Where Do Chip and Joanna Gaines Live?
Before Chip and Joanna Gaines settled into what they now lovingly call “The Farmhouse,” they had lived in nine different homes. They knew lucky number ten was bound to be special – and that they never wanted to move again. The Gaineses bought the farmhouse in 2012, spend many months renovating it, and finally settled into their new residence in October of 2013. They still live there now.
Coming home to Waco
To the surprise of no one, Chip and Joanna Gaines’ farmhouse is located in Crawford, Texas, which is a suburb of Waco. The 1700 square foot Victorian style home sits on 40 acres of land which the family uses for farming and other recreational activities. Joanna has said that the house is a dream home that they never plan to leave.
It was the original fixer upper
Where did the name Fixer Upper come from? Obviously, it’s a nod to Chip and Joanna’s love of renovating, and their own personal abode is one of the most famous examples of their masterful home makeover ways.
When they bought the house, no one knew what year it was built, but after they started tearing vinyl siding from the exterior, they found paperwork indicating that the home was constructed in 1895. They spent many months getting the house ready for their family before they moved in.
The Farmhouse is no McMansion
You might have noticed that 1700 square foot home is significantly less than the national average home size, which is closer to 2600 square feet. And it’s not like Chip and Joanna can’t afford it – they may not have been television stars worth $9 million when they bought the house, but surely now they can afford to add on to it, right? Or they could buy or build a gigantic new house.
But here’s the thing: it doesn’t seem like Chip and Joanna Gaines equate a bigger house with more happiness. Based on photos of the home and interviews, the Gaineses appear to value family time and outdoor activities more than collecting material possessions. The kids in their family even share bedrooms! It’s cozy inside and spacious outside, which is just how the Gaines family likes it.
They preserved the character
The Farmhouse received a renovation, but Joanna says she tried to preserve the home’s character and maintain period details. The master bedroom was an add-on (since the house originally only had two bedrooms), but Joanna used flooring from the attic so it would match the rest of the house. “I had the best time looking for older fixtures and doors to use and we salvaged all the existing trim and molding to preserve the timeless look of this home,” Joanna wrote on her blog.
Not much has changed since they became famous
A lot has changed since Chip and Joanna Gaines purchased and renovated their farmhouse. They probably never predicted that they’d become rich and famous in a few short years, capturing the attention of so many home renovating enthusiasts across the country. One thing that remains the same? Their farmhouse. There may be a few tweaks, like the addition of a nursery to accommodate new baby Crew Gaines, but the rest of the home is almost identical to how it looked in 2014.
Joanna Gaines said, “I chose whites and soft neutral tones in the farmhouse so that it would be a calm place for the family when life gets full.” It still looks just that way today.
Everything in the house fits into the ‘Fixer Upper’ aesthetic
Fans may have noticed that Joanna Gaines uses similar design tactics over and over again – neutral color palettes, big clocks, shiplap, subway tile, and open floor plans are just a few. One of the best examples of her unique aesthetic? Her personal home. It’s a combination of all the elements of Fixer Upper that fans have come to know and love.
She loves to share photos
Certain celebrities keep their home lives private and refuse to share glimpses of their interior spaces with fans. But Joanna Gaines is the exact opposite of that. She constantly posts photos of her home on her blog and on Instagram. She took fans along on the journey as Chip built her a dream garden shed in the backyard and when she revealed the sweet nursery for her baby boy.
It’s unlikely that the Gaineses will change much about their amazing farmhouse. But if they do, their faithful fans are sure to know about it.
