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Born in Kansas, the designer and TV star Joanna Gaines balances her life between being a wife, a mother, and a businesswoman. Gaines is not only a star in the hit television show Fixer Upper but also the co-owner and co-founder of the design and real estate company Magnolia.
Her interest in design emerged after she graduated from Baylor University with a degree in communications. She worked as an intern in New York and fell in love with the profession. Her expertise and knowledge of design will often give people the impression that she had intensive training in the area, however, when she started flipping houses with her husband she had zero interior design background.
Magnolia, Gaines’ personal project, was founded in 2003 when she also opened her own shop, Magnolia Market. Gaines and her husband, Chip, put all their love for design into remodeling and flipping homes. She mentions on the company’s website how Magnolia Market’s business idea was born out of a dream that was imagined impossible. She explained how it came to life thanks to her husband’s support and encouragement. After having their two kids, the couple decided to close the Market to focus on family, while also putting all their efforts into Magnolia Homes, where they learned the construction side of the business. After starting with the television show, she made the decision to reopen Magnolia Market, which turned into a great store in downtown Waco and an extensive online store.
The exceptionally successful company landed Gaines in the post of one of the most successful designers and businesswomen in the country. In addition to her own company, the television show Fixer Upper transformed her into a design celebrity. Currently, with over eleven million followers, she is one of the designers with the highest number of followers on Instagram.
Joanna’s style, inspired by her Texan roots, can be defined as classic, simple, and fresh. She has a great eye for seeing potential in old and antiquated things and turning them into new pieces. A room designed by Gaines will most likely include wooden floors, wooden furniture, a cozy fireplace, and a big plush bed. Interestingly, Gaines revealed that her favorite space to renovate and design in a house is the laundry room, since it is often underestimated, and can serve as a great inspiration and comfort space if designed right.
