The “Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse” finale has aired, and the Lake Waco property renovated on the show has sold, yet Joanna Gaines is still revealing new details about the milestone project—including “a fun buyer update” and the upgrades she can’t stop thinking about.
In a series of nostalgic posts to Instagram, the Magnolia Network star revisits each zone of the 5,100-square-foot, five-bedroom, five-bath cliffside property that she and Chip Gaines successfully flipped while celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their “Fixer Upper” debut.
“About a month after the reveal, we sold this home to a wonderful family,” she says. “They were a perfect fit. It was quite serendipitous actually. We’re excited to see them live out their story in this beautiful corner of Waco, nestled in the woods, overlooking beautiful Lake Waco.”
Clearly, Joanna’s vision to restore the lake house, built in 1965, to its original midcentury modern and Spanish Revival roots paid off.
“There’s just something so good and intentional about 1960s design,” she says.
As Joanna gives this virtual tour of her “favorite spaces from the lake house,” check out the timeless design choices that helped her score a sale and now make for a proud stroll down memory lane.
The exterior
The lake house’s exterior comprises its original tan bricks and wood trim, which Chip and Joanna painted a deep green color called Wooded Acres from their Magnolia Home Paint line.
Green is a go-to hue in midcentury modern design, and it was the original color of the lake house’s trim, as Joanna discovered when an old exterior layer was uncovered during construction.
The existing copper gutters are left untouched, as the patina finish blends better with the dark green trim and wood door that opens to the courtyard. The Gaineses installed a minimalistic water feature and koi pond in the footprint of a previous flower bed there.
In the backyard, the pool has been refinished and the natural landscaping has been cut back and manicured to improve the view of the lake.
The entry, front foyer, and library
In true midcentury fashion, large terrazzo floor tiles meet the base of a floating staircase in the lake house’s entryway.
The stairway’s treads are upholstered in green fabric, and the cherry wood railings are simplistic yet architecturally interesting since Joanna wanted a show-stopping feature to catch a buyer’s eye the second they walked inside. Behind it, green tiles line the full length and height of the entry wall.
The library, set behind reeded glass doors and opposite the staircase, is drenched in the same green paint as the exterior trim.
The back of the library features a wooden gridded accent wall that displays a curated collection of books and plants against a backdrop of textured wallpaper. This pairing of natural greenery and warm tones found in the room’s finishes is a classic combination of the midcentury modern aesthetic and is used throughout the interior.
The kitchen
Midcentury modern design also emphasizes functionality, and the lake house kitchen is a great example.
Its working wall of cherry wood cabinets houses a hidden walk-in pantry and ample storage space.
A custom-made fluted wood breakfast table ties into the cherry wood cabinets and sits in front of more signifiers of the midcentury style, including a flush-mount light fixture and natural marble slab with a rounded edge attached to the wall.
Natural marble and the home’s green theme also show up on the powder-coated steel kitchen island.
Technology is another midcentury design touchstone on display here: a recessed, tiled coffee nook provides a prime spot for small appliances.
This room is also where Joanna marries the two main original styles of the home. The kitchen floor tiles are made of terra cotta, which evokes the Spanish Revival style, and they have a marble star detail in the middle that is very midcentury.
Every design element here is intentional, and Joanna uses the heart-eye emoji in her Instagram caption to underscore her revelation that “the kitchen is one of my favorite spaces in the Fixer Upper Lakehouse!”
The living room
When it comes to playing up the earthy vibes of midcentury style, there’s no better move than optimizing the view of nature. That’s exactly what Chip and Joanna had in mind in the lake house’s living room, where they extended the original window opening by a foot to essentially create floor-to-ceiling windows.
Joanna describes the remodeled space as “a room with a view indeed.”
She declares, “Lake Waco never looked prettier.”
For the living room’s seating area, a rich-colored antique rug rests below a green couch flanked by rounded side tables. A pair of chairs designed with clean lines and a lounger hug the edges of an oblong-shaped marble coffee table. And the curated tablescape boasts era-appropriate accessories, such as a book titled “The Twentieth Century.”
The original arch of the living room fireplace is preserved, even though the structure is now resurfaced with plaster, and built-in plaster shelves have been added on either side.
There is also a cherry wood secretary in the corner of the room for added functionality and storage.
The primary bedroom and bathroom
For the primary bedroom and bathroom, Joanna explains that “this part of the house was located on the second floor and felt like you were high up and hidden in the trees.”
So she “wanted the interior to play off the natural setting you see when you look out the windows.”
To achieve that, Joanna explains that she “incorporated natural textures and colors that made the exterior view and the interior design feel as seamless as possible.”
In the bedroom, there’s a custom headboard made of cherry wood and plush, green velvet. It matches two cherry wood nightstands and provides an interesting backdrop to the simple, organic bedding.
An arched, inset reading nook lined with the same textured wallpaper used on the first floor creates a cozy oasis that is also functional.
A sputnik-style light fixture on the ceiling anchors the room and makes for a clear midcentury moment.
In the bathroom, the walls are covered with waterproof plaster, and an eye-catching steel partition enclosing the shower and water closet is finished in the same powder-coated green paint as the kitchen island.
Meanwhile, a double vanity with a marble countertop boldly extends beyond its furniture base to cut across the exterior window that extends from the bathroom’s floor to ceiling.
The choices in the primary suite are bold but still firmly grounded in midcentury design territory, which has Joanna considering, “OK, maybe this room is my favorite, too?”
The back den
Another top contender for Joanna’s favorite transformation at the lake house is the back den.
Stylewise, she says, it “was a fun spot to play up that original midcentury design.”
Nowhere is that more noticeable than the cherry wood wall paneling that lines this room, though the corner radius detail Joanna added gives this groovy design throwback a modern, elevated update.
Pressed volcanic ash tile, which became popular in the 1960s, is laid in an imperfect checkerboard pattern to give this recreation room’s design lines some organic style.
A retro fireplace, built-in green upholstered sofa, another sputnik-style chandelier, and record player accessorized with albums are also clear nods to the classic ’60s style Joanna is going for, which has her saying she’d “hang out in here for sure.”
While the keys to the lake house have since been turned over to its new owner, it’s obvious Joanna is “so incredibly proud” to revisit its beauty and add this completed design challenge to her long list of career accomplishments.
“The lake house project taught me so much, and I absolutely loved getting to retell the original story of this very loved home.”
All six episodes of “Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse” are available on Magnolia Network, Max, HGTV, and Discovery+.
