I
t’s been over a year since the
last new episode of HGTV’s
Fixer Upper aired, but that
doesn’t mean Chip and Jo-
anna Gaines have been idle.
The couple’s upcoming ven-
tures include a Magnolia coffee
shop in their Waco, Texas, home-
town, a second cookbook and their
Magnolia Network, a Discovery-
affiliated channel of home-relat-
ed programming set to debut next
summer. “When I get nervous or
afraid, the part that gets me up every day
is the fact that we get to climb these steep
mountains together,” says Joanna of work-
ing with her husband. “Sixteen years and it
feels like we are just getting started.”
Even as Fixer Upper transformed the duo
in a short time from local home renovators to
national celebrities and business moguls, Jo-
anna, 41, and Chip, 44, have never lost sight
of what really matters: family, faith, com-
munity and each other. Chip calls his wife
and the mother of their five children “the
most important thing in the world...followed
closely by these beautiful kids.”
IT TAKESTWO
JoannaandChiphadno ideawhatthefuture
heldwhentheyanswereda callfromHGTV
abouthostingtheirownhomeimprovement
showinadvanceofFixerUpper’s 2013 debut.
“Forthistohavegottenas bigas it has,has
reallybeensomethingelse,”admitsChip.
TheirTVserieswasonlythebeginning.
Today,MagnoliaMarketinWacodraws
about30,000visitorsa week.Thecouplealso
publisha magazine,havewrittenfourbooks
and createproductsforTargetandAnthro-
pologie.JenniferLopezevenconsulted
withthemon hernewMalibuhome.
Yetfameandwealthhaven’tchanged
ChipandJoanna’scorevaluesorthe
waytheyareraisingtheirchildren,
Drake,14,Ella,12,Duke,10,Emmie,9,
andCrew,1. “Joanna’sbiggestnight-
intobrats.Theyrefuseto spoilthem,”
explainsa friend.At home,thekids
on their screen time. “We want
to give them a chance to just
be normal kids,” says Joanna, who won’t al-
low a TV in the house. “She thinks it’s more
important for the kids to be doing arts and
crafts and using their imagination,”
explains the friend.
As she’s always done, Joanna leans
on her belief in God when faced with
hard decisions. “Even today with the oppor-
tunities that are coming our way — I need
his guidance. Otherwise I’d say yes to ev-
erything,” she admits. Chip, meanwhile,
uses his faith as a way to remain humble and
grateful. “Without God, for me, I’m not the
best version of myself,” he explains. The cou-
ple remain active in their local community
and try to give back when possible. “They go
to church and help out at school and charity
functions,” says the friend.
Above all, Chip and Joanna’s unwaver-
ing commitment to each other gives them
the courage to take on every new dream and
challenge together. “Early on in our mar-
riage, we had some conf lict,” admits Chip,
who says that their relationship grew stron-
ger when they stopped blaming each oth-
er for small problems. “Jo and I care about
each other’s hearts, we care about each oth-
er’s souls,” he says. “We were like, ‘No matter
what comes our way, it’s you and me versus
the world.’ The secret to our success is just to
pull for one another.” — Louise A. Barile
“Our
family is
healthy
and our
marriage
has
honestly
never been
stronger.”
— Chip
PRECIOUS
MOMENTS
(Clockwise, from top left)
The older kids like to help
with renovation projects;
baby Crew recently took his
first steps; family puzzle
time with Chip; everyone
helps out in the
garden.
CLOSERWEEKLY.COM 17
