Chip and Joanna Gaines Embrace Change and Growth in the Next Phase of Their Marriage: A Fresh Perspective on Life

Chip and Joanna Gaines have elaborated on the evolution of their relationship since celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in May.

“We're in a beautiful period. We're growing into each other,” Chip, aged 49, informed People in an interview available from Monday, November 20, stating that they've entered "the second phase of our marriage."

Joanna, 45, observed,“I would say, we’re beginning to more resemble each other as we age. I'm becoming more like Chip, and Chip is becoming more like me,” further stating, “Our perspectives on life have changed.”

Having been a couple for two decades, they maintain the custom of starting each day by sharing their dreams from the previous night. “My dreams are very realistic. Jo’s are always amusing. She has these intensely vibrant dreams — full of big adventures and lots of color,” shared Chip.

Joanna responded with, “You’ve influenced me,” also stating, “I believe that’s the charm of relationships overall. If Chip wasn’t my partner, I would likely still be standing in the corner. From the moment I met him, he’s always taken change as a positive. Regardless of it being negative, his attitude was always, 'Okay. What’s our next move?'”

“I endorse that now,” she went on to say, “We’ve experienced so much change in our lives, and the evidence is right there: Change can be difficult, but it’s always breathtaking.”

This couple can credit their combined efforts to the numerous successful ventures they've built. Their empire includes a TV network, magazine, a home goods and furniture line and several local enterprises in Waco, Texas, such as Magnolia Home, Magnolia Realty, Magnolia Market, Silos Baking Co. and The Shops at the Silos. Their most recent establishment was The Hotel 1928 in Waco, opened on November 3.

Chip and Joanna's story began in 2001 in her father’s automotive workshop where they met. They married in 2003, and with a borrowed amount of $5,000, they launched the Magnolia Market the same year.

Over time, they developed a knack for home renovation which caught HGTV’s attention. The pilot for their show Fixer Upper was shot in May 2013 and it aired on the network in April 2014 receiving high ratings.The couple owes part of their success in extending the Magnolia business to the TV show, which popularised their home renovations in and around Waco.

Despite their busy schedules, the couple welcomed their first child, a son named Drake, in 2005. Joanna gave birth to their daughter ​Ella the following year, and sons Duke and Crew were born in 2008 and 2018 respectively. Their youngest, a daughter named Emmie-Kay, was born in 2010.

Now that Drake has started college in 2023, Joanna finds herself battling with her emotions. “It is this mix of happiness and sorrow, all experienced in the same moment,” she responded when asked about her feelings of seeing him off to college. “Even as I set the table, I have to remind myself that there are only six of us now.”

However, Joanna remains optimistic about her family’s current situation, commenting, “Having one child in college and another who is only 5 years old offers a unique perspective. These moments are fleeting. It is important for us to make the most of them.”