Interview With Chip Gaines

*In partnership with KILZ.

How do I say this casually?

I got to interview Chip Gaines!  Chip CARTER Gaines! (As Joanna would say.)

A couple of weeks ago, Robert and I flew out to Texas, and while we were visiting Magnolia Market, I basically felt like a little kid at Disney World… ya know, if Disney World were made up of shiplap and rusty silos and #plantlady flowers.

Photo credit: Andrea Vehige

(I want to say that’s an itty bitty baby bump, but it’s very possible I just had a belly full of cupcakes in that picture. Wink wink.)

Shortly before visiting Texas, KILZ offered me the chance to interview Chip.  If you don’t already know, Chip and Joanna Gaines are the stars of Fixer Upper on HGTV, and KILZ partnered with them to bring their Magnolia Home paint collection to life as well as share the importance of choosing the right tools for making home improvement visions come to life with their primer line.

Photo credit: Andrea Vehige

So Robert and I brainstormed a few questions to ask him relating to that since paint is one of the biggest tricky components that can make or break a project (Olivia threw in a question of her own too), and Chip is definitely the man to ask.

1. How would you suggest dealing with trim/doors that are painted in oil based paint and you want to paint them with latex?  (This is one not-so-fun obstacle we’ve run into in this house.)

That can be tricky, but definitely not impossible. You’ll just want to account for some additional prep time to get the job done right. Make sure the surface is clean, then use sandpaper to remove as much of the oil-based gloss as possible. Once you’ve got everything sanded, I’d also recommend a coat of a latex-based bonding primer, like KILZ 2® Latex, to make sure the surface is in great shape for you to start painting.

2. If homeowners can only makeover 1 room in their fixer upper house, where would you suggest they focus the most attention? (Living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, dining room?)

We try to encourage our clients to focus on the rooms where they spend most of their time, especially if the homeowner plans to stay in there for years to come. For a lot of people, this is usually the kitchen or the living room. If you think you may be listing your home sometime soon, then you might consider tackling a project that will benefit resale value—like bathrooms or the exterior curb appeal.

3. What 3 paint colors do you think are the biggest crowd pleasers in the Magnolia Home paint line?

I typically leave the color selection to Jo, but I can tell you neutrals are still big favorites for our clients. The color Shiplap is a popular one from the paint line. We’re also starting to get more and more requests for bolder colors, like Blackboard or Weekend.

4. If a homeowner only has $200 to use toward improving their home, how would you suggest they get the most bang for their buck?

You really can’t go wrong with primer and a fresh coat of paint. Don’t underestimate how much this weekend project can transform a space—it’s an easy one to tackle by yourself, it’s fairly inexpensive and it’s a job that could be done in just a few days.

(I updated our guest bathroom with mostly just paint using the color Weekend.)

5. My 5-year-old watches Fixer Upper ALL the time (she chooses it over cartoons… who is this kid?) and wants to know… what is your favorite ice cream flavor?

That’s actually one of the harder interview questions I’ve been asked—there are so many. Tell her that if she twisted my arm, I’d have to say Chocolate Peanut Butter!

(Olivia immediately requested Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream after I told her his answer. Of course.)

Photo credit: Andrea Vehige

Can we get a tiny violin moment over the fact that Fixer Upper is officially done filming?  I mean… what are we going to do now?!!!

I can’t wait to see what Chip and Jo will undoubtedly share with the world in other ways though.  You can see more about Chip’s work with KILZ here.

Got any questions you would have asked him?  I could have come up with 100 more easily. Do you have any favorite paint colors from their line you’ve used?  We’re not even close to having all of our walls painted yet.

 

The post Interview With Chip Gaines appeared first on Bless'er House.