Chip and Joanna Gaines are welcoming the next generation into their already blooming Magnolia world. Their 19-year-old daughter, Ella, is stepping into the spotlight for the first time, joining her parents on the new HGTV series âFixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House,â which premiered on October 28. âThis is our first out-of-Central-Texas project. I want it to feel like something that I put together for my family,â Joanna said in the showâs teaser.
She revealed that Chip had suggested bringing their daughter into the design process. âChip had an idea to have our daughter design the little cottage,â she explained.
A smiling Ella then appears on camera, ready to take on the task. âIâm accepting the challenge,â she said, officially marking her debut in the familyâs expanding renovation empire.
From Waco to the Rockies: A Family Passion Continues
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âFixer Upper: Colorado Mountain Houseâ marks the Gaines familyâs first project outside of their beloved Texas roots. For Joanna, itâs a full-circle moment watching Ella step into the creative world she and Chip built from the ground up.
The HGTV stars have kept mainly their five children out of the public eye since stepping away from their original âFixer Upperâ series in 2018.
At the time, Joanna explained the decision on her blog, writing, âThis is just us recognizing that we need to catch our breath for a moment.â The couple focused on family life while expanding their Magnolia brand.
Now, years later, Ellaâs appearance feels like a natural extension of her parentsâ legacy and proof that the next generation of Gaines creativity is ready to bloom.
Joanna Reflects on Motherhood & Life at Home
Even as their business continues to evolve, Joanna remains deeply connected to home life. She recently shared her familyâs traditions during an appearance on âToday,â revealing how she keeps her Waco farmhouse inviting.
âThereâs a cake plate stand on the island that, since I first got marriedâit was like the first year, I got it for a wedding gift, and it was empty,â she said. âWe had so many friends and family coming in, and I was like, âI need to start having something in there.ââ
That habit stuck. âThe rule is just kind of always have something on the cake plate stand for the family or for guests,â she added with a laugh. âItâs really me now, just eating the stuff, so thatâs fun. Itâs now for me.â
Ellaâs Creative Roots & Future Plans
Ellaâs design instincts have been evident since childhood. Back in 2018, Joanna shared a photo of her daughterâs copy of âHomebody,â her book on homemaking, filled with Ellaâs sketches and notes. A year later, Joanna told People, âElla is like me. I think sheâll follow in my footsteps and have her hand in a lot of things.â
That prediction is proving true. In a recent interview on the âBusiness of Homeâ podcast, Joanna revealed that Ella played an active role in Magnoliaâs creative planning.
âShe was interning with me, so sheâd be in these meetings where I was like, yâall, I need vision. She was listening and she was interested,â Joanna said.
The mother-daughter duo even spent late nights brainstorming at the office. âShe was writing things as I was saying, okay, if we do this, if we do that,â Joanna recalled. Ella, who recently left for college, has already shown the same creative spark that made her parents household names.
Whether designing a mountain retreat or sketching her next idea, sheâs carrying forward the spirit of Magnolia, one home at a time.
