Joanna Gaines’ Inspiration for Her ‘Magnolia Table’ Kitchen Was an Abandoned Gristmill From the 1800s
Joanna Gaines became a TV superstar as the host of Fixer Upper on HGTV. The interior designer and her husband, Chip Gaines, now have an empire, and their newest venture is the Magnolia Network. Joanna hosts a new cooking show called Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines, and her kitchen has inspired viewers. The entrepreneur is now revealing where she got the inspiration for her television set.
Joanna Gaines didn’t want a TV set
What fans love about Joanna’s designs is how natural they are. Throughout their history on TV, Chip and Joanna have shown themselves to be real people. Both of them are grounded despite their massive success, and that’s what Joanna wanted for Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines.
In issue 19 of Magnolia Journal, Joanna explains that it was suggested she do her show in a television studio. The idea behind this is that it would be easier to control the lighting and sound.
“I struggled with the idea of it. I’d imagined something different—a space that felt authentic, that radiated with the same warmth and familiarity of my own kitchen at home,” Joanna explains. “Not only as a comfort to me, as I stepped into a real-life version of something I’d only ever played pretend, but also for anyone tuning in.”
For Joanna, and many families around the world, the kitchen is a sacred place that unites everyone in the household.
Joanna Gaines converts a gristmill into her TV set
Inside the issue of Magnolia Journal, Joanna explained that there was a new project she was working on with Chip — a gristmill. They were in the process of converting it into a bed and breakfast but opted to make it into her TV set.
“Natural light poured in through the windows on the ground floor, and there was plenty of space to build out a large kitchen and island,” Joanna explained.
The abandoned gristmill on the outskirts of Waco, Texas was built in the late 1800s as a flour mill. She liked that a staircase led to a living space where her kids could hang out while she filmed. Another plus was the backyard garden where she could plant new crops that would “become a reliable source for fresh ingredients.”
What is behind Joanna Gaines’ kitchen design?
One of the major things that Joanna did to the place was to remove the drywall and expose the natural stone beneath. The former HGTV star said that she kept to her usual design philosophy when designing the kitchen.
“I kept to my usual philosophy of choosing materials, textures, and colors that are warm and inviting,” Joanna revealed. “Mixing antiques with clean and refined pieces gave the entire space a layered look that felt collected and comfortable and also left plenty of room for the food to be center stage.”
The idea behind keeping the kitchen set in neutral colors was so that it left “plenty of room for the food to shine.”
Both seasons of Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines are available on the discovery+ streaming service. The show will premiere this summer on the Magnolia app and in January on the Magnolia Network, taking over the DIY channel.
