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Fixer Upper: A Family Home Resurrected in Rural Texas

January 19, 2016

By: David Haynes

Chip and Joanna Gaines help a Texas couple reclaim a family home on a ranch in Marlin, Texas. The house, inherited from a grandfather, held sentimental memories but, after sitting empty for more than a decade, had fallen into serious disrepair. Chip and Jo help preserve, re-imagine and remake the country home, adding contemporary elements and some Southwest inspired touches.

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The exterior of the Zan family's newly remodeled home, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Making New Memories

Joanna and Chip transformed a crumbling and practically abandoned old house in Marlin, Texas – a rural community about 30 miles outside Waco – into this stylish and attractive home for a family of three. New exterior enhancements provide plenty of curb appeal although, with the house located on a 2000-acre ranch, there's not a curb in sight!

Bright Living Room with Wood Floors and Graphic Carpet

From: Fixer Upper

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Southwest Contemporary

Since the living area was already a large, open space, not much was needed in terms of structural changes for this area. However, the house overall was in such bad shape prior to the renovation, it had to be taken down to the studs and essentially re-created from the ground up. Joanna referred to the project as "building a new house inside an old frame."

Fun, Patterned Rug in Rustic Dining Room

From: Fixer Upper

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Gathering Space

The house had belonged to homeowner Sterling Zan's grandfather and, in years past, it had served as a focal point for holiday get-togethers and other family gatherings. Joanna and Chip's remodel creates a revitalized space that's ideally suited for extending old family traditions and fostering new ones.

The Zan family on the porch of their newly remodeled house with hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Meet the Homeowners

Chip and Joanna pose with homeowners Casey and Sterling Zan on the front porch of their newly renovated family home. The Zans knew from the start they wanted to restore this cherished and inherited home, so there was no purchase decision for this particular fixer upper. The challenge was in the damage the house had undergone and in pulling off a full makeover within Zans' $160,000 renovation budget.

Open Concept Living Room with Bright Colors and Bold Textures

From: Fixer Upper

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Living Room, AFTER

The bright and open living room has new hardwood floors, large windows and a completely reworked front entry. Prior to the renovation, this space had dark wood-paneled walls, a badly damaged tile floor and acoustic-tile drop ceiling.

Black and white photos dipicting the family's property were hung in the entry way of the Zan family's newly remodeled entry way, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Living Room, Detail

A gallery wall above an antique wood console features vintage black and white photos of the home and property in years past.

A modern metal coffe table in the Zan family's newly remodeled living room, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Living Room, Detail

The renovated wooden floors and graphic carpet add to the brightness in the Zan family's newly remodeled living room, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Living Room, Detail

A bench, storage containers and design accents were used to fill an empty area of the Zan family's newly remodeled home while also creating more seating when they entertain large groups, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Living Room, Detail

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Living Room, Detail

Joanna repurposed some of the old patterned drapes – one of just a few things salvaged from the original items in the home – to create new throw-pillow covers. The western and southwest themes of some of the original furnishings served as a reference point for Joanna's decorating theme, thereby maintaining a visual connection with the home's past.

An accent table was added to the living room to hold pottery and other design pieces in the Zan family's newly remodeled living room, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Living Room, Detail

Antique books were added as design pieces in the Zan family's newly remodeled living room, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Living Room, Detail

A decorative grate was added below the bookshelf in order to hide the AC vent in the Zan family's newly remodeled living room, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Living Room, Detail

An antique buffet hutch in the Zan family's remodled home creates storage and serving space in the dining room, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Living Room, Detail

Dining Room with Rustic Dining Table and Bench Seating

From: Fixer Upper

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Dining Room, AFTER

The home's original dining table was salvaged and restored by furniture designer and woodcraftsman Clint Harp.

Gold flatware in the Zan family's remodeled dining room, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Dining Room, Detail

Rustic Kitchen with Exposed Beams to Complete Design

From: Fixer Upper

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Kitchen, AFTER

The newly redesigned kitchen features a generous kitchen island, concrete countertops, brick tile floors and natural wood cabinets.

Elegant Kitchen with Exposed Beam and Brick

From: Fixer Upper

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Kitchen, AFTER

The drop ceiling was removed and exposed wood beams added for a coffered effect. New stainless appliances were added as well as all new lighting and special features such as a wall-mounted pot-filling faucet and a custom vent hood with copper accents.

Pendant lighting was added in the kitchen of the Zan family's newly remodeled home, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Kitchen, Detail

A quiet corner in the Zan's family's remodeled kitchen, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Kitchen, Detail

Exposed brick walls were added to the Zan's newly remodeled kitchen, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Kitchen, Detail

The existing stone wall backsplash, one of the kitchen's vintage and distinctive features, was retained.

Rustic Kitchen with Copper Sink and Pendant Light

From: Fixer Upper

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Kitchen, Detail

Sterling Zan is a fan of copper, so Joanna incorporated a copper farmhouse sink and brushed copper fixtures.

A pull-out spray was added to the kitchen sink in the Zan family's kitchen, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Kitchen, Detail

The kitchen cabinet's modern hardware used in the Zan family's newly remodeled home, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Kitchen, Detail

Decor in the Zan family's kitchen, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Kitchen, Detail

From: Fixer Upper

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Master Bedroom, AFTER

The renovated master bedroom included restored original hardwood floors and a new accent wall with rough milled cedar planks for a decidedly country look.

The master bedroom's repurposed wood wall, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Master Bedroom, Detail

Pendant lighting was added to each side of the bed in the Zan's family's master bedroom, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Master Bedroom, Detail

The Zan family's sitting area in the master bedroom, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Master Bedroom, Detail

A quiet corner in the Zan's family's master bedroom, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Master Bedroom, Detail

Repurposed pallet wood was used to create shelves in the Zan's master bedroom, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Master Bedroom, Detail

Repurposed pallet wood was used to create these floating shelves in the master bedroom.

Maximized Space in Master Bathroom with Raised Cabinet

From: Fixer Upper

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Master Bath, AFTER

An original jack-and-jill bathroom was reworked to create two separate baths including this master with twin vanities, marble countertops and stand-up shower.

From: Fixer Upper

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Master Bath, AFTER

The remodled sink vanity created more storage space in the Zan family's master bathroom, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Master Bath, Detail

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Master Bath, Detail

The floating shelves in the Zan's remodeled master bathroom created more storage without taking up too much space, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Master Bath, Detail

This ladder in the Zan's remodled master bathroom is a great design element that can be used for hanging towels, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Master Bath, Detail

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Home Exterior, AFTER

The original metal roof was retained, but nearly everything else visible on the outside is new. The front porch was moved from a corner location to create this grand new entry with post-and-beam construction and exposed wood. The siding was replaced and enlarged windows added with decorative wood shutters.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Home Exterior, AFTER

The new and enlarged front porch is the perfect spot for a pair of wood rocking chairs.

The front porch of the Zan family's newly remodeled home, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Home Exterior, Detail

Chip and Joanna Gaines left the old sidewalk cement block on the Zan family's remodled home where a past family member had signed his name, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Home Exterior, Detail

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Group Photo Time

With their home finally complete and move-in-ready, the Zans pose for a pic with Joanna and Chip on their new front porch.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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There's One in Every Crowd

Chip can seldom resist the opportunity to break up a photo shoot.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines on the porch of the Zan family's newly remodeled house, as seen on Fixer Upper.

Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Getty Images

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Finis

Still want more from this project? Be sure and check out Joanna's design tips videos with exclusive background and insights on the designs incorporated into the kitchen, living room and master suite in this Fixer Upper makeover.

Fixer Upper: A Family Home Resurrected in Rural Texas

Making New Memories

Southwest Contemporary

Gathering Space

Meet the Homeowners

Living Room, AFTER

Living Room, Detail

Living Room, Detail

Living Room, Detail

Living Room, Detail

Living Room, Detail

Living Room, Detail

Living Room, Detail

Living Room, Detail

Living Room, Detail

Dining Room, AFTER

Dining Room, Detail

Kitchen, AFTER

Kitchen, AFTER

Kitchen, Detail

Kitchen, Detail

Kitchen, Detail

Kitchen, Detail

Kitchen, Detail

Kitchen, Detail

Kitchen, Detail

Master Bedroom, AFTER

Master Bedroom, Detail

Master Bedroom, Detail

Master Bedroom, Detail

Master Bedroom, Detail

Master Bedroom, Detail

Master Bath, AFTER

Master Bath, AFTER

Master Bath, Detail

Master Bath, Detail

Master Bath, Detail

Master Bath, Detail

Home Exterior, AFTER

Home Exterior, AFTER

Home Exterior, Detail

Home Exterior, Detail

Group Photo Time

There's One in Every Crowd

Finis

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