Updated November 2018
We admit it: we’re unrepentant Fixer Upper junkies. It’s as gratifying for us as it is for non-architect viewers to see rooms and houses take shape over just a few weeks.
Because we’re curious, though, we decided to take a closer look at how our favorite reality TV hosts, Chip and Joanna Gaines, make the remodeling magic happen (magic that we absolutely know can’t exist, but still love anyway).
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What’s Behind the Proverbial Curtain?
Our first idea was to call Magnolia Homes, the parent company that is the subject of the Fixer Upper TV franchise. Not that we set out to become undercover detectives; we’re quite happy being architects, thank you very much. We were genuinely interested in learning about how things work on the show. Magic takes work, too. A friendly assistant who answers the phone in their real estate office was our starting point. We later verified all the information she gave us through an email that we received from their in-house design and project manager. Crazy busy as they were, they still took the time to answer our questions. Both women assured us that Magnolia Homes was indeed a real company and not some kind of front for a TV show. “We are a real working business with real clients’ money and budgets,” the project manager wrote. And while the company does sometimes get deeper discounts than regular contractors, it has to pay for materials just like any other contractor does.
What’s it Take to Get on the Show?
With a curiosity about “what if” a homeowner wanted to work with Chip and Joanna to have their home remodeled, we scoured their website and Google searched the heck out of anything to do with Magnolia Homes. We were surprised to find plenty about their multi-city realty division but nothing about Chip’s construction company or Joanna’s design services, which we assume were both careers that were underway before their HGTV fame launched them into another stratosphere.
Apparently, there’s a reason for this. Chip and Joanna and the entire Magnolia team have their hands full with the renovations featured on each season of Fixer Upper. If buyers want Chip and Joanna to help with remodeling, they have to qualify to be a client, meaning they have to be Fixer Upper material. To start, the property purchased must be within 30 miles of Waco and have a minimum renovation budget of $40,000. These requirements are not unreasonable, and in fact, most contractors have certain criteria in place to qualify a prospective client. However, most contractors aren’t auditioning their clients to see if they have a face for television.
Does Joanna have a Design Team?
According to the email we received, Magnolia Homes has five designers that work specifically on projects for the show. Those designers, in turn, have a number of assistants working under them. And when Chip and Joanna give the green light to a project, those designers and their assistants work non-stop on nothing else but that particular renovation, which can take on average anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks. That timeline is not outside of what we would expect in our industry, except that they have the added stress of keeping up with a TV film crew schedule.
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The way Magnolia Homes design team works is a lot like what you might see at an architecture or interior design firm. The principals or lead designers create the designs, but they also have staffers who help them. A complete design is a team effort for which the principals — rather than the staff typically —get the credit. For better or worse, having your name on the door has its perks and responsibilities. For example, on the Fixer Upper show, every episode shows a joyous and cupcake-filled visit by Chip and the kids to wish Joanna good luck as she gets ready to put in a late night primping the home with final touches. It’s a slight stretch of the imagination to think there aren’t several assistants buzzing around, running back to the warehouse, picking up last minute things and helping to bring the project to the finish line. Maybe that doesn’t make for good TV.
Does Fixer Upper use Architects?
Another question we were able to get answered, was in regards to the role of architects on the projects. Magnolia Homes does not have a licensed architect on staff. Its design team handles the production of drawings and construction documents in-house.
In most episodes of the TV show, Joanna decides to remove a least one major wall to create an “open concept floor plan.” Often those walls are load bearing and require beams to open the space up. In those cases, they do use the services of a structural engineer.
For those of you wondering, they are not breaking any rules for not having an architect draw the plans. Much to our chagrin and a topic for another article, the state of Texas does not require an architect to stamp drawings for single-family homes.
Do The Home Owners Get to Keep All the Pretty Things?
We also were interested in all the furnishings and accessories that make the “big reveal” so fun to watch as the homeowners “oooh and ahhh” over their newly decorated home. We were told the clients have the option to buy whatever items they want, which, by the way, are not included in the total renovation budget. Or they can simply use their own furniture and accessories they may have had prior to the remodeling. If they choose the second option, though, the “magic” of a perfectly styled home will disappear like fairy dust in the wind.
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This part of the show is subtle but also brilliant because it acts as a visual catalog of what you, the viewer, can purchase at the Magnolia retail space in Waco and through their website. There is no denying that Chip and Joanna Gaines are very smart business folks.
If you love watching home-makeovers, Fixer Upper offers some of the best entertainment you can find on TV. We know there’s a huge difference between what you see on the show and what actually happens in the real world of home remodeling. The trick is to enjoy the show for what it is. Don’t let all that sparkle and glitter blind you to what you’re really in for when you tackle your own fixer upper.
Update November 2018
Although Fixer Upper finished up after 5 seasons in 2018, no worries! There’s a spin-off show! Want more Fixer Upper? Check out Fixer Upper: Behind the Design. Joanna shares more of the behind the scenes design insight from the home makeovers you love. We can’t wait to see what this talented family produces next.
What’s your favorite thing about Fixer Upper? Have you visited Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, Texas? Let us know in a comment below! And click here if you want to know more about working with an architect in real life.
thanks for this thread, I believe I have watched every episode at least once, and probably more. The show is thoroughly enjoyable, even if it follows a template. (Always one surprise). I also agree that C&J are very smart business people, with great presentation style and awareness.
The one thing that always gets me is that you never see anyone pulling permits or getting building inspections. It seems to happen magically, but that is all part of the package. In the real world, these are serious delays and potential reworks. Some shows, like “Holmes” series gets that in, as well as mold/asbestos abatement.
Again, thanks for the blog, I will be following purely from an interested viewer perspective.
I think they’re transitioning to their new network. Maybe reruns there?
I continue to watch all the re-runs of Fixer Upper. Is there any chance they’ll come back? Maybe once a month?
I am not a fan of the show mainly because credit is not given to the “real” talent…the people behind the scenes.
Also, their personalities annoy me and the styles are almost all the same as this “farmhouse” chic is just too trendy.
But apparently they have found a huge audience as this show seems to be on all the time…I would like to see HGTV go back to some of their earlier shows.
Sally,
I live in Tampa, Florida and love to watch Joanna and Chip Gaines MOSTLY because I love the style of the interior design. I finally have purchased a house that I LOVE, most of which has been updated (built in the 1980’s) but I cannot seem to find an interior designer. I hired one once, but did not like the results (only the formal area). Do you have any recommendations on how to find an interior designer that will just come in and decorate my house based off the style that I like? That is the only part of my house that I do not like. I need it to feel like “me”.?
Thanks
Tammy
So I understand the concept of staging a home for tv, but after these people spend all their money they’re usually tapped, and will be removing most of that shabby chic crap out of the house, leaving holes in new walls and rooms empty to be filled with furniture that will not match a clean slate, colors on walls that were picked to go with furniture you will not keep. Kinda crappie. Property bros included furniture and have wayyyy better style.
I too enjoy the show. As a certified interior designer I did notice the difference in the design work from the beginning to the last episode. Most people don’t realize that she has a whole team of “real designers” doing all the design work. In her early work there was only one style, now because of experienced designers, Joanna looks to have so much talent.
What Joanna and Chip are good at is presenting a style and merchandising.
Still fun to watch.
Hi Trish, thanks for sharing our blog post with your students. Where do you teach? Feel free to mention our podcast (https://www.hpdarch.com/blog/the-architecture-happy-hour-podcast/) to your students. They might enjoy some of the topics. I’d love to hear from the students what topics they are interested in learning about. Maybe Holly and I can address those in future episodes.
I agree with you. I wish Joanna showed the hours that go into creating those computer 3D models that she uses in her client meetings. Those don’t just appear out of nowhere. It would also be nice if they acknowledged the cost of the design fees in the budget.
Thank you for this blog info! I plan to share this with my interior design students. It’s so discouraging that the public isn’t exposed to the design process; the hundreds and hundreds of hours required to produce the designs and documents.
I knew it. As a real architect i can see some of these structures do not follow building code. It’s a shame everyone wants to be a architect but no one wants to dedicate the time. Why they don’t make a show with a real architect is beyond me.
Yes, they pull building permits when the home is within a city or county jurisdiction that requires it. Most of their projects are extensive enough that they have to have engineered framing drawings, which the city will want to see.
Do they have to pull permits?
Anytime I want to feel good and in that whole Spring mindset I watch the home channel and just let it go all day lol. I love those shows and I think I’ll have to give Fixer Upper a chance.
I read an interesting blog post where they interviewed one of the clients, giving a similar account. Still love the show, their energy and their end results!
Awesome, thanks for putting on your detective hats for this content, my friends!! We all seem to have a Fixer Upper addiction these days it seems, so it was loads of fun to see some of the magic revealed! We expected as much, but it is still fascinating to see how everything comes out on the show, knowing what we know about the remodeling world–it is also comforting to know the superstars manage the same issues we do in the field! Thanks for a greatly entertaining read!! Cheers!!