Joanna Gaines is Ready to Grow Beyond Shiplap: ‘I Don’t Want to be Put in a Box’
Joanna Gaines rose to prominence in 2014 with the advent of the popular HGTV show Fixer Upper. Along with her husband and business partner, Chip Gaines, Joanna Gaines quickly became a staple presence not just on people’s televisions but in their homes as well.
Her design empire eventually expanded to include books, home decor projects, and cookware. Gaines, who was widely credited with the popularity of the modern farmhouse design trend, is still in the public eye to this day – and in January 2022 interview, she revealed that she’s looking to embrace other design styles.
Joanna Gaines became known as the ‘queen of shiplap’
When Fixer Upper debuted on HGTV in 2013, fans around the world were introduced to the idea of the modern farmhouse design style. The show featured Chip Gaines performing demolition and construction duties on houses in Waco, Texas, while his wife, designer Joanna Gaines, decorated and styled the home from start to finish.
In her designs, Gaines often chose farmhouse-chic design elements such as shiplap, barn doors, and rustic picture frames. The style popularized by Gaines spread like wildfire through American homes – and eventually, Gaines became closely associated with design elements like shiplap.
According to House Beautiful, while shiplap has been utilized primarily in the maritime industry for decades, it was Gaines who caused the trend to skyrocket in popularity.
What did Joanna Gaines say about being inspired by different design styles?
The final season of the original Fixer Upper started airing in 2017, but the Gaines didn’t leave the spotlight for long. The couple has continuously been in the spotlight over the past couple of years, renovating properties and launching new businesses.
In January 2022, Chip and Joanna Gaines opened up to Good Morning America in an interview, discussing the process of renovating a castle-style home in their local community of Waco, Texas. Acknowledging that she’s known for her fondness for shiplap, Gaines noted that “I’ve evolved … I have a love for multiple styles. I don’t want to be put in a box.”
She also explained how her proficiency with shiplap started, explaining how exposing the original wood beams in an older farmhouse made clients rave. Soon, every client that they worked with wanted the rustic-chic farmhouse look, which led Gaines to work with those elements on her TV show.
What’s next for Joanna Gaines?
Over the past several years, Gaines has opened up further about her latest design project, taking to her blog to talk about renovating the castle in Waco. “Since early in our marriage, Chip has dreamed of restoring one place in particular near downtown Waco,” she detailed.
“Around town, it’s known as Cottonland Castle. Completed in 1913, it looks as if, once upon a time, somebody in Europe packed up a fairy-tale fortress and shipped it off to begin a new life in the American West. It’s the kind of place that prompts people passing by to stop and stare, exchanging thoughts about all the stories it could tell.”
The couple bought the castle in 2019 and have been working on the property on and off ever since then – all while tackling various business ventures, including their coffee shop, restaurant, and home decor lines. Gaines has also become a very successful author, penning bestselling cookbooks and curating special magazine editions for her fans.
With the recent launch of the Magnolia Network, it seems likely that in the coming years, fans will see a lot more of Chip and Joanna Gaines.
