''Fixer Upper'' is an American
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
series about home design and renovation that aired on
HGTV. The series stars Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines, a married couple who own a home renovation and redecoration business in
Waco, Texas
Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...
. The show's pilot aired in May 2013, with the first full season beginning in April 2014, season two began in January 2015, season three began in December 2015, and season four began in November 2016. The fifth and final season premiered on November 21, 2017.
''Fixer Upper'' became popular soon after its debut, and the series is largely credited with the rise in popularity of "
Farmhouse-chic" interior design in the late 2010s. In 2018,
Zillow
Zillow Group, Inc., or simply Zillow, is an American tech real-estate marketplace company that was founded in 2006, and was created by Rich Barton and Lloyd Frink, former Microsoft executives and founders of Microsoft spin-off Expedia; Spencer ...
reported that homes with architectural features mentioned on the show, such as
wainscoting
Panelling (or paneling in the U.S.) is a millwork wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials.
Panelling was developed in antiquity to make ro ...
,
shiplap
Shiplap is a type of wooden board used commonly as exterior siding in the construction of residences, barns, sheds, and outbuildings.
Exterior walls
Shiplap is either rough-sawn or milled pine or similarly inexpensive wood between wide with a ...
, clawfoot bathtubs, and barn doors, sold at an average of 30 percent above expected value. In addition, the show has generated an increase in tourism and economic development in Waco, Texas, where the show was taped.
In 2020,
Discovery Inc.
Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1985, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Cha ...
announced that ''Fixer Upper'' would be revived as a launch program for
Magnolia Network
Magnolia Network is an American basic cable network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Chip and Joanna Gaines. It broadcasts personality-based lifestyle programs related to topics such as home construction, renovation, and cuisine.
The channe ...
—a new channel overseen by the Gaineses that replaced HGTV's sister channel DIY Network. The revival, ''Fixer Upper: Welcome Home'', premiered in January 2021 as part of the Magnolia Network soft launch on
Discovery+
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discover ...
.
Premise
![Joanna Gaines filming Drew Barrymore Show at Magnolia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Joanna_Gaines_filming_Drew_Barrymore_Show_at_Magnolia.jpg)
''Fixer Upper'' is produced by
High Noon Entertainment producers Scott Feeley and Jim Berger, producers of the cooking show ''
Cake Boss
''Cake Boss'' is an American reality television series, which originally aired on the cable television network TLC. The series premiered on April 19, 2009, and has spawned four spin-offs: '' Next Great Baker'', ''Kitchen Boss'', ''Bake You Ric ...
''. Prior to ''Fixer Upper'', the Gaineses worked with clients on buying and remodeling homes. In total, the couple worked on over 100 homes. On the show, they start by showing a couple three potential homes for purchase in central
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, each of which requires a varying amount of repair or renovation. Once the couple chooses their home, Joanna designs it and Chip is the lead contractor. The buyers typically have an overall budget of under $200,000 with at least $30,000 in renovations.
Episodes
Spin-off
In March 2017, it was announced that Chip and Joanna Gaines would be getting a ''Fixer Upper'' spin-off series titled ''Fixer Upper: Behind the Design''. The half-hour show showcases how Joanna comes up with the designs seen on ''Fixer Upper''. The show premiered on April 10, 2018.
Other business
In 2016 Joanna and Chip Gaines started a quarterly lifestyle magazine ''Magnolia Journal'', published by
Meredith (later
Dotdash Meredith).
As of November 1, 2017, Joanna teamed with
Target Corporation
Target Corporation ( doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a com ...
to offer her Hearth & Hand with Magnolia collection. The collection, available in stores and online, features 300 pieces including
bedding
Bedding, also known as bedclothes or bed linen, is the materials laid above the mattress of a bed for hygiene, warmth, protection of the mattress, and decorative effect. Bedding is the removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environm ...
and lifestyle products.
In February 2019, she created an exclusive collection for
Anthropologie
Anthropologie is an American clothing retailer with approximately 200 stores across the U.S., Canada, and the UK that offers an assortment of clothing, jewelry, home furniture, decoration, beauty products, and gifts.
Anthropologie is part of ...
of "globally inspired" rugs and pillows.
On April 10, 2019, the Gaineses announced the launch of a "new media company." They will serve as chief creative officers and current
HGTV president Allison Page will serve as president of the new joint venture, which will reportedly include a TV network and a streaming app.
In November 2019, the Gaineses opened a coffee shop, Magnolia Press, in
Waco, Texas
Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...
. The store was in addition to two others they already had, Magnolia Table and Silos Baking Co.
On April 26, 2020, at 5pm EDT, the soft launch of the cable network Magnolia Network kicked off with a four-hour presentation on the
DIY Network
Magnolia Network is an American basic cable network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Chip and Joanna Gaines. It broadcasts personality-based lifestyle programs related to topics such as home construction, renovation, and cuisine.
The channe ...
: ''Magnolia Presents: A Look Back & A Look Ahead''. DIY Network's rebranding as the Magnolia Network was originally going to be completed on October 4, 2020, but the date was pushed back due to
the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. On August 4, 2020, it was announced that the network was scheduled to launch in 2021, with ''Fixer Upper'' resuming production before the launch of the new network on January 5, 2022.
Legacy
''Fixer Upper'' is largely credited with the rise in popularity of "
Farmhouse-chic" interior design in the late 2010s. In 2018,
Zillow
Zillow Group, Inc., or simply Zillow, is an American tech real-estate marketplace company that was founded in 2006, and was created by Rich Barton and Lloyd Frink, former Microsoft executives and founders of Microsoft spin-off Expedia; Spencer ...
reported that homes with architectural features mentioned on the show, such as
wainscoting
Panelling (or paneling in the U.S.) is a millwork wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials.
Panelling was developed in antiquity to make ro ...
,
shiplap
Shiplap is a type of wooden board used commonly as exterior siding in the construction of residences, barns, sheds, and outbuildings.
Exterior walls
Shiplap is either rough-sawn or milled pine or similarly inexpensive wood between wide with a ...
, clawfoot bathtubs, and barn doors, sold at an average of 30 percent above expected value. In addition, the show has generated an increase in tourism and economic development in Waco, Texas, where the show was filmed, extending the explosive growth of the
Austin market area up the
I-35 corridor of the communities towards the
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
Thanks to the show's popularity, the homes featured on the show have become desirable to either purchase or rent. At least six of the homes are available to rent through
Airbnb
Airbnb, Inc. ( ), based in San Francisco, California, operates an online marketplace focused on short-term homestays and experiences. The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking. The company was founded in 2008 b ...
or
VRBO
Vrbo ( ) operates an online marketplace for vacation rentals. It was originally known as Vacation Rentals by Owner or VRBO. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and is owned by Expedia Group.
History
The VRBO website was created by David Clou ...
. Owners are renting them from $250 to $350 a night.
Selling the homes renovated by the Gaineses has also become a way for show participants to make a profit. The Bicycle House featured in Season 1, Episode 12 went up for sale in 2016 for $350,000 after being purchased for less than $50,000. It was also available for rent on
VRBO
Vrbo ( ) operates an online marketplace for vacation rentals. It was originally known as Vacation Rentals by Owner or VRBO. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and is owned by Expedia Group.
History
The VRBO website was created by David Clou ...
for $250 a night. The Barndominium featured in Season 3, Episode 6 went up for sale in April 2017 for $1.2 million.
Legal issues
On April 27, 2017, Chip Gaines was named in a fraud lawsuit filed by former business partners. The former partners alleged that the Gaineses persuaded them to sell their interest in Magnolia Realty to him for $2,500 each without disclosing plans that had been in the works to develop the ''Fixer Upper'' reality television show. In February 2020, a judge threw out the lawsuit.
In another matter, in June 2017, it was announced that they "settled with the United States Environmental Protection Agency over allegations that they violated rules for the safe handling of
lead paint
Lead paint or lead-based paint is paint containing lead. As pigment, lead(II) chromate (, "chrome yellow"), lead(II,IV) oxide, (, "red lead"), and lead(II) carbonate (, "white lead") are the most common forms.. Lead is added to paint to accele ...
during home renovations." They paid $40,000 in fines and will comply with such regulations going forward, and "remain committed to raising awareness in our community and our industry."
References
External links
Fixer Upper on HGTV*
{{HGTV series
2010s American reality television series
2013 American television series debuts
2018 American television series endings
HGTV original programming
Television shows set in Waco, Texas
Home renovation television series
American television series revived after cancellation