The series finale of the HGTV hit show "Fixer Upper” starring Chip and Joanna Gaines aired on Tuesday, April 3, and I’m still grieving.
With baby number five on the way, the Gaineses, owners of Magnolia Home, decided to wrap up production in order to focus more on their family and their business, and who could blame them?
It’s such a good reason that you can’t possibly get mad, yet the end of the “Fixer Upper” era has definitely left many attached fans like myself twirling their thumbs, skeptical that any other home renovation show could possibly fill “Fixer Upper’s” shoes because, well, there was something truly special about this one.
The show first aired in 2013, and it features Chip and Joanna completely revamping the "worst house[s] in the best neighborhood[s]” of Waco, Texas. With Chip as the contractor, doing all the dirty work and heavy lifting on his beloved “Demo Day,” and Joanna as the interior designer, this unstoppable duo turns the unthinkable into dream homes for their clients.
If you haven’t seen these home transformations, you are missing out. Joanna has a killer eye for design, figuring out how to rework even the most unsightly spaces into cozy, homey abodes. Her aesthetic includes farmhouse, rustic, industrial, and modern styles, or any combination of the four, and she matches each look to her clients’ taste every time. From her innovative use of recycled décor to her clean incorporation of the fan-favorite shiplap, each home outdoes the last. I mean, truly, I don’t know how she has all this creativity in her.
But besides the Gaines’ incredible work, what make them so beloved is just how perfect they are together. The two have been married since 2003, and have been THE cutest couple out there ever since. Even in “Fixer Upper” commercials, their chemistry is clear. The Gaineses love to have fun, constantly acting silly together and making each other laugh. They are so affectionate with each other, regularly calling each other pet names – but never to the extent that it’d make your eyes role. And they are so supportive of each other, always encouraging the other and congratulating a job well done.
Their family is also equally adorable. They have two sons, Drake and Duke, and two daughters, Ella and Emmie, and, as they’ve gotten older, all four kids have slowly started helping out Mom and Dad in their home renovations. And based on what we can see in the show, it seems like they’re all thrilled to be the heirs to Magnolia.
Now that I’ve had time to digest why “Fixer Upper” has developed such a cult following over the years, it becomes clear that it’s because it’s hard not to fall in love with the Gaines family and their lives – the family business, the farm lifestyle and the fond memories they make spark a sense of love and nostalgia in all of us, and I can only pray that they’ll be showing reruns for years to come.
