Inside Chip and Jo’s New Bed and Breakfast

After falling head over heels for this Victorian while showing it to another client, Joanna decided she wanted it for herself, and imagined bringing it back to life. Sure enough, she convinced Chip and the two turned into their own clients for once. Joanna reveals: “When I first shared my vision with Chip, he thought I was crazy. Once I took him by the house and shared the business idea and design vision, he quickly jumped on board.”

Only one family has owned the home since it was originally built in the late 1800s. The family shared this pic with Chip and Jo, and you can see there were still horse and carriages and dirt roads.

The first stop? The kitchen.

Since the room was already light and open, they chose a classic black paint for the lower cabinets.

Chip installed concrete countertops, an apron sink and updated light fixtures.

They loved the exposed shiplap, so they left it as the backsplash in the kitchen.

They also installed reclaimed pine floors and gave the walls a coat of white paint.

The dining room, before the makeover, had peeling wallpaper, worn carpet and a dated chandelier.

But Chip and Jo knew how to turn it around.

After, Chip and Jo gave the space a fresh fireplace, hardwood floors and shiplap.

They added more windows and an exterior door to get more natural light into the room.

This is what the living room looked like before Chip and Jo worked their magic.

They took down a wall to open up the rest of the bottom floor, took down the dated wallpaper, and refinished the original hardwood floors.

Shiplap strikes again! The Gaines definitely know how to bring in more light and make a space feel relaxed.

On the first floor, the hallway had old wallpaper and a stairway enclosure.

Joanna restructured the staircase and added in this reading nook–which she calls “one of my favourite things about this house.”

As she says, “it’s fun to take dead space and make it functional and pretty!”

These stairs lead to the second floor. They were covered in awful carpet beforehand.

After: the stairs are barely recognizable!

The foyer and stairs were beautifully decked out for the holidays.

The downstairs bedroom did have an original fireplace in tact, but the room needed a new exterior door, fresh drywall and paint.

The new and improved bedroom features hardwood floors, gray paint and a new fireplace.

Plus, a rustic workspace.

Downstairs, there was another twin bedroom to work with, and boy, did Jo get to work.

This whimsical bedroom is basically begging for overnight guests. Can you spot those hanging side tables?

Joanna put up a mirror, a framed print and airy curtains.

Before, the downstairs bathroom was dated as can be.

Now, the bathroom is updated to feature a glass shower, pedestal sink and lots of white,

A tub and gorgeous floor tiles complete the look.

Upstairs, this was the first room Joanna redesigned.

After painting the cabinets teal-green, and adding in concrete countertops, this coffee nook is a showstopper.

At the top of the stairs this landing awaits. As you can see, the wallpaper and railing needed to be replaced, ASAP.

Joanna was able to create a small gathering space with new floors, a modern railing and a bench.

Next up? The upstairs loft. It acts as a transitional space in the home.

After refinishing the original floors and patching up the original shiplap, the Fixer Upper duo added in this canopy bed, one of Joanna’s faves from the Magnolia Home line.

Another little seating area was added for guests.

This tiny room upstairs used to host soldiers overnight.

Chip and Jo decided to keep it small and cozy, as it was originally intended, since they loved the rich history here.

Though Chip and Jo actually welcomed in their first set of guests over the holidays–their parents–keep your eyes and ears out to hear when these two start accepting visitors. They call Magnolia House one of their favourite projects to date.