‘Fixer Upper: The Castle’: Are Chip and Joanna Gaines In Over Their Heads?
Magnolia Network
On their new show “Fixer Upper: The Castle,” Chip and Joanna Gaines are quickly learning that making over a historic building is a lot more complicated than making over any old house.
In the latest episode, “Story of Color,” they struggle specifically with how to blend the castle’s old elements with new ones. There are many tough decisions to be made, and—surprise!—Chip and Jo don’t always agree.
Read on to see how these famous flippers figure out what to do, and learn some smart lessons you might be inspired to apply to your own abode, too.
An old exterior can still look new
Before: Chip and Joanna Gaines examine the exterior of the castle.Magnolia Network
Throughout the season, Chip and Joanna have debated what to do with the castle’s exterior stone. Some of the original stones needed to be replaced, but the new material isn’t a perfect match. Now the “Fixer Upper” hosts need to decide whether they should chemically treat the old stone so the original material looks like the new stuff, or use a composting technique to make the new stone look older.
Joanna admits that she can’t decide, torn between honoring the aged exterior of this old house and making the exterior look fresher and more inviting.
“The stone won’t go away. It keeps haunting me,” she says. “I think it’s like, anytime I leave, I think I’ve made the best, right decision.”
After: The chemical treatment gave this castle a brighter, newer look.Magnolia Network
She leaves the choice to Chip, who ultimately makes his decision based on convenience. He explains that aging the new sections is too labor intensive, so he opts for the faster chemical treatment that’ll make the old stone look new.
When the stone is done, both Joanna and Chip are thrilled. The castle looks fresher, while the cleaner stone honors the old home’s classic style. It shows that when giving a home a historic look, renovators don’t always need to choose finishes that look old. Sometimes it’s even better to make an old build look the way it might have when it was new.
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The right paint colors can create a sense of history
Joanna Gaines designed a soft pink color for one bedroom.Magnolia Network
While Chip and Joanna decide to give the exterior a fresher look, they want to make sure the interior walls have classic colors. Joanna creates 10 custom colors for the house, including a light pink for a space she imagines will be a girl’s bedroom.
“I love it ’cause it’s not trendy pink. It’s like a dusty pink,” she says. “It’s beautiful. It’s historic.”
Chip Gaines shows off the light pink paint.Magnolia Network
Using different tiles can spice up a bathroom
This bathroom will be gorgeous when it’s done.Magnolia Network
In one of the bathrooms, Joanna plans to line the walls with panels of 6-by-12-inch Cararra marble with the same material (though in a hexagonal pattern) on the floor.
“I wanted to do the Carrara marble throughout the bathroom just to keep it really timeless and classic,” she says. “But also just wanted a little something that had a different design and even color in it.”
To get that color, Joanna selects a different kind of tile with blue and white tones. This tile, as the Magnolia designer tells Chip, will go on the wall behind the sink, giving the space a color accent.
These tiles will work well together.Magnolia Network
“Back in our day, when we would talk to clients, you would say something to the effect of ‘You’d really want that to pop,'” Chip teases. These days, Chips says clients would describe memorable features as “spicy.”
No matter the lingo, it’s clear that this tile combo is the right choice. It’s classic like the rest of the home, but it still looks clean and new, exactly what homeowners want in a bathroom.
Dark floors give a cozy, classic ambiance
Chip and Joanna Gaines consider wood stains.Magnolia Network
Probably the biggest tussle between this couple has to do with the floors. Joanna wants the home’s wood flooring to be dark, but Chip disagrees.
“I prefer light, but you always prefer dark,” he points out.
Joanna argues that she likes light floors, but a natural wood look wouldn’t look right in this house, especially when the walls are so dark.
“When you walk down here, all of these walls are dark wood. If I step into a space and all the walls are dark and then the floor is light, it’s like, it makes my heart feel upside down,” she explains.
Joanna likes the darker wood stains.Magnolia Network
In the end, Joanna wins—and together, the partners prove just how difficult it can be to pick the right floor. They remind viewers that both light finishes and dark finishes can look great, but either way, it’s important to consider the style and era of the rest of the house.
Old-fashioned built-ins are always in style
These built-ins will add function and classic style.Magnolia Network
While an old house is sure to come with plenty of character and historic details, this building is fairly empty. They’ll need to add some of that classic charm back into the space. One way they do that is by installing big, built-in bookshelves with an old-fashioned style.
“People love things that are nostalgic, they love things that are antique-looking, and I want this place to feel like it did in 1915,” Joanna says. “So whether you walked into the space in 1915 or today, it has that same feeling of history and love and beauty and castle-ship.”
The bookcase ends up looking gorgeous, and it serves as a smart reminder that not every old home will come with lots of charming details. Sometimes, homeowners will need to add those in.
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