Tackling 'The Beast' for Clint and Kelly

Vote for Your Favorite Fixer Upper renovation from Season Two. Candidate #4: Chip and Joanna take on their biggest fixer upper to date when they help furniture designer Clint Harp and his wife Kelly turn a ready-for-the-wrecking-ball junk-heap of a house into a beautifully restored gem.

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November 15, 2017

By: David L. Haynes

Show: Fixer Upper

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Photo By: Sarah Wilson/Getty Images

Photo By: Sarah Wilson for Getty Images

Rustic Chic

Chip and Joanna Gaines created this bright and stylish kitchen from a once-disastrous space that had warped floors and a ceiling that was falling in.

Relaxed and Casual

The renovated kitchen now opens onto this dining room with newly refinished wood floors, walls painted in soft gray and vintage-look farm table in distressed white finish.

Renewed Grandeur

The refurbished foyer features a repaired stairway and a beautiful wood bannister that's more than 100 years old.

Creative Transitions

Chip and Joanna combined two spaces that had once been a downstairs bathroom and storage closet to create a private reading room just off the main living area.

Serene Retreat

The new reading room is a cloistered getaway with twin upholstered chairs and walls painted in deep, rich blue.

Meet the Harps

Fixer Upper aficionados will recognize the clients in this project. Clint Harp is the carpenter and furniture designer responsible for many of the one-of-a-kind furniture creations included in Chip and Jo's renovations, and he has appeared frequently throughout the series. He and his wife Kelly were in search of an affordable home in the community of Brook Oaks. The fixer-upper they took on was indicative not only of their creative vision but of their downright bravery.

Before the Renovation: "The Beast"

When Clint and Kelly Harp first laid eyes on the home's exterior, they thought Chip and Jo had sent them to the wrong address. "What really struck me first," said Clint, "were the bullet holes." The situation inside was even worse.

Before the Renovation

First Impressions:

Clint: "This is horrible." Kelly: "It's pretty bad. It's so bad."
Joanna: "I feel like this is like a crime scene. I'm very scared of what I'm gonna find."
Chip: "It's got the essential three B's. It's big, it's butt-ugly and it's within their budget."

Before

"The Pit" — as Clint and Kelly first described the house — was in need of a radical deep clean and complete overhaul. But it did have a few things going for it: It was spacious, with more than 2700 square feet, five bedrooms and three baths. The asking price was only $15,000 (essentially the value of the lot alone), and the location was close to the Harps' shop and studio.

After

A complete overhaul was precisely what the exterior received with a new roof, enlarged windows, new paint and fresh landscaping. In the end, Clint and Kelly were able to negotiate a purchase price for the house of only $10,000 and used the remaining $100,000 of their total budget for the renovations.

Before

Prior to the renovation, the front deck, stairs and railing were unsafe and in serious disrepair.

After

Once bigger renovations like plumbing, electrical upgrades and new kitchen were finalized, Clint and Kelly opted to use some of their remaining budget for a front porch with new steps, railings and columns. The colonial style portico is in keeping with the home's original architecture.

A Carpenter's Front Door

The front door height was raised to eight feet for a more dramatic entrance. Clint Harp handmade the beautiful new door using reclaimed wood.

Stairway, BEFORE

The existing foyer stairs were in a sorry state of disrepair, and the low ceiling made for an awkward entrance.

Stairway, AFTER

The drop ceiling and a dividing wall between the stair and living room were removed, reviving the home's original dramatic foyer.

Living Room, BEFORE

Living Room, AFTER

In the living room, the original hardwood floors were retained and refinished. The drop ceiling was removed, bringing the ceiling back to its original height.

Dining Room, BEFORE

The partition between the kitchen and dining room made the dining space feel confined.

Dining Room, AFTER

Removal of the wall gives both rooms a new sense of space and flow. Since the wall had been load bearing, new lam beams were added to provide enhanced structural support.

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

The base of the kitchen island and cloaked vent hood were custom made by Clint. The finished space is highlighted with rustic style sconces and pendants, new recessed lighting and industrial metal barstools.

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

The island provides additional seating and open shelving. White cabinets spanning one wall and extending almost to the ceiling provide generous kitchen storage.

From: Chip Gaines

The Reveal

Chip and Joanna pull back the "before" photo banner to reveal just how far "The Beast" of a fixer-upper has come.

Vote for Your Favorite 'Fixer Upper'

Tackling 'The Beast' for Clint and Kelly

Related To:

Shop This Look

Rustic Chic

Relaxed and Casual

Renewed Grandeur

Creative Transitions

Serene Retreat

Meet the Harps

Before the Renovation: "The Beast"

Before the Renovation

Before

After

Before

After

A Carpenter's Front Door

Stairway, BEFORE

Stairway, AFTER

Living Room, BEFORE

Living Room, AFTER

Dining Room, BEFORE

Dining Room, AFTER

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

Kitchen, BEFORE

Kitchen, AFTER

The Reveal

And the Final Group Portrait...Before...

...and AFTER

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