Joanna Gaines Invented an Imaginary Couple While Designing the Castle
Joanna Gaines wrote about her castle renovation in the latest issue of Magnolia Journal. She discusses the journey she and Chip Gaines took toward buying the castle and the lessons they learned along the way. Joanna also reveals she made up an imaginary couple to keep her focused during the project.
It took Chip and Joanna Gaines 20 years to get their castle
Joanna says it took Chip 20 years to acquire the castle, which is located in Waco, Texas. The castle was on and off the market for two decades. During that time, the property was defaced with graffiti and animals took up residence in the home. Joanna says this didn’t discourage Chip from wanting to purchase the castle.
“If you’ve followed our story, then you know that none of this scared Chip,” says Joanna in her Magnolia Journal essay. “It fueled him. Every time we drove past the castle, his eyes grew wider, his imagination wilder—it was more than 6,000 square feet of potential, waiting to be unearthed and restored to its former glory. During the 20 years that the castle went on and off the market, Chip consistently put in offers for a shot at bringing it back to life.”
Joanna wasn’t upset when Chip’s offers on the home were declined
Joanna admits she was relieved when Chip’s offers on the home were initially turned down. She says she was overwhelmed just thinking about the amount of work that would have to go into a project of this size. However, Chip’s offer was eventually accepted.
“Meanwhile, with every offer that wasn’t accepted, I took a breath of relief,” admits Joanna. “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 year’s 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.”
Joanna Gaines invented an imaginary couple
Joanna says it took three years before they began renovations. She and Chip wanted to make sure they had a clear vision of what they wanted to accomplish. Joanna says this renovation was challenging and unique partly because they didn’t have a buyer to design the space for. Joanna stayed inspired by creating an imaginary couple who would live in the home once they finished designing it.
“We wanted to create an updated home that could, one day, serve a family well and feel current,” says Joanna. “Which brings up another aspect that made this project unique to us: We didn’t have a buyer to design for. So, I made one up. I imagined an older couple who love to play cards, sip wine, and host friends and family. Maybe that sounds funny, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that crafting a story would help guide our final decisions.”
Joanna’s goal was to restore the castle and bring it back to its original glory rather than create something entirely new. “It turned out to be quite the dance—blending past and present, beauty and functionality, sophistication and charm,” she says. “As a designer, it stretched me in ways I couldn’t have imagined until we were in the thick of it. But I’m glad we trusted our instincts and swung back to the castle’s roots instead of trying to create something completely new.”
Joanna continues, “The castle taught us that sometimes the forgotten things in life don’t need a reinvention but just a little dusting off. And the deep-seated dreams within you and me are worth holding on to.”
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