, that’s not what I’ve read or how they themselves have talked about it. Chip and Joanna have a real estate business, and as I understand it, most of the houses shown on the show are either sold to the clients by Chip and Joanna as the realtors representing the seller and then renovated by C and J for the clients who purchase them — or they are purchased ahead of the fact by C and J themselves as investments and then sold to their clients to be fixed up by them. Real estate is one of their businesses, and one of the big reasons they’ve been so busy.
Their empire is getting huge, It can’t run itself. Plus they have four children. Something had to give. I mean, there are only so many hours in the day to devote to things. Maybe the money offer wasn’t good enough they thought to spend all that time filming, when they had so many irons in the fire. They’ll take some time away and be back on some type of TV show eventually.
I think this is the case. Too many projects, and they don’t “need” the HGTV show anymore to make money. My guess is they are probably looking forward to not having the show and focusing on the Silos, Target lines, magazine, etc…
And I’m really hoping nothing negative comes out. I like Jo, I want her to be happy.
i hope this is the case. i want to think they are smartly taking their career to the next level and shutting it off at HGTV as more imitators sign on. if people want to see her new stuff – and they do – they will have to buy it. they are shrewd business people. Also – WACO isn’t that big. how long can it go on? Taffy Brodesser-Akner wrote a really interesting article on them and the show and it seems like people in Waco aren’t all that jazzed on the whole thing and there is some backlash happening from people who have gotten their houses. its time. i don’t love their politics but i would hate it for them and their children if it was something scandlous. i hope its not.
+1, they have lot on their plate and their business seems to thrive, so maybe they are just consolidating everything?
I find her really beautiful. On screen she seemed to barely tolerate him while he seemed quite infatuated with her. And she seemed to be the driving force behind their business ventures, so … I’m curious how this will turn out.
That’s what I think too. I think it’s too much, and they’re smart enough to realize it. I don’t think there’s anything “shady” or strange.
Agreed. I have two kids just starting school, and we’re busy! I can’t imagine four kids, a growing empire, AND a television show. Something had to give.
Hopefully this is the truth, they do have a lot going on so maybe they just want more time with their kids. We’ll find out soon enough if something else is going on!
I was thinking the same – that something with the kids may have triggered this too. Perhaps they are getting individual attention and followers and the parents want to protect them from developing fame, one of the kids might be struggling or needing more attention. Their kids are entering teenage years, and I’d want to be more present for them.
I want to like Jo and Chip but I can only handle them in small doses. They are ok and the designs are nice (but kind of boring and repetitive) but after a while I find them annoying so I often take breaks from watching. I won’t miss the show.
IMO, he is a bit of a clown and can be too much sometimes. His antics often annoy me. Often times I’m like, “can you just describe the reno for once without all the bluster?” It’s exhausting. I sometimes wonder if he annoys Jo the same way. I wonder if that’s what she means by needing “quiet time” when she’s doing the final staging and she sends the kids off with Chip.
Yeah, that’s when I know it’s time for a break and I move to Law & Order flagship or SVU.
Overall, it’s a cute show but as already mentioned, I won’t miss it.
His antics are way exaggerated now and annoying. He wasn’t like that the early seasons.
Agree. The schtick and my jealousy over these people were getting to live in MY dream house at “affordable” prices, albeit in Waco, made me stop watching.
I hardly watch because I can’t stand Chip goofing off, or launching into long narratives or just being generally annoying. I’m not a big fan of their design aesthetic either. I f**king hate shiplap. But Chip was my main reason to not watch. He was just a massive eyeroll from me.
I don’t think why someone would immediately assume that he would F something up. If you watch the show he is the one head over heels for his spouse. If there was any F up situation, I would think it would come from her…
I think they are probably tired of the show’s format and want to do other things that they can’t do now because they are committed to the show.
Yeah. get the vibe she’s bored with the show format—and maybe getting bored with him.
I’m with you JC. If any of the two legitimately wanted out, I’d think it’d be her. I could see her “emotionally” cheating with a much smarter much more worldly guy than Chip. Someone “on her level” so to speak.
i think Joanna has outgrown the show and is bored with it as well as losing patience with Chip’s antics (which are getting more forced with each season). I also think age is catching up with both of them as well as the demands of family. Time to turn the page…..
See to me his head over heels shtick seems disingenuous. I have always gotten an icky vibe from how over the top he is with her. Wasn’t there just a rumor that they were divorcing? He doth protest too much.
They may be burnt out and over it. Maybe breaking from HGTV will leave them available to do a network primetime show in the future like Extreme Makeover home or something.
Yeah, i think a lot of their folksy charm is BS but I do think they’re wise and savvy enough to decide the regular income stream from the show is not worth the effort and that ending it gives them more time to focus on their other projects, plus they go out on top and can score a big network special pretty much whenever they want. Big payout for a lot less work. I don’t have tons of respect for them in general but I do respect this as a wise decision both professionally and personally.
I know it’s a reality type show so everything should be taken with a huge grain of salt. However I would be surprised if the problem really is their relationship.
It’s hard to pretend to be loving friends like that. It’s the way that they talk to each other, genuinely laugh with each other, resolve big problems with each other. Not to brag but it reminds me of my husband and me – we truly are friends above all else. They are deep friends who love each other.
So I could be totally wrong but I just really think their relatonship will stand many tests, I don’t they either of them stepped out on the other. They probably really do want to focus on their children.
The fame they get from the show fuels all of their other ventures. Without the show, there is no Target line or book deal.
Therefore, the answer is obvi contract negotiations. Little HGTV prolly doesn’t have the $$$ to keep this couple.
I’d expect to see them on a new network in the future.
This is what I think. The free advertising from the show is of incomparable worth. Just look at Kylie Cosmetics where she “doesn’t pay for advertising.”
Is this because of his wandering dong? Hardware store girl etc..There have been rumors and blinds about it for years.
Why can’t a couple put their kids in front of their career? I think spending time with their family these years is much more valuable than making a few extra bucks…
Glad to see I’m not the only one who thinks her design sense is one note and repetitive. I much prefer the woman on “Love it or List It”- she at least mixes it up.
I think it’s a $$$ grab to negotiate a better deal. TV drives everything- once they are off the air, no one will remember who are they, and the Target,etc deals will go away. Or maybe they do want more time on the farm?
Why is he writing a book….by himself? Why did he go through a massive physical transformation? Red flags for…..Chip had/is having an affair to be followed shortly by a divorce. Easier to keep the divorce quiet when you aren’t on TV and they can still rake in money on all the other ventures. This couple was so saccharine and fake. Saw this coming a mile away.
I heard from production that she has been behaving like a bratty diva since season 4. She would arrive 3-4 hours late for taping. Sometimes not even arrive at all and switch off her phone. Chip would make excuses for her and later on just gave up. I am guessing they told them this would be the last season and now they are pretending they want a normal life to save face.
HGTV fire Joanna Gaines? I doubt it.
A Texas friend noted that Jo ran afoul of her HGTV contract by making a QVC deal with Lori Grenier to push Jo’s makeup line. She was canned, and FU will probably come back with just Chip.
Does she even have a makeup line? She has denied she was creating a skin care line. That just sounds like a variation of the initial rumor.
And they made the announcement they were leaving as a couple. You’re saying Chip will come back and do it alone? Why would anyone want to watch that?
Plus how many times can you hear the phrase ‘It doesn’t even look like the same house!’ and not want to punch someone in the neck.
Last fall there was a dust-up that they belong to a church with a pastor who advocates conversion therapy. They sidestepped that with talk of loving all of humanity and being in the home design business not politics, but questions remained. There have also been complaints from occasional clients about not having any say in the design, being rooked into horrible neighborhoods, etc.
It could be anything, but it isn’t all smooth sailing. I wondered if that was why their friend the furniture maker got his own show; because something was happening behind the scenes.
There was a lawsuit that Chip was named, and not sure if it was settled or about to be heard in court. He convinced his partner to sign over their partnership literally days before they signed to their show or it began to air? But to their credit, they didn’t go looking for a show, a production company out of Colorado read her blog and contacted her.
There were behind-the-scenes articles published over the weekend. Central is the idea that Chip and Jo have separate teams of helpers to do the grunt work. Chip in truth barely does any demo–it’s all for the camera. Jo is more hands-on, but has associates to help her. The associates work extensively with the couples who bought the property, so design wishes are followed up on and no ideas are imposed upon them.
The houses are already under contract or sold, so anybody surprised by having their offer accepted by the seller is playing for the cameras. One couple purchased their “steal” of a house by buying it from Mom and Dad. Then they lived next door as the remodeling was done.
So when Patricia says to take it with a grain of salt, she’s right on the money.
Did anyone really believe they were doing all the work along with all their other business ventures and raising 4 kids? I think you’d have to be super naive to think they’re doing it. Hardly scandalous.
Nah – nothing fishy IMO. I live in Austin and have been to their Baptist Pottery Barn once. Nice but overpriced. They are PERSONALLY very religious, but are not typical evangelicals from what I’ve seen. As a recovering evangelical who somehow managed to hang on to their Christian faith, I am finding more and more people of faith who are finally understanding that they don’t have to try to “save” everyone in order to live out the precepts of Jesus. I think Chip and Joanna are like that. I just think they know that they have built their brand sufficiently that they don’t need to do the show anymore. Going out on top is always best… I wonder if Kate Gosselin ever thought of that.
Bahahah “BAPTIST POTTERY BARN” I love it!!! Thank you for the much needed chuckle!
thankgawd!
If I never seen another reno that has an OPEN FLOOR PLAN with AN ISLAND and a RUSTIC decor (that looks like it should come with a tetanus shot) I’ll be very happy.
Yeah, something is up. Who gives up a successful television show when you have stuff to sell?
If I remember correctly they only wanted to do houses in the Waco area and I believe this has had a huge impact on the housing market, pricing many people out of the area. So it could just be that they don’t have any houses nearby to fix up anymore.
That actually makes sense. They did that “shotgun” house, which was basically a loft, I don’t think it even had a real bedroom & the people are trying to sell it for 1 million dollars now! It was really close to their store too. It must actually be annoying to know someone is trying to profit that much off their work. I mean, the bank is never going to finance that, the house isn’t worth that much, but hypothetically, if someone has the cash & wants to pay that much just because Chip & Joanne designed it, they could make a killing off of it.
I agree…I think they got sick of other people making big bucks off of their work and reputation. Hence why last season was almost exclusively houses for friends, coworkers, and charitable causes. Several houses are for sale and lots of people list on airbnb. (I can’t even watch the shotgun episode anymore, those opportunists make me ragey.) If I were Chip and Jo, I too would have been like huh-uh, not about that life anymore.
Yes, their carpenter, Clint, for instance sold or rents out their place (renovated by the Gaines) because of the celebrity of the house (ETA: people would drop by their house so they moved because of safety…it was near their workshop). A lot of their houses are on AirB&B. I get the sense that the show has lost the Gaines original vision because it has become so popular that owners don’t stay in the houses. The Gaines can brand strategize without HGTV; they don’t need the HGTV. Whereas other HGTV couples do…Vulture has a brilliant article on its site today. It’s about the HGTV complex and what it could do to the housing market.
@adu: that Variety article is relevant to my interests, thanks for mentioning it.
I read the first few chapters of their book and…. I dunno, I was a bit surprised? One, Chip is kind of a d*ck. When they met, he went on one date with her, and then didn’t call her back for three months. He has a history of making big purchases (like, homes to remodel) without consulting her. But for her part, she seems pretty into the whole Christian/big family thing, and I doubt she would ever do anything to leave him. I agree with posters above that his recent physical changes are concerning, and I hope he hasn’t done anything stupid.
I was also surprised that he the one with the entrepreneurial spirit — he was basically working for himself already when they met. But, she’s the one with the good taste and she’s a lot more shrewd.
How could they continue? She only knows how to do one look. Shiplap is cheap…and looks cheap. As a builder, contractor, designer myself…I’m shocked they squeezed five seasons out of it. It’s mostly the staging that the people liked. All the knickknacks and little cheapy wire baskets on the wall. The actual homes were just meh.
Yes, the style is awful IMO. Also you need to pony up 30 grand just to talk the them about being on the show. And after all the furniture is taken away unless you pay for it. No thanks…Waco TX…quadruple no thanks!
Also, I will be interested to see her Target line…the stuff at Pier One is awful and so overpriced. It’s nothing that you can’t pick up at Target, Home Goods, etc…
I haven’t read all the responses, but Chip and has legal problems and personally, I feel like a divorce is imminent. JMO.
While I tend to agree that they are having problems, i think they have so much invested in their kids and their reputation to split so easily. I think they would try to hold it together for the kids if nothing else. But who knows… maybe she wants to dump him because I can see she has a little beef with him underneath that little smirk of hers.
I don’t know how this is ‘guiltless’ viewing. Don’t we know that their church/pastor is completely homophobic. And that they refused to comment on or about it at all. That’s telling, I think. I haven’t been able to watch them for years.
They are popular right now due to Farmhouse decor being the in thing.
Guh, I cannot STAND their show. Once I was channel surfing and I landed and stayed on their show for a few minutes. My adult daughter heard it in the kitchen and came walking in to the living room saying, “Don’t tell me! The kitchen is white!” Yep! It was white. And RUSTIC.
I turned the channel quickly. It’s like watching the same house being decorated in the same way over and over. And it’s WACO! Blech!
I see some new usernames here who have obviously clicked on the “Chip & Joanna’s dark secret!” pop up ads. hahaha!
Seriously though, don’t click those pop ups y’all! They put malware on your phone/tablet/computer. zergnet and outbrain are villains!
omg is THAT what they’re talking about?!?!
Bahahaha. I guess they do work on some people.
Yes! Either that or they are confusing c&j with Tarek & Whassername. But, I mean it’s a fork in Dum Dum Street, so neither option is better than the other.
I always feel that there is some underlying tension from Jo to Chip about “something”. She gets annoyed with him easily. Maybe that is just her personality but she said something once about his “spray tan” ex girlfriend on the show and I caught a slight whiff of jealousy or resentment that she wasn’t the first pick. Maybe it’s just me but I think she is carrying a little grudge for some reason.
I love them! Hopefully they quit so they can come redecorate my home! Ha! I love everything she does.
The last episode I watched reminded me of Nick and Jessica at the end of their show. Jessica was completely over Nick. Seems like she basically hates chip.
I bet Joanna ends up with her own show (& probably a new man) because she can’t stand chip anymore. He tries too hard to be all lovey and smoochy with her when she’s obviously not feeling it anymore.
I think they have something else that will make more money in the works. Will be interesting to see.
My favorite part is the buyers budgets. ”
” I am a substitute teacher and my hubby designs cpsculotures from dryer lint. Our all in budget is $1,000,000.”
So unrealistic.