The Fixer Upper Couple: 15 Things We Didn't Know About Chip And Joanna Gaines

They Were Discovered Through A Photo


Okay, we have to admit — we weren't really sure about the process of how HGTV stars were discovered, especially stars in the raw like Chip and Joanna. It turns out, HGTV does more scouting than we might think. Photos of one of Chip and Joanna's projects were shared on a small design blog, and someone from HGTV stumbled across them and reached out to Chip and Joanna to create a highlight real. It was tough at first — the two weren't naturals in front of the camera, if you can believe that — but they ended up getting enough material to create a compelling sizzle real, and the network fell in love with them. And, as soon as they started popping up on television screens across North America, the world fell in love with them too.

They Were Discovered Through A Photo


Okay, we have to admit — we weren't really sure about the process of how HGTV stars were discovered, especially stars in the raw like Chip and Joanna. It turns out, HGTV does more scouting than we might think. Photos of one of Chip and Joanna's projects were shared on a small design blog, and someone from HGTV stumbled across them and reached out to Chip and Joanna to create a highlight real. It was tough at first — the two weren't naturals in front of the camera, if you can believe that — but they ended up getting enough material to create a compelling sizzle real, and the network fell in love with them. And, as soon as they started popping up on television screens across North America, the world fell in love with them too.

Joanna Always Wanted To Be On Television

Joanna Always Wanted To Be On Television

Chip Fell For Joanna After Seeing Her Picture In An Auto Shop


They may have attended the same university at roughly the same time, but Chip and Joanna didn't meet at some keg party or in some intro class. Their meet cute is a whole lot more rom-com worthy than that. It turns out, Chip was a regular at the auto shop that Joanna's father owned. He was in there one day and spotted a photo of Joanna that her father had put up behind the counter. He was smitten with the gorgeous girl in the photo, and eventually, ended up showing up at the shop one day and finding Joanna herself there. He struck up a conversation, captured her attention, and later asked her out on their very first date — and the rest, as they say, is history. What a cute story!

Chip Fell For Joanna After Seeing Her Picture In An Auto Shop


They may have attended the same university at roughly the same time, but Chip and Joanna didn't meet at some keg party or in some intro class. Their meet cute is a whole lot more rom-com worthy than that. It turns out, Chip was a regular at the auto shop that Joanna's father owned. He was in there one day and spotted a photo of Joanna that her father had put up behind the counter. He was smitten with the gorgeous girl in the photo, and eventually, ended up showing up at the shop one day and finding Joanna herself there. He struck up a conversation, captured her attention, and later asked her out on their very first date — and the rest, as they say, is history. What a cute story!

At The Beginning Of Their Marriage, They Were Totally Broke

At The Beginning Of Their Marriage, They Were Totally Broke

Their First Ever 'Fixer Upper' Together Was Their First House


We kind of can't even picture a renovation job where Chip and Joanna aren't working together, but back in the day, the fixer upper jobs were primarily Chip's domain. However, the first 'fixer upper' property they tackled together, with Chip doing things like tiling and refinishing floors while Joanna picked paint colours and decor schemes, was their very own first home. The two newlyweds returned from their honeymoon to a run-down old property Chip had been renting out, and they got started on restoring it. While they worked with clients as well, for years the two would get a home, move in, fix it up while they were living there, and then flip it — that's dedication! It's not easy moving so often or living in a construction zone, but they managed to do it.

Their First Ever 'Fixer Upper' Together Was Their First House


We kind of can't even picture a renovation job where Chip and Joanna aren't working together, but back in the day, the fixer upper jobs were primarily Chip's domain. However, the first 'fixer upper' property they tackled together, with Chip doing things like tiling and refinishing floors while Joanna picked paint colours and decor schemes, was their very own first home. The two newlyweds returned from their honeymoon to a run-down old property Chip had been renting out, and they got started on restoring it. While they worked with clients as well, for years the two would get a home, move in, fix it up while they were living there, and then flip it — that's dedication! It's not easy moving so often or living in a construction zone, but they managed to do it.

They Don't Own A Television (Despite Being TV Stars!)

They Don't Own A Television (Despite Being TV Stars!)

The Reason Behind The Name Of Their Empire Is Majorly Adorable


The name of Chip and Joanna Gaines' empire, Magnolia, is memorable — but the story behind where the name comes from is more adorable than you could ever imagine. It turns out, when they were just a young, dating couple in love, Chip would pick blooms from Magnolia trees to give to Joanna. When they were brainstorming what to name Joanna's boutique when they had bought a small property and transformed it into a charming little decor shop, they decided upon Magnolia Market. When they moved the headquarters for their home renovation business into that shop, they kept the Magnolia sign that was already up. Now, everything they do falls under the Magnolia brand — it's a good thing they spent so much time deciding on that small boutique's name back in the day!

The Reason Behind The Name Of Their Empire Is Majorly Adorable


The name of Chip and Joanna Gaines' empire, Magnolia, is memorable — but the story behind where the name comes from is more adorable than you could ever imagine. It turns out, when they were just a young, dating couple in love, Chip would pick blooms from Magnolia trees to give to Joanna. When they were brainstorming what to name Joanna's boutique when they had bought a small property and transformed it into a charming little decor shop, they decided upon Magnolia Market. When they moved the headquarters for their home renovation business into that shop, they kept the Magnolia sign that was already up. Now, everything they do falls under the Magnolia brand — it's a good thing they spent so much time deciding on that small boutique's name back in the day!

Magnolia Market Was Originally Joanna's Solo Business

Magnolia Market Was Originally Joanna's Solo Business

They Wake Up Super Early


When you have a big family and a busy schedule, you can't exactly sleep until noon — there's too much to do! Chip and Joanna know that very well. The two apparently wake up at around 5 in the morning most days, getting themselves ready, waking their kids up, making sure everyone has all they need for school and is well fed before heading out the door — and then heading out themselves to take on the day. It just goes to show that their success isn't exactly accidental — they've always been incredibly hard workers who are willing to go the extra mile to ensure their businesses succeed, and their daily schedule just proves that. Now that they have a new baby on the way, we can only imagine things will get even more crazy.

They Wake Up Super Early


When you have a big family and a busy schedule, you can't exactly sleep until noon — there's too much to do! Chip and Joanna know that very well. The two apparently wake up at around 5 in the morning most days, getting themselves ready, waking their kids up, making sure everyone has all they need for school and is well fed before heading out the door — and then heading out themselves to take on the day. It just goes to show that their success isn't exactly accidental — they've always been incredibly hard workers who are willing to go the extra mile to ensure their businesses succeed, and their daily schedule just proves that. Now that they have a new baby on the way, we can only imagine things will get even more crazy.

They Have Over 60 Animals On Their Farm

They Have Over 60 Animals On Their Farm

Joanna Still Sticks To A Budget, Despite Fame


When she was just a small business owner trying to find stock for her store, and working with Chip to flip homes on a budget, Joanna became a master at finding great items for low prices. And even now that she's reached a level of fame she never could have dreamed of, she's not ignoring her former haunts in favour of designer boutiques filled with high end products. She still sticks to a budget, and stops by flea markets and thrift stores and all those venues when she's searching for great items. She spilled her strategy to PopSugar, confessing that "I always go with a budget in mind so I don't get carried away. When I find something I like, I first determine the value and what I will spend on it before I look at the price tag." Smart!

Joanna Still Sticks To A Budget, Despite Fame


When she was just a small business owner trying to find stock for her store, and working with Chip to flip homes on a budget, Joanna became a master at finding great items for low prices. And even now that she's reached a level of fame she never could have dreamed of, she's not ignoring her former haunts in favour of designer boutiques filled with high end products. She still sticks to a budget, and stops by flea markets and thrift stores and all those venues when she's searching for great items. She spilled her strategy to PopSugar, confessing that "I always go with a budget in mind so I don't get carried away. When I find something I like, I first determine the value and what I will spend on it before I look at the price tag." Smart!

Chip Originally Wanted To Become A Baseball Player

Chip Originally Wanted To Become A Baseball Player

Joanna Has Never Studied Interior Design


This is kind of crazy to think about, but it turns out that Joanna never actually studied design or interior decor. While certain people have more of a natural knack for that kind of thing than others, the majority of designers who snag shows on HGTV are trained. Joanna studied communications in school, and just knew she wanted to open a boutique at some point. She ended up opening a boutique that stocked home goods, such as candles and pillows and other decor items, and found her style as a designer essentially through trial and error. We have to admit, it's kind of refreshing to realize that her trademark style wasn't the result of a class she took or a book she read — it was all a process of figuring out her style as she worked on projects and refined her approach.

Joanna Has Never Studied Interior Design


This is kind of crazy to think about, but it turns out that Joanna never actually studied design or interior decor. While certain people have more of a natural knack for that kind of thing than others, the majority of designers who snag shows on HGTV are trained. Joanna studied communications in school, and just knew she wanted to open a boutique at some point. She ended up opening a boutique that stocked home goods, such as candles and pillows and other decor items, and found her style as a designer essentially through trial and error. We have to admit, it's kind of refreshing to realize that her trademark style wasn't the result of a class she took or a book she read — it was all a process of figuring out her style as she worked on projects and refined her approach.