Joanna Gaines is both coowner cofounder of Magnolia and was costar of HGTVs Fixer Upper with her husband Chip She appreciates the old ways of living simple and hardworking with home at the center Born in Kansas and raised in the Lone Star State Joanna graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Communications and was inspired to join the world of design while interning in New York Offthebeatenpath boutiques felt like home in the midst of the big city In 2003 Joanna decided to open her own shop bringing her NYCinspired ideas and eye for design back to her rootsWaco Texas This emerging passion complemented Chips experience and together they began remodeling and flipping homes Joanna prefers the simple fresh and timeless making old things new and seeing the potential in every projectno matter how hopeless it may seem at first By preserving and highlighting the character of each home Joanna keeps things original and one of a kind Her passion is to create functional spaces that inspire and encourage others to own their space Between running Magnolia and her many projects Joanna enjoys life on the farm cooking family recipes in her kitchen and gardening Above all she loves being with her five kids