Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Secrets on Marriage, Remodeling, and a Pig Named Bacon

It’s hard to say what’s more compelling to watch on the most recent episode of the hit HGTV show “Fixer Upper”: Chip and Joanna Gaines working their magic on a little gray ranch house, or their keeping a flirtatious spark alive with each other. Maybe it’s because we just watched the breakup of another remodeling couple, Tarek and Christina El Moussa of “Flip or Flop,” so we’re hyperaware of how remodeling (and show business) can either bind folks together—or tear them apart.

But for the Gaines at least, the challenges of overhauling a home seem to be an all-out aphrodisiac. Here are some lessons we learned from the latest episode that apply to successful renovations and romance, too.

Lesson No. 1: If they’re harmless, indulge your spouse’s eccentricities

It’s clear that Chip revels in coming up with what he considers clever names for the houses they’re showing their clients, while Joanna thinks the names are corny verging on cringeworthy.

This week, Melissa and Matt Yielding are a young couple looking for a three-bedroom, two-bath house with a total budget of $190,000. They view three homes that Chip christens “The House of the Great Divide,” “The See-Through House,” and “The Gray Ranch.”

“He comes up with these names on his own,” Joanna tells them, gritting her teeth. And it’s a quirk she indulges at home, too, when she lets him name their family’s new baby pig “Bacon.” Bacon?!

Incidentally, the Yieldings select “The Gray Ranch House,” get it for $130,500, leaving them almost $60,000 for renovations. So what will Chip and Joanna do next?

Lesson No. 2: Work side by side whenever you can

Joanna is not afraid to lend a hand and work a drill when a little extra help is needed, even though Chip’s forte is construction and hers is design.

Working together to build a new fireplace, Chip says, “Every hour I can save by having Joanna be my assistant helps us keep on budget.”

“I’m billing you,” she mutters under her breath.

Later, Chip and Joanna go antiques shopping for home accessories together. Chip remarks that before he met Joanna, he never dreamed he’d enjoy spending time in an antiques store (awww!), but now he really likes it.

He finds a globe that will look particularly good in the Yieldings’ house, and Joanna tells him he “knocked it out of the park” with that find.

In other words, Chip learns new tricks from Jo, and Jo from Chip, and maybe that’s what makes their relationship (and renovations) have such staying power.

Lesson No. 3: Include the whole family as much as possible

Joanna has an idea for hanging wall vases for the master bedroom, and goes to a ceramicist’s studio to see about having some made. She takes their two daughters along, and the girls actually get to use the potter’s wheel to create little salsa dishes.

“Any time you’re creating something, I think it’s really good for the mind,” she says.

Later, the kids help move all the furniture and accessories into the beautiful new space their parents created. They also participate in adding finishing touches like screwing in shelves and setting the table.

“The kids really love it when they get to help,” says Chip. “Whether it’s lifting in furniture or decorating, they just like to be part of it.”

Whether they’re creating a positive family dynamic or an inviting living space, it’s apparent that Chip and Joanna make a big effort to be inclusive.

The end result? The Yieldings get a new kitchen and living room, a new master suite, and a gorgeous new exterior, all for the the $190,000 they had budgeted. And the Gaines get another notch on their remodeling belt—as well as Bacon, their new pig. And they couldn’t be happier!

The post Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Secrets on Marriage, Remodeling, and a Pig Named Bacon appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.