The Magnolia Story (with Bonus Content)
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Mark: Confidence is attractive, right? Whether it’s in somebody’s style, somebody’s presence. . .
Joanna: You see a person that throws together an outfit, and you’re like, “If I did that, I’d look like an idiot, but that person, because she’s owning that, it really works.” I think that’s true. Hey, Chip is a cowboy. We’re not trying to inspire everybody to become a cowboy. That’s not the deal. He’s just owning that and doing that. What is it for you? Is it athletics? Is it running a business?
Times have changed. The world is much more open to new ideas now. I think it’s not really about looking out and around anymore to see what trends to follow. It’s more about honing in on who you are. I think when you find that place, that gut, whether it be your style, whether it be your lifestyle, that’s where you start finding life, because it’s you, it’s not the masses.
I think that’s the style that I have from a design standpoint. Yes, there are a lot of patterns that are in and out. I don’t want to be caught in that race or I’m always gonna be looking out. Instead, I want to constantly be asking, “What’s right in my gut?” and setting my own standard in that way. I don’t want to be known as a trendsetter. I really don’t.
Mark: So you weren’t that person who would start wearing something in school, and then everybody else would start wearing it?
Joanna: No. I think at an early age, I realized I don’t have that ability. So why not stick with what stood the test of time? Kind of like the skinny jeans example. Skinny jeans are cute, but they don’t fit me right. They’re uncomfortable. One day I’ll wake up and the flare jeans will be back in style. It all comes back around. What’s in style today, may not be what’s in tomorrow. What has worked for me in the past, is if I’m trying to conserve my dollar, I choose stripes or something classic. When I’m designing a space for people that really don’t know what they want, I say, “In five years, do you want to be renovating your kitchen again?” If they say yes, then let’s do the hottest, coolest thing that’s going right now. But if, in five years, you don’t want to be redesigning your kitchen, well, then we’ve got to find something that’s classic and timeless, and you can always add pops of color with your dishes and your napkins and change the style up in that way. But if you want this kitchen to last a long time, then we’ve got to think differently.
ON OWNING WHAT YOU’VE GOT>>>
Joanna: This has always been the underlying premise of my store: I always said if a woman walks out deflated and kind of feeling defeated, from a design standpoint, then I have failed in my shop. But if a woman walks in there, even if she doesn’t buy any of it, and walks out inspired, thinking I’m gonna try that. I’m gonna take this one little thing and create this great little corner, then I have done what I set out to do, which is inspire people. That’s the same feeling that I have with our show. I don’t want people turning the channel after it’s done going, “Well, that was a really great room, and a great renovation, but I don’t have $150,000, and I don’t have this designer.” If people do that, then I think I’ve failed. If instead they watch the show and think, Hey, I have a $500 budget, and I’m gonna do a shiplap accent wall, then yay! We’ve inspired people to do whatever it is they can, within their capacity. The same with the book. I don’t want people going, "They have a farm, and they have four beautiful children, and they’re on TV now,” and to have a takeaway of some sort of defeat, like, “I wish I was the Gaineses.” That is not what I want. I want them to say, “I don’t have a farm. I don’t have four kids, I’m not on TV, but dang it, I love that they’ve owned it, and I’m gonna own it in my New York apartment, or I’m gonna own it in my LA modern house.”
Chip: We don’t want people to buy our stuff as a way to keep up with the Joneses. Just the opposite. We must get a tweet a day from some fan saying, “Hey. We were inspired by y’all to tackle this and tackle that.” That’s just the best feeling ever. That’s exactly where we’re at. Not everybody’s got $100,000 to go do some giant renovation. We sure didn’t have $100,000 two years ago to go do some awesome thing, you know? We were lucky to do $500 in paint and $200 furniture. But we did the absolute best we could with whatever budget we had. And look at how that turned out?
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Chip was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was raised in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business with a degree in marketing. Chip is an entrepreneur by nature, and started and sold many small businesses before Magnolia. Having grown up spending time on his granddad’s ranch in North Texas, Chip became a true cowboy at heart. He was made for hard labor and always preferred digging ditches to academic pursuits.
Joanna, also known by friends and fans as “Jo” or “JoJo,” was born in Kansas and raised in the Lone Star State. She graduated from Baylor University with a degree in communications and was inspired to join the world of design while interning in New York City. Joanna decided to open a home decor shop, Magnolia Market, in 2003; bringing her NYC-inspired ideas and eye for design back to Waco, Texas. She soon discovered this passion complemented Chip’s construction experience, and together they began remodeling and flipping homes.
Mark Dagostino is a multiple New York Times bestselling co-author whose career has been built through the sharing of uplifting and inspirational life stories. Before becoming an author, he served ten years on staff in New York and LA as a well-respected correspondent, columnist, and senior writer for People magazine, sharing powerful interviews with many diverse personalities. Today, he lives a somewhat quieter life in New Hampshire—in a home that he really wishes Chip and Jo would come fix up!
PHOTOS
CHIP ON HIS FAMOUS BIG WHEEL. THE SAME ONE THAT ALMOST CAUSED A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.
LITTLE LEAGUE PHOTO EARLY IN CHIP’S BASEBALL CAREER.
SCHOOL PHOTO, SPORTING HIS TURNED-UP COLLAR.
CHIP HAS BEEN A COWBOY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
CHIP’S FIRST BROKEN BONE . . . AND IT WOULDN’T BE HIS LAST.
ME AS A BABY TRYING TO KEEP WARM IN KANSAS.
THIS IS THE RESULT OF SCHEDULING RECESS BEFORE SCHOOL PHOTOS.
SHOWING OFF MY NEW HAIRCUT. DON’T THINK MY HAIR HAS BEEN THIS SHORT SINCE!
4TH GRADE TRIP TO THE ZOO.
ME AND BOTH OF MY SISTERS—TERESA AND MARY KAY.
CHIP GOOFING OFF WITH HIS HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL BUDDIES.
APPEARING IN MY DAD’S FIRESTONE COMMERCIAL, 1996.
A CLASSIC GAINES FAMILY PHOTO!
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION WITH MY PARENTS IN 1996.
CHIP’S BAYLOR GRADUATION WITH HIS PARENTS.
EARLY DATING—THE FIRST TIME CHIP TOOK ME OUT TO HIS GRANDFATHER’S RANCH.
OUR 2002 ENGAGEMENT AT BILLY HOLDER’S RING SHOP, ARCHER CITY, TEXAS.
OUR WEDDING WAS AT THE EARLE HARRISON HOUSE—A HISTORIC MANSION IN THE WACO AREA.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM OUR BIG DAY!
A SHOT FROM OUR HONEYMOON—CANOEING IN NEW ENGLAND.
THE THREE BANDITS RESPONSIBLE FOR LANDING CHIP IN JAIL.
FIRST OFFICIAL DINNER IN OUR VERY FIRST HOUSE! (AFTER RENOVATIONS!)
THE SECOND HOUSE WE FIXED UP TOGETHER.
CHIP WORKING ON FENCING AT OUR SECOND HOUSE.
BRINGING HOME NEW BABY DRAKE.
THE BOSQUE SHOP RIGHT AFTER WE PURCHASED IT . . .
. . . AND AFTER AS MAGNOLIA MARKET.
OPENING DAY AT THE ORIGINAL LITTLE SHOP ON BOSQUE.
INSIDE MAGNOLIA MARKET WITH OUR “SHOP BABY” DRAKE!
HOUSE THREE UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
LITTLE ELLA ALMOST THREE YEARS OLD! PREGNANT WITH EMMIE KAY.
PHOTO TAKEN NOT TOO LONG BEFORE FIXER UPPER TOOK OFF!
MY KIDS’ PLAYROOM IN THE “SHOTGUN” HOUSE. PHOTO WAS FEATURED ON DESIGNMOM.COM.
THE FIRST GARDEN WE EVER PLANTED TOGETHER.
SHOOTING OUR PILOT EPISODE IN 2012.
FAMILY PHOTO IN THE “SHOTGUN” HOUSE!
HERE’S THE PRE-RENOVATION FARMHOUSE
. CAN YOU SEE WHY WE FELL IN LOVE?
FARMHOUSE DURING RENOVATIONS.
THIS IS THE GARDEN CHIP SURPRISED ME WITH AT THE FARMHOUSE!
ONE OF MY FAVORITE ANNIVERSARIES—CHIP SURPRISED ME WITH A 12TH ANNIVERSARY BRUNCH!