My visit to Waco, Texas made for an incredible day. Not only did I get to visit with family and enjoy Magnolia Market with new friends but we also stopped by Harp Design! This little studio is where many custom millwork pieces are made for the Fixer Upper houses.

We were actually on our way out of Waco when one of my travel buddies, Stacey, asked how far we were from Harp Design. We did a quick check on MapQuest and realized we were only 2 miles away. A quick detour was made.

The studio sits next to the home owned by the Harps. Both properties were featured in Fixer Upper as a redo in a previous season.  It’s a rather small and unassuming space but held some really cute, unusual pieces of furniture, artwork and accessories.

These pillows called my name. I could envision a cozy book nook where I could snuggle with my kids and read poetry.

Then reality sunk in and I realized those beautiful pillows would be covered in dog hair and peanut butter in .2 seconds. My children would be beating one another with the baby’s board books if forced to read in close proximity. And, aside from rhymes on Sesame Street, I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t recognize poetry these days. 

The highlight of our time in the studio occurred as we were leaving. Stacey, proving to be the ringleader of fun, asked the staff where some of the Fixer Upper homes are located. The staff, clearly instructed to remain tight lipped, stated that no addresses could be shared. We understood the need for owner privacy, finished making our purchases and headed out of the store.

While standing in the parking lot, two women approached and mentioned they had overheard our desire to see one of the Fixer Upper homes. Apparently, they were renting it for the weekend through Air BNB. They invited us back to the house for a tour.

We chose to make a few more shopping stops and analyze how likely it was that these women were serial killers.

We decided the odds were low and risked heading to the address they had shared with us. When we arrived we recognized it from a previous episode.

I have now deemed it The Alamo House.

The front room had a gorgeous wall of windows that provides amazing natural light.

We took a few pictures and made sure not to overstay our welcome!

Since our visit the Gaines have come out publicly to state they didn’t intend for these homes to become rental property. Brock Murphy, their spokesperson, said in a statement that Magnolia Market has “no problem” with clients using those sites to rent out their homes featured on the hit HGTV show, but “we are going to be more strict with our contracts involving Fixer Upper clients moving forward.”
If you’re dreaming that one day the Gaines will choose your home for their show, I have bad news. Their website states they are unable to consider homes outside of the Waco area.

So sad given the fact that I could really test their design skills. I wonder what Chip and JoJo would do with my eclectic style (fancy terminology for hodgepodge) and eighty pounds of dog hair?!

E

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