Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Castle Guests Sleep in the Basement

HGTV fans know Chip and Joanna Gaines for their incredible work on Fixer Upper. Since the show ended, they’ve expanded their horizons — and they even bought a castle in Waco, Texas. Here’s what Joanna Gaines posted about Cottonland Castle in January 2023, including information about the guest room in the basement.

Joanna Gaines said overnight guests at Cottonland Castle sleep in the guest bedroom in the basement

Cottonland Castle has a history dating back to the late 1800s. And it was Chip Gaines’ dream to own and restore it. “It sits in the center of a neighborhood downtown, so if you live nearby, you’ve driven past it hundreds of times,” Chip said of the castle in Waco, Texas, according to House Beautiful. “Ownership changed every few years, and I would make an offer every time it was listed.”

Chip and Joanna Gaines made a bid for the castle in 2019 — and the owners accepted. While restoring the castle proved to be a lifetime undertaking, the Gaines family grew excited to bring the natural beauty back to the property.

In a blog post on Magnolia from January 2023, Joanna gave more insights into the castle setup. And she explained that the guest bedroom is in the basement. She posted a photo of the room showing a large bed with white bedding and pink pillows. The room includes a green and blue floral wallpaper, two gold lamps, and a white overhead light fixture.

“It’s hard to believe this delicate, inviting guest room is in the basement — which was undoubtedly the oddest part in the castle,” she wrote. “Now the basement is set up with a family room, laundry, a card room, and this bedroom for overnight guests to enjoy. The floral wallpaper nods to the wallpaper elsewhere in the house, and the statement light fixture and headboard bring the whole room together.”

The ‘Fixer Upper’ star likely uses these tips to make the basement cozy

Chip and Joanna Gaines’ renovations to Cottonland Castle impressed fans. And they even made the basement of the gigantic property welcoming to outsiders. Joanna likely employed some of her bedroom furnishing tips.

According to Country Living, Joanna is a stickler for good pillows in a bedroom. “Just basic, good pillows to lay your head on at night,” she said. “These are the pillows that you don’t see. They’re what you lay your head on. I think so many times I was investing in the bedding that I was like, ‘Oh, we’ll throw whatever pillow there.’”

Joanna also suggests purchasing “bedding that’s practical, but also pretty,” and a “good throw.” Given the photo of the guest room at Cottonland Castle, it’s clear the star took her own advice, as there’s a throw blanket at the bottom of the bed.

The Fixer Upper star also recommends plenty of lighting in a bedroom. “Lamps are great for making it feel even warmer,” she said.

How much did Chip and Joanna Gaines pay for the castle?

Chip and Joanna Gaines put their blood, sweat, and tears into Cottonland Castle. According to JustNje, the castle was listed for over $400,000 when they first purchased it. After their renovations, it now holds a value of over $1 million. Most recently, the property was appraised at $1,127,470

Joanna wrote on the Magnolia blog that she secretly hoped Chip’s castle offers wouldn’t go through. “Meanwhile, with every offer that wasn’t accepted, I took a breath of relief,” she wrote. “Not because I didn’t want Chip’s dream to come true or because I didn’t want to step into this castle’s legacy and write our own chapter in its unfolding story. That’s the kind of work Chip and I live for. But tackling a project like this — one at that scale with 130 years worth of history — felt daunting. Until one day in 2019 when Chip surprised me with a call — his offer had been accepted, and the castle was ours.”

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