Chip and Joanna Gaines are home renovation royalty. They’ve gone from the debut of their smash hit, HGTV show “Fixer Upper,” in 2013 to running their own network, Magnolia.
A large part of their success (aside from their adorableness as a couple) is their keen sense of design, which they’ve honed into a highly marketable style known as modern farmhouse. And while the tenets of their signature style have endured (think: reclaimed wood, white paint, comfortable no-frills furniture), their aesthetic hasn’t remained static by any means, and has evolved over time.
Curious to see how Chip and Joanna’s decor style has changed over the years? Here’s a look at some of their early fads that have since faded from their repertoire, and the new styles that have taken their place.
1. Chip and Jo’s old style: Painted brick
HGTV
The new style: Let brick’s natural color shine
Discovery+
While Chip and Joanna were all about painted brick a few years back (whether it be on a fireplace, an exterior, or a feature wall), in their new show “Fixer Upper: Welcome Home,” Chip and Jo warn against being too quick to paint old brick.
“When you paint brick, it’s a bit of a controversial thing,” Chip says to one client in the episode “Planting Roots in Waco.” “This antique brick—like, people pay a lot of money to get this cool, old brick—it would be a disservice to this brick to paint it when it’s this cool-looking.”
2. Chip and Jo’s old style: Lots of black accents
HGTV
The new style: More colorful designs
Discovery+
Chip and Jo once filled their fixer-uppers with lots of black accents; but these days, Jo incorporates more color into her designs.
In the “Fixer Upper: Welcome Home” episode “Girls’ Home Reimagined,” she decorates a girls’ home, filling the homework room with blush-pink chairs and a deep-green wall color.
In the episode, Jo explains that her choices are based on color psychology.
“I was looking into, like, the psychology of colors, and green is peace and calming and stability, and then the blush is more for the idea of, like, youthfulness,” Joanna explains. “And so I just kept thinking hopefully these colors, without words, it just makes these girls feel safe and comfortable in here.”
3. Chip and Jo’s old style: So much shiplap
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The new style: Wallpaper accents
Discovery+
Chip and Joanna were once known for their ample use of shiplap. But these days, it seems they’ve replaced their old favorite wall siding with wallpaper.
So far in their current series “Fixer Upper: Welcome Home,” they haven’t used shiplap at all. They have, however, used some excellent wallpaper to bring some interest to a room. In the episode “Modern Take on Old-world Charm,” they go all-out by putting wallpaper on a ceiling!
“It just feels like there’s a lot of visual interest kind of everywhere you look, but it is still subtle and simple,” Joanna says of the wallpaper accent.
It’s a great look, and while wallpaper gives a different vibe than shiplap, it still has that identifiable Chip-and-Jo look.
4. Chip and Jo’s old style: Massive front porches
HGTV
The new style: Simple home exteriors
Discovery+
In the old days, Chip and Joanna often added front porches to their fixes. They knew that a little bit of sitting space out front was a great way to make a home feel bigger and make the exterior look more welcoming. However, their most recent renovations on “Fixer Upper: Welcome Home” don’t include a front porch at all.
Instead, they spend their budget on other exterior features. For example, in one episode they splurge on some fancy copper gutters.
“When I think about this cream exterior, with these antique shutters, a French blue door, copper gutters is, like, perfect,” Joanna says.
So while Chip and Jo may be building fewer porches, their exteriors still look stunning.
5. Chip and Jo’s old style: Dark kitchen counters
HGTV
The new style: Light countertops
Discovery+
Chip and Jo used to do a lot of dark countertops in the kitchen. The dark color would give the space some extra chic style, but when they used dark cabinets as well, it would make the kitchen look a little too moody. However, Jo has fixed that in recent renovations by using white countertops, which perfectly complement the dark cabinets she still loves.
These light counters are a small change, but it’s clear that they make a big difference.
The post Sayonara, Shiplap? 5 Styles Chip and Joanna Gaines Have Ditched—and What’s Taken Their Place appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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