All Episodes Talk: French Country in Texas?

[Spunkygal]

And it's not even in Waco, it's in McGregor, which is about 20 minutes away, I think Joanna said. Just another small Texas town, no particular reason to go there. Even if it's just used for family visits, who wants to be 20 minutes away?

 

So the Gaines are now involved in:

Magnolia Homes (new builds)

renovation of old homes for TV show

HGTV show

Silo project

Magnolia store at silo

B&B in McGregor

Flour. Jo will soon be selling JoJo Flour, per her blog

 

What have I left out? Does it seem they're over-extending themselves? Good for them if they can keep all this up and raise 4 kids too. Personally, I think they "ruined" the B&B house. They modernized it too much, made changes where they shouldn't have, and were still left with a very awkward floor plan. And just because you know a metal worker who can make a great stair railing doesn't mean you should. That banister didn't go with the house at all. <rant over>

As a Baylor alum, I cannot imagine my parents staying in McGregor when they visited me back all those decades ago or renting a house of any kind. They stayed in some Holiday Inn type hotel off the highway which was 5 minutes from campus. I did not care for how JoJo disrespected that house's true character and personality, and I usually like 75% of their results. Among the many beefs I have with this re-do, I thought the kitchen cabinets were charming and perfect for the house, so of course they weren't farmhouse enough. And regarding the Magnolia brand being over-exposed, they have now surpassed the Pioneer Woman for me. I fast forward through all the family stuff because, again, the Gaines family is as cutesy and homey as the Drummonds. But they are laughing all the way to the bank.

[scenicbyway]

I think Chip and Joanna and their little family are fun. Chip seems to be a good builder. But I cannot understand how they have a show because all of Joanna's designs are the SAME. Every house ends up with ship lap and a white kitchen ( I was shocked she went with black cabinets in the B&B). They all end up with some kind of French country/shabby chic atmosphere. Isn't the point of a show to demonstrate different techniques? Does every house need a giant clock or rusty piece of farm equipment hanging from the wall? It's like Joanna says, "sure we'll restore the house to it's true character," and then it ends up looking like every other house she does. She only has one style.

[MsTree]

She may only have one style (in your opinion), but it's a style that everyone seems to like. Therefore, it's a winning style.

[Mu Shu]

I think Chip and Joanna and their little family are fun. Chip seems to be a good builder. But I cannot understand how they have a show because all of Joanna's designs are the SAME. Every house ends up with ship lap and a white kitchen ( I was shocked she went with black cabinets in the B&B). They all end up with some kind of French country/shabby chic atmosphere. Isn't the point of a show to demonstrate different techniques? Does every house need a giant clock or rusty piece of farm equipment hanging from the wall? It's like Joanna says, "sure we'll restore the house to it's true character," and then it ends up looking like every other house she does. She only has one style.

When I was starting out on my own in 1996, I had al that white washed, distressed furniture and rusty accent pieces. No wonde I like Joanna's style-Trapped in the 90's. However, she takes it to the extreme and it feels dated and boring.

It may be what some people like, but it's too specific for most. I wonder how much of her shabby chic frou frou gets replaced after filming.

Finally, I must say how I HATE how she uses"word art". We know the damn kitchen is a kitchen. No need for a sign that says "eat". "Fresh", or "boulangerie". What the fuck Joanna. It's a home, not a kindergarten classroom.

[scenicbyway]

She may only have one style (in your opinion), but it's a style that everyone seems to like. Therefore, it's a winning style.

I'm not sure "everyone seems to like it" is accurate. My guess is that clients go to them because they know that's their style. I think the show is popular because they like the relationship between Chip and Joanna, it's real chemistry vs. a manufactured one like Love it or List it.

My problem is that as a design show it fails because there's no need to watch more than a couple episodes because every project ends up looking the same despite the varied house styles. Joanna only does whitewashed shabby chic, which looking at her own home, is her personal style.

[pawsodoom]

I haven't had the opportunity to watch the B&B episode yet (I spent the last week at the hospital with an ill family member), but after reading the comments here I'm not sure I want to watch it.

 

I LOVED the house when they showed it to the client. I was so hoping that they would choose it. I did look at the pictures of the remodel on the Magnolia blog and I'm so disappointed. For the most part, I don't mind Joanna's style (and, yes, it is repetitive), but for me it doesn't work in THIS house. It had such great details and Joanna got rid of them. And the railing for the staircase -- UGH -- it stands out like a sore thumb to me.

[CruiseDiva]

Not everyone likes shabby chic and it doesn't look good in every house. My home is Federal style and is furnished with traditional and antique pieces. MyBFF's house is a 100-year old Victorian and she has furnished it with antiques. Another friend's house is cottage style and she has some shabby chic pieces that fit in nicely with her beach cottage theme.

Bless her heart, Joanna is not a trained designer and has no eye for color or style, unless it is her own. I'm sure that when the staging is removed after the reveal and the homeowners' belongings are moved in that the Fixer Upper houses take on an entirely different personality. That's a follow-up show I'd like to see. Kind of like "Househunters Where Are They Now."

Edited December 29, 2015 by CruiseDiva

[Mu Shu]

There's just too much damn ship lap in the B&B. A little looks cool as an accent, but when it's floor to ceiling and even on the ceiling, it looks unfinished to me, and feels like the room is a giant whitewashed wooden crate.

Take down the wallpaper. Add some nice paint in blue or green for once. Wainscoting/crown molding. A mix of traditional and modern furniture. Some modern and traditional art you didn't pick up at home goods. A staircase that fit the house better. Don't pull the fucking walls down. Fuck ship lap. Just fuck it.

[Spunkygal]

Fuck ship lap.

LOL!!! I so want to have this printed on a tee shirt and wear it to the Magnolia store! Maybe have a big over-sized clock on the back of the tee!

[Saylii]

I would guess the main guests will be rich Baylor alum during the football & basketball season. I can totally see a Dallas housewife making her husband rent out the Magnolia B&B for the weekend while they are in town for the game instead of a Holiday Inn. I doubt many college students or random visitors are going to be staying at the B&B.

I haven't heard of too many true out-of-towners that are drawn to Waco & Texas just because of the silos. I have heard of a few people that are visiting Dallas or Austin that have rented a car and driven to Waco for the day just for grins. I have friends who specifically left a few hours early when driving from Austin to Dallas to stop at the silos. But again, no one is staying overnight.

The only big thing on Jojo and Chip's plate is the TV show. I consider everything else to be just using the Magnolia name almost akin to licensing. You know they have hired out talent to run the shop, bakery, B&B, real estate business, and even someone to do the majority of the construction.

Edited December 30, 2015 by Saylii

[aguabella]

Just guessing, but looking at all they're involved in, they probably have staff, like Tarek and Christina (Flip or Flop). I doubt Joanna's going to be doing hands on in the bakery, but rather will be managing operations.

 

 

You're absolutely correct, chessiegal.  (ETA, and everyone else who mentioned it, above.)  They'd definitely have staff.  And, I read somewhere on their website (sorry, didn't save it) that they're up to about 150 in staff, currently!  Jo's only managing the bakery operations from what I, as a business professional, would call the 30,000 foot level. 

 

And, yes, it's definitely branding and almost licensing, at this point.  No surprise that Chip and Drake plus a few other folks typically wear some combo of a Magnolia tee, cap or both.  Then, we could consider Harp Design and ... and ...

 

WRT the 2nd floor bathroom, Jo pointed out the existing bathroom and sketched out a minor reno during the walk-through with Chip.  (It was adjacent to the coffee room that had a kitchenette, i.e. plumbing.)   Subsequently, during both the design plan segment and the grandparents' reveal, there was no mention of said bathroom. 

 

What that tells us (in the world of reality-tv) is that they probably didn't finish the bathroom before filming.  Doesn't surprise me that much b/c HGTV typically requires 6 months editing time per episode.  So, they had to haul it to finish the work, given Zillow's closing date of 6/17/15.  They barely aired it prior to Christmas, during a week that's frequently reserved for reruns.

 

BTW, Zillow mysteriously lacks the purchase price.  I listened carefully but never heard mention of either a list price or final purchase price during the episode.  IIRC from Zillow, the home was listed at 320K for about 1.5 years.  Was thinking as I viewed the episode that they should have used a strawman buyer (other than themselves) to purchase it.  Sure enough, it appeared that they did, when I dug a little further.  (I saved some of that info - will try to return and give all of you some links.) 

 

WRT the B&B vs. vacation rental classification, their continued use of the "B&B" classification bothers me.  B&B is really a misnomer, from a RE standpoint, to me.  A B&B is an entirely different business model than a vacation rental.  The only thing I can figure out is it's a way to drive up demand.  It sounds more accessible.  More fans might believe they can stay there and will check into it, increasing their website views, driving fans to promos for all their other ventures in the process. 

 

Also, if it doesn't fly as a vacation rental, I don't believe it'd be that difficult to convert it into a 2 unit B&B.  Probably easier to just call it that from the get-go, if they fear attracting sufficient guests at an exorbitant (my guess) vacation home rental rate.  (Incidentally, I've stayed in many B&B's that have offsite managers, close by and easily reachable, if needed.  So, no need for staff quarters.)  Anyone have a better idea as to why they keep calling it a B&B?  Am assuming, nicely, that they do understand the significant differences between the business models and their varied management requirements.

 

Have to agree with everyone.  I don't believe that McGregor location works well.  20 miles / minutes from Baylor?  So, after having a postgame drink or two, you'll need a designated driver to avoid the rangers trying to fill their quota on that freeway, lol.  Yes, it sounds good, for insurance purposes, to live close to police and fire but do you really want to live with sirens at all hours plus everything else associated with police and fire?  (Wait, you'll need to avoid receiving TWO postgame tickets, lol!)  When it comes to residential RE, that'd be an undesirable location overall, after considering all the factors, IMHO.

 

Oh, BTW, I seem to recall that McGregor, including that downtown, is very close to a Fort Hood location, including a weapons depot of some sort.  And that dusty, old downtown ... can we talk?  It's considered quaint and historical??  Ok, but I didn't get that from either their first visit there with the Ferguson's (IIRC) or this episode.  Uh, let's just say I'd have to think long and hard about buying RE of any kind around there.  

Edited December 30, 2015 by aguabella

[Saylii]

I'm pretty sure Chip said the asking & purchase price was $190,000. It surprised me since I was sure he'd try to wheel and deal down.

[MsTree]

I'm not sure "everyone seems to like it" is accurate. My guess is that clients go to them because they know that's their style. I think the show is popular because they like the relationship between Chip and Joanna, it's real chemistry vs. a manufactured one like Love it or List it.

My problem is that as a design show it fails because there's no need to watch more than a couple episodes because every project ends up looking the same despite the varied house styles. Joanna only does whitewashed shabby chic, which looking at her own home, is her personal style.

You're right...and I should have qualified and corrected my statement to "everyone on the SHOW seems to like it".

 

Interesting that you called it a design show because I don't see it solely as such. As you suggested, I mainly watch for the relationship between Chip & JoJo. I also enjoy watching the transformation/renovation of bringing an ugly house back to life again. Granted, it's in JoJo's style, but I'm one of those who likes it...repeatedly :)

[Mu Shu]

I just caught the original episode the B&B house appeared in. The couple wisely chose a huge ranch house on a great street and lot, and I thought they did a beautiful job on that one. Not many distressed suches, nary a word art to be seen, and they did a vaulted and tiled ceiling in the master bath. Of course the beautiful double doors in the front had to go, since they weren't "French country." I hope those doors made their way to Joanas hoard to be the used in another house.

[Broderbits]

scenicbyway said:

 

Isn't the point of a show to demonstrate different techniques?

 

Yes, if this was a real design show. But HGTV now features mainly "personality" shows, doesn't seem to be interested in creative design at all, and we end up with Jojo's Texas French Country over and over and endless Property Brothers. Very bland.

[aguabella]

I'm pretty sure Chip said the asking & purchase price was $190,000. It surprised me since I was sure he'd try to wheel and deal down.

 

Thanks for the info, Saylii.  I heard Jo initially state a listing price of 190K but they never mentioned the sales price, up thru and including the short scene confirming its purchase in the green house.  I missed it b/c Jo said it, kinda' under her breath, just before she presented the design plan.  Strange place to mention it.  Then, they apparently withheld the info from Zillow.  Very unusual - to say the least.

 

It was listed at 320K from 1/13 to 1/14, IIRC.  No published listing thereafter.  As I mentioned upthread, they used a strawman buyer.  JMHO but that's probably how they scored the 41% reduction after about 18 months.  Sounds good but obviously, we don't know the appraised value.  And, judging from the very expensive renovation, who knows if that was a good price?  I wouldn't venture a guess at this point.

 

You see Chip as a wheeler/dealer?  He hasn't been involved in any transaction during the show.  (The participants have previously closed escrow, using their own professionals, prior to the show's involvement.)  We don't know anything about the Gaines' personal portfolio.  Chip just took the RE exam around the end of last year, IIRC, so that he'd show up on state records as a realtor, even though he's only acting a part on F/U.  Yes, he could have negotiated well as a flipper but I don't know.

 

Sorry, in my professional training, I learned, ad nauseum, to avoid assumptions.  I ignore sales puffery and verbal exclamations about someone's sales prowess.  In my world, no offense to his many fans, he'd probably be called a BS artist.

[racked]

Not everyone likes shabby chic and it doesn't look good in every house. My home is Federal style and is furnished with traditional and antique pieces. MyBFF's house is a 100-year old Victorian and she has furnished it with antiques. Another friend's house is cottage style and she has some shabby chic pieces that fit in nicely with her beach cottage theme.

Bless her heart, Joanna is not a trained designer and has no eye for color or style, unless it is her own. I'm sure that when the staging is removed after the reveal and the homeowners' belongings are moved in that the Fixer Upper houses take on an entirely different personality. That's a follow-up show I'd like to see. Kind of like "Househunters Where Are They Now."

I would love if that was the show itself! Most of these people already own a home which means they already own furniture. I know she sometimes incorporates small pieces of the homeowners but I would love to see her work with all their furniture and make it work and beautiful in the new home. What impresses me most about the show is the renovation not the decorating.

[Saylii]

Thanks for the info, Saylii. I heard Jo initially state a listing price of 190K but they never mentioned the sales price, up thru and including the short scene confirming its purchase in the green house. I missed it b/c Jo said it, kinda' under her breath, just before she presented the design plan. Strange place to mention it. Then, they apparently withheld the info from Zillow. Very unusual - to say the least.

It was listed at 320K from 1/13 to 1/14, IIRC. No published listing thereafter. As I mentioned upthread, they used a strawman buyer. JMHO but that's probably how they scored the 41% reduction after about 18 months. Sounds good but obviously, we don't know the appraised value. And, judging from the very expensive renovation, who knows if that was a good price? I wouldn't venture a guess at this point.

You see Chip as a wheeler/dealer? He hasn't been involved in any transaction during the show. (The participants have previously closed escrow, using their own professionals, prior to the show's involvement.) We don't know anything about the Gaines' personal portfolio. Chip just took the RE exam around the end of last year, IIRC, so that he'd show up on state records as a realtor, even though he's only acting a part on F/U. Yes, he could have negotiated well as a flipper but I don't know.

Sorry, in my professional training, I learned, ad nauseum, to avoid assumptions. I ignore sales puffery and verbal exclamations about someone's sales prowess. In my world, no offense to his many fans, he'd probably be called a BS artist.

Chip may not have been the RE on record, but I would assume he knows how to negotiate through a realtor especially if they've bought so many properties in the past as investments/flips. Jo's said in several interviews that they've had to live in some of their investment properties in the past which leads me to believe they've been involved in real estate for awhile in some purchasing capacity.

It was just weird to me that he always stresses negotiating the price down to fellow homebuyers (even though it's staged) and didn't seem to follow his own advice. Especially if it really was on the market for $320,000 previously. You would have thought he'd be chirping about that through the roof.

In Texas, purchase prices can be specifically kept private if the owner wants it to be. When we closed on our house, we had to sign a document authorizing other realtors to have access to the sale price. Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, etc gets their sale prices from realtors who feed them that information from the MLS and not public record. That's why a lot of times it's dead wrong.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Saylii

[aguabella]

Not a big deal but none of the things you mentioned, Saylii, confirm that Chip has any negotiating skill whatsoever, including number of properties purchased, years involved in RE, taking up residency in their investment properties, etc.  Logically, factoid A doesn't necessarily confirm skill B. 

 

Gee, if Jo said they "had to" live in their properties, does that tell us they typically overpaid for them and couldn't get their investment $$$ out, forcing them to reside there, waiting for the market to catch up?  Hmmm, makes me wonder about their skill level, for sure, lol. 

 

The show participants have previously closed escrow, prior to filming, so it doesn't matter that the producers instruct Chip to repeat standard lines extolling the virtues of negotiating.  Why would they have him routinely advise buyers to overbid, unless the market / situation warrants it?  (That'd be news to me, BTW.)    

 

So, if Chip "always" advises negotiating list prices down, do you mean that, according to Chip, list prices never approximate true value?  In the real world, some sellers do a better, more accurate job of pricing their homes than others, although sellers certainly employ various pricing strategies, too.  That is, they don't necessarily attempt to price their homes at 100% of market value, to begin with.  

 

In any event, list prices are totally and completely meaningless WRT values.  The fact that the property was listed at 320K, 18 months earlier (!) doesn't tell us they received a great deal at 190K, assuming that was their true and correct purchase price.  (It's their show so they can report any price they care to.)  In fact, appraisers disregard list prices - they're not used to determine comps.  Given the lack of insulation and large amount of renovation work required, it's possible that they significantly overpaid for the property.  

 

As far as I'm concerned, they're welcome to report all or nothing to the various RE websites.  I use the government information.  With their vested interest, they normally bat 1,000%!  (BTW, that's how I confirmed who actually purchased the property.)  Hey, if Chip's so proud of those negotiation skills, why not shout it from the rooftops, to every fan and website who'll listen or cares?

 

 

Happy New Year, everyone!

Edited December 31, 2015 by aguabella

[Mu Shu]

Chip is presented as such a goober, he's either a master negotiator or a goober. I vote for goober, with Joanna being the brains.

I imagine a Chip negotiation going like this: "So, you guyses final list price is 190k? If I eat this cockroach will y'all knock off fifty bucks? I mean, my all in budget is 200k, and this house is 2000 square foot. I need to budget Jo's rusty Roman numeral non working clock art into this baby".

[Spunkygal]

I would love if that was the show itself! Most of these people already own a home which means they already own furniture. I know she sometimes incorporates small pieces of the homeowners but I would love to see her work with all their furniture and make it work and beautiful in the new home. What impresses me most about the show is the renovation not the decorating.

That is a great idea. I'd enjoy seeing Jo take the homeowner's existing pieces and work with those.

I seem to recall that a hundred years ago, HGTV had a show where hosts went into someone's home and basically moved existing furniture around, painted, maybe put up new curtains and added a few new decorative items. Often it was an interesting transformation. I would love for someone to come into my living room, which I'm kind of tired of, and help me choose a few new fabrics to recover chairs, maybe incorporate fresher decorative items, to give the room an update. I can't afford to ditch ALL my furniture but some tweaks here and there would be great.

[NYGirl]

You know I keep expecting Joanna to roll her eyes and slap him off the top of the head when he does the stupid stuff but now they've made her go along with it and laugh.  He's getting so damn annoying that it's ruining my enjoyment of seeing every single house looking the exact same way.

[Maya]

Joanna should hire a couple interior designers who have a completely different style from hers (modern, contemporary, etc) and then just pass the work off as her own. Nobody would know the difference and it would make for better TV.

[KittyS]

Ugh! Tonight HGTV had the show with the never-before-seen-outtakes and favorite projects. I have always found Chip to be an annoying, attention-seeking man-child and seeing multiple sequences of his most obnoxious behaviors did nothing to dissuade me of my opinion. I actually gagged during the "Gross Things Chip Has Eaten" montage. He seems nice enough and harmless, but I can't even imagine what it is about his personality that is attractive to women.

Seeing all of C and J's favorite projects in one hour was interesting, but boy did it magnify how Joanna does the same thing in every house. Wood floors, ship lap, white kitchen cabinets with gray marble and open shelving, Tolix chairs, white slipcovers, word art, and giant clocks. I actually like some of these things, but it would be more interesting to see Joanna's taste evolve a little.

[ByaNose]

KittyS, I think you forgot white subway tile with dark grout. It just looks like the grout is old and dirty. In general, I like her work and I'm a sucker for a big clock and a farm table. Chip is annoying and he's gonna get really hurt one day and will deserve it.

[GaT]

I have always found Chip to be an annoying, attention-seeking man-child and seeing multiple sequences of his most obnoxious behaviors did nothing to dissuade me of my opinion. I actually gagged during the "Gross Things Chip Has Eaten" montage. He seems nice enough and harmless, but I can't even imagine what it is about his personality that is attractive to women.

 

Chip is annoying and he's gonna get really hurt one day and will deserve it.

I guess people like the way he acts, or they wouldn't have spent so much time on him, but I thought the show would have been a lot better without all the Chip stuff. I didn't need to hear about his sweat or watch him eat gross things. He does nothing for me.

[NYGirl]

The outtakes and bloopers show last night was 90% of Chip's stupid antics.  When it got towards the end I had to shut it off because it was so annoying.  I'm sure he's a nice guy but damn why do they make him ramp it up so much?  The first season was so nice and then they had to go ruin it.

 

I agree Joanna's aesthetic is getting to be boring and monotonous but then I think every designer on HGTV is like that.  The property brothers use the same design drapes on every episode.  Don't get me started on Tarek and Christina.  Every kitchen is the same.

[Maya]

OMG Chip is an even bigger idiot than I ever imagined. I don't know how she puts up with it honestly. My patience would have worn thin with him years ago.

I did appreciate how they addressed the "you guyses." Lol

[truther]

I'll rise in Chip's defense.  One reason I'll do so is precisely because I watched this episode -- so that tells me that no matter how juvenile Chip's shenanigans might be (and I have ZERO interest in watching people eat bugs), he and his wife still make for some good TV.

 

I thought they addressed a bunch of things.  "You guyses," ship lap, her devotion to only one style.  There's just enough knowing self-deprecation on this show to keep it good.

 

And as for Chip, well, I'm sure what we see is for the cameras.  But he seems to be a very good builder with a successful business, he clearly loves his wife, he's got a lovely bunch of kids, and he's risen from prom king wannabe or whatever he was to an HGTV celebrity on a popular show.  By any objective measure he's had a very successful life.  If you take the glass half full approach, Jo could have done a LOT worse.  

[Mu Shu]

I like Chip and Joanna and their lovely children. I dislike when Chip does stupid things like flinging himself through a wall and eating cockroaches. He goes from lovable doofus to attention seeking man child too much for my taste.

[aguabella]

Chip is presented as such a goober, he's either a master negotiator or a goober. I vote for goober, with Joanna being the brains.

I imagine a Chip negotiation going like this: "So, you guyses final list price is 190k? If I eat this cockroach will y'all knock off fifty bucks? I mean, my all in budget is 200k, and this house is 2000 square foot. I need to budget Jo's rusty Roman numeral non working clock art into this baby".

 

Love it, Mu Shu.  And, the RE market rewards goobers if, with dumb luck, they time the market and make a few $$$.  (BTW, Chip and Jo have admitted that they lost major $$$ during the '08 crash like most investors.

 

Haven't ever heard them mentioning Jo getting involved in the home purchases so ???.

[aguabella]

Joanna should hire a couple interior designers who have a completely different style from hers (modern, contemporary, etc) and then just pass the work off as her own. Nobody would know the difference and it would make for better TV.

 

Good idea but I believe HGTV (+ their production companies) has learned that the truth always gets out.  Plus, I can't see Jo giving up that queen bee role - no offense to either women or bees, lol!

 

Someone suggested that they should have used Nicole on the Victorian.  Great idea but pairing up those 2 total queen bees - sounds like fireworks, for sure.  "It's a restoration, Jo."  "No, no, Nicole, that wood's outta' here.  Unless it's shiplap ... hey, my show, girlfriend."  Then, we'd have Nicci cozying up to Chippie ... hahaha!

 

Nicole probably got along with the 2 guys on the beach flipping show for that reason - she was the only chick.  (That, plus they gave the 3 hosts slightly different focuses.)

Edited January 5, 2016 by aguabella

[Spunkygal]

All in all, I liked the results of last night's reno. The new double front door looked good and the vaulted ceiling made a world of difference....good use of the extra money. I was so afraid that Jo wouldn't find a way to work any ship lap in the design (heh) but she put some in the craft room. It wasn't too much, though. I was surprised, though, at how small the hubby's shoe closet was! They went on and on about the hubby's huge shoe collection and then they unveiled what appeared to be a small closet with some shelving. It was nothing special.

However, Chip got on every last nerve of mine last night. I don't know if the producer has told him to ramp up the doofus silliness, but it was embarrassing and ridiculous, especially when they were in the antique shop. I think he has been hit in the head too many times without that hard hat on.

[truther]

All in all, I liked the results of last night's reno. The new double front door looked good and the vaulted ceiling made a world of difference....good use of the extra money. I was so afraid that Jo wouldn't find a way to work any ship lap in the design (heh) but she put some in the craft room. It wasn't too much, though. I was surprised, though, at how small the hubby's shoe closet was! They went on and on about the hubby's huge shoe collection and then they unveiled what appeared to be a small closet with some shelving. It was nothing special.

However, Chip got on every last nerve of mine last night. I don't know if the producer has told him to ramp up the doofus silliness, but it was embarrassing and ridiculous, especially when they were in the antique shop. I think he has been hit in the head too many times without that hard hat on.

Totally agree about the shoe closet.  There was a huge buildup about this guy and his hundreds of pairs of shoes and then . . . a couple shelves with literally like 7 or 8 pairs of shoes placed here and there.  Maybe his real shoe collection is all pornographic or something and they had to stage it with loafers they borrowed from the store?

 

Disagree about Chip.  I actually thought he was toning it down a bit.  The antique store stuff was funny (IMO) and there was a decent amount of actual work being done.  I also thought they were consciously self-deprecating.  Chip's joke was great -- if Jo and french doors had a baby, it would be ship lap.  Ba dum dum.  

[ByaNose]

I thought the shoe closet was going to be some big room. It was a broom closet with very narrow shelves. He seemed happy though. Whatever!

[MoreCoffeePlease]

It is amazing to me how much they improve the exteriors of these homes with seemingly simple touches. 

 

I did love the end result of the main living space and kitchen, and I agreed with Chip about not white-washing the brick fireplace, especially after having to find matching brick. 

[mojito]

 

Nobody would know the difference and it would make for better TV.

Disagree: if it's missing ship lap and a clock and a white kitchen, we'd all know the difference. Agree: it would make for better TV.

 

I passed on the outtakes episodes. A little Chip goes a very long way. 

[DownTheShore]

They've done remodels for a number of the Bayor staff, so I think that's where their rental home is going to get its referrals. For most of us, a 20 minute drive anywhere is nothing, so I don't think the town is an issue. Put a nice big BBQ grill in the back & mom and dad can spend some quality time with their Baylor undergrad, in style when they come down for a visit.

[Mu Shu]

They're just rubbing the ship lap in our faces in the new commercials in my market. Damn you Chip and Joanna and your pernicious ship lap! I am sure they read here, and will mock us in the next commercial set with faux rusty clocks and word art.

[mojito]

 

For most of us, a 20 minute drive anywhere is nothing, so I don't think the town is an issue. Put a nice big BBQ grill in the back & mom and dad can spend some quality time with their Baylor undergrad, in style when they come down for a visit.

McGregor is also a 20-minute drive from 6 state prisons in Gatesville. Just thought you all needed to know another rental opportunity for the B&B.

[Mu Shu]

I'm thinking that most people who are guests of the state don't have visitors who can afford the MaGnOliA B&B. I did learn that there are groups if middle aged ladies who make the pilgrimage to Waco, So maybe they get a group together.

Six prisons, huh? Chip and Jo could do a show where they give parolees a second chance and call it "Ship lap and Parolees ".

[mojito]

Good one, Mu Shu!

 

Mostly, you're correct. Then there are some surprises: (I taught in one of the units....I'll bet you're all thinking, "Well, at least she didn't say 'I had a friend in the slammer'". Really, I did teach.):  a teacher or two (not me, I already told you); daughters of professors (not my kids, either) and lawyers and successful business people; people with 401Ks waiting for them when they got out. Drugs (street and prescription) get a lot of women into trouble (my red wine only gets me into trouble when I spill it on something white after a mysterious fall at other people's homes).

 

Maybe "Fixer Upper: Doing Time in Waco Instead of Gatesville"?  Might offend the locals, but what the hay.

Edited January 12, 2016 by mojito

[cheyz]

I remember a show from a few years ago, might have been something like "Get it Sold." They found properties that had been listed for a long time, and tried to figure out why it hadn't sold and what they could do to move it. There was a RE agent who checked the price, and there was some small amount ($1,500?) for minor repairs/coverup. Then they brought in a stager. I think there were different teams based on location, but I remember Joanna being one of the stagers. 

 

I don't see anything on Joanna's IMDB page about earlier shows. Does anyone else remember this?

[Mu Shu]

I remember a show that was probably "Get it sold". There was an episode with the most eighties of the eighties tract homes with not only dusty rose carpet to hide with area rugs, faux wood beams and six shit tons of brass, but the owner had tons of suches like those stupid bears dressed like little house on the prairie , precious moments horrors, and cabbage rose upholstery everywhere. I don't think it sold. I seem to remember watching it a lot, but don't recall Jo.

[Ottis]

She may only have one style (in your opinion), but it's a style that everyone seems to like. Therefore, it's a winning style.

 

 

I wouldn't let Jo near our house. That "French country style" thing is one of my least favorite styles, and when I would see that on Trading Spaces or any other home show it was like seeing another American Idol contestant singing country. Ugh. All that distressed and repurposed stuff would have me constantly thinking things needed to be replaced. And I don't like modern, either.

 

I don't get the location of the B&B, either. I mean, it looks like there are commercial buildings next to it. I wonder how it is doing?

[chessiegal]

From what I've read on-line, it will be available for rent "sometime Spring 2016".

[NYGirl]

Tonight's barn was strange.  I hated that downstairs "harvest gathering room".  The kitchen is upstairs!  Who the hell wants to carry that much food up and down the steps when you have people sitting at that 17 foot table?

 

Second, we never even saw the master bedroom.  Where was it?  I was surprised that the boy's room was downstairs. I can't wait for the parents to be stepping on those legos with bare feet.   Why about the other kids?  Where's their rooms?  

 

So what was upstairs?  The kitchen, dining and living room? That's it?

 

All that being said, Chip did an outrageous job on the exterior of the house...wow.

[ByaNose]

At least, she didn't do a white blacksplash. That said, I didn't like the black backsplash. It was too busy and dark. The banquet table was nice but how often are they having that many people? The office/den was cozy look King but sort of small. The kids bedroom was down there along with a bathroom which was okay but it's sort of an odd layout. I'm sure there was a master bedroom that didn't make the edit but I'm not sure where a large master would have fit. Upstairs or downstairs? I did like the family area with the big clock. I love a big clock. LOL!!!

Edit to add: Just checked their Twitter and she replied the following:

@drpittdmd great qstn! its actually a four bedroom house w 2 baths, bc of time we cant film the entire house reveal but it is very livable

Edited January 13, 2016 by ByaNose

[mojito]

 

I don't see anything on Joanna's IMDB page about earlier shows. Does anyone else remember this?

When I first saw "Fixer Upper", I was sure I'd seen Joanna and/or Chip before (and I'm not one who has ever misidentified one person with another), but couldn't remember where. Perhaps this was it.

 

I haven't seen this episode yet, but something I've found myself thinking, while watching Flip or Flop: why is Fixer Upper a one-hour show when Flip or Flop is only a half hour? What I think: one sells itself off as a family entertainment and the other is merely a show about real estate. If I downed a shot for ever time Joanna said "I love you" to her kids....really, parents usually love their kids, eye-roll-worthy that it's obviously considered necessary dialog on every show. Think I need to go back to not watching this show again. 

[MrPissyPuppy]

I thought they were referring to the MEAT house rather than the MEEK house and got a bit confused during the Barndominium episode.   They didn't show it, but I hope they added insulation to the exterior walls or that place is going to be an energy sieve.    Also, wish they'd include a floor plan on the blog for the most recent episode, as they've done for past episodes. 

Edited January 13, 2016 by MrPissyPuppy