Chip and Joanna Gaines took the Fixer Upper franchise beyond Texas for the first time with a renovation of a 1960s mountain property in Colorado. The result is not a client project or a public Magnolia destination, but a private family vacation home designed for multigenerational gatherings. The property includes a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath main house, two guest cottages, a wraparound deck, nearby running water, and a substantial stone fireplace.
The three-part limited series, Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House, follows the unusual construction and design problems of renovating at high altitude while preserving the character of an older mountain home. HGTV’s official overview describes the project as a family retreat shaped by original details, European-inspired design, and the practical demands of mountain living.
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A new setting for the Gaines family
For years, Colorado was part of the Gaines family’s routine rather than their permanent plans. Reporting on the project says Chip and Joanna had spent roughly a decade returning to the state for ski trips and spring breaks. Those repeated visits eventually led them to imagine having a place of their own where their family could gather across generations.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThat background helps explain why this renovation feels different from the typical Fixer Upper format. The house was acquired for the Gaines family, not renovated for an outside homeowner. The design had to support private family time, overnight guests, and large gatherings while still feeling connected to its mountain setting.
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It is also the franchise’s first major project outside Texas. Rather than transplanting the look of a Waco farmhouse into Colorado, the renovation responds to the existing property: a wooded site with pines, firs, spruces, aspens, mountain water, and a house whose original architecture was worth retaining.
What the Colorado property includes
Published descriptions identify the main residence as a 1960s vintage Colorado house with approximately 3,662 square feet, according to Architectural Digest’s final-home tour. The property’s configuration is particularly well suited to extended-family use:
- A two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath main house
- Two separate guest cottages
- A wraparound deck and additional outdoor entertaining areas
- A large stone fireplace
- Nearby river or mountain-stream access
- A wooded setting surrounded by Colorado vegetation
The cottages provide a useful separation between togetherness and privacy. Family members can stay on the same property without putting every bedroom and living activity inside the main house. That arrangement also gives the retreat a more flexible layout for multigenerational visits than a single large residence would provide.
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The property’s exact address has not been published in the official material reviewed for this article, and it should not be inferred from generalized descriptions of the area. The home should also not be described as a rental, hotel, or public Magnolia destination. The available coverage presents it as the Gaines family’s private vacation property.
Reported purchase price
TV Insider reported that Chip and Joanna Gaines paid approximately $5.5 million for the property, citing Pitkin County property records as reported by The Denver Post. The same report said the property transferred in November 2024 to a limited liability company connected with the Gaines family.
That figure should be treated as attributed property-record reporting, not as a Magnolia-confirmed renovation budget or a complete project cost. Neither the reviewed official HGTV material nor the available coverage supplies a fully itemized construction budget. The purchase price also does not establish what the couple spent on design, labor, materials, permitting, site work, or high-altitude construction logistics.
Why renovating at altitude changes the project
HGTV’s series description emphasizes that the project involved construction hurdles associated with high-altitude living. The available material does not provide a complete engineering or construction specification, so it would be misleading to invent details about structural systems, insulation values, snow loads, or mechanical equipment.
What is clear is that the setting affects the renovation in ways a conventional suburban remodel may not. Working in a remote or mountainous environment can complicate material delivery, crew access, weather windows, exterior work, utility coordination, and the sequencing of construction. Existing trees, steep terrain, water nearby, and the need to preserve an older home’s character add further constraints.
The series frames those problems as part of the story rather than as background production details. Chip and Joanna are not simply updating finishes; they are adapting a 1960s property to function as a contemporary retreat without erasing the qualities that made it feel like a mountain home.
Joanna Gaines’ design approach: preserve first, update carefully
Joanna’s direction combines the original house’s character with rustic, traditional, and European-influenced elements. The goal is less a complete stylistic reset than a layered renovation: keep the details that give the house identity, then add practical improvements and carefully selected materials.
HGTV’s finished-home coverage highlights natural wood shutters, hand-hewn support columns, deep green exterior finishes, upgraded lighting, the large fireplace, and the relationship between the decks and the surrounding landscape. Those choices reinforce the retreat’s setting without making the home feel overly themed.
Architectural Digest’s room-by-room coverage provides more specific information about the kitchen. The renovation retained the original vaulted ceilings in that area and introduced custom cabinetry with iron hardware, a copper sink, brass fixtures, and honed black soapstone countertops. These details are reported by Architectural Digest and should not be generalized into a claim that every furnishing or finish shown in the series came from a named Magnolia product line.
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The material palette works because it balances warmth with durability. Wood, stone, metal, and soapstone are visually appropriate for a mountain setting, while the darker exterior colors and substantial structural elements help the house sit comfortably among the trees. The result is a practical interpretation of a family retreat rather than a glossy, generic luxury interior.
For readers who want the Gaines design approach
Joanna Gaines’ Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave is a related design resource for readers interested in the principles behind comfortable, lived-in rooms. It is not a guide to the Colorado Mountain House and does not document this specific renovation, but Magnolia lists the book among its official publications. Product information for individual furnishings shown on Fixer Upper is not consistently provided, so readers should not assume that a pictured item is available for purchase or is the exact finish used in this home.
Ella Gaines designs a guest cottage
The family’s involvement extends beyond appearing in the renovation narrative. Their eldest daughter, Ella, was given responsibility for designing one of the guest cottages, which coverage describes as her design debut within a Magnolia project.
That role makes practical sense within the property’s layout. A guest cottage is a smaller, more contained design problem than the main house, but it still has to work for real overnight use. It must balance sleeping, storage, circulation, comfort, and a clear identity without competing with the primary residence.
The finale includes a disagreement between Joanna and Ella about design choices. The available reporting presents it as a creative difference within a collaborative family renovation, not as evidence of a serious family conflict. That distinction matters: the storyline is about how design decisions are negotiated when the people involved also have a personal relationship.
What the finished home looks like
HGTV published a 20-image before-and-after gallery on December 24, 2025. Its descriptions identify several of the project’s defining features: the 1960s house, the stone fireplace, the patio, the wraparound deck, the two guest cottages, and the nearby mountain water. The gallery is useful for seeing how the property’s exterior spaces and existing natural setting remain central to the finished retreat.
The visual language is consistent across the reported spaces:
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- Publication Name: HOSS Magazine THE HOME RENOVATION RESOURCE, Language: English
- Country/Region Of Manufacture: United States
- Issue Type: Bimonthly March/April
- Subject: Architecture & Design
- Year Published: 2014
- Original volume: The retained vaulted ceilings preserve the openness and age-related character of the kitchen area.
- Natural materials: Wood, stone, copper, brass, and black soapstone add texture instead of relying on a single uniform finish.
- Mountain-appropriate exterior: Deep green finishes, wood shutters, hand-hewn supports, and upgraded lighting connect the house to the tree-covered site.
- Indoor-outdoor living: The deck, patio, fireplace, and stream setting give the family multiple ways to gather outside the main living rooms.
- Distributed lodging: The cottages make the property more usable for extended visits and allow guests a degree of separation.
The photographs and final-tour coverage show the design result, but they do not establish the source of every object visible in the rooms. Readers looking for exact cabinets, fixtures, furniture, or lighting should verify each item independently rather than treating the show or gallery as a complete shopping list.
How to watch Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House
The project was released as a three-part limited series. Warner Bros. Discovery’s announcement scheduled the premiere for December 9, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Magnolia Network and HGTV, with same-day streaming on HBO Max and discovery+. The listed episode schedule was:
| Episode | Title | Scheduled air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “We’re Not in Waco Anymore” | December 9, 2025 |
| 2 | “Bear With Us” | December 16, 2025 |
| 3 | “Mountain Dreams Come True” | December 23, 2025 |
Readers can watch Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House through the relevant current listing, but availability can change by territory, account, platform, and date. HGTV’s show page lists the series and its three episodes. Prime Video also has a Season 1 listing, although subscription, purchase, or viewing terms should be checked directly before publication or viewing. Do not assume that a service available in one country or account is available everywhere.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the coverage confirms—and what it does not
The strongest documented facts are the project’s first-out-of-Texas status, its use as a private family retreat, the 1960s main house, the two guest cottages, the wraparound deck, the large fireplace, the nearby running water, Ella’s participation, and the three-episode December 2025 release.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe reviewed sources do not establish the precise address, a complete renovation budget, a comprehensive list of contractors, detailed structural or mechanical specifications, or the exact source of every product and furnishing. Those omissions are important for construction readers: a finished television image can show design intent, but it cannot by itself reveal code requirements, site conditions, engineering decisions, or the installation process behind the result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Colorado Mountain House owned by Chip and Joanna Gaines?
Available reporting describes the Colorado property as the Gaines family’s private vacation home. TV Insider reported an approximately $5.5 million purchase based on property-record reporting and said the property transferred in November 2024 to a family-connected LLC.
Where is the Gaines family’s Colorado house?
The exact address has not been published in the official material reviewed. It should not be inferred from general descriptions of the mountain setting, nearby water, or county-level reporting.
How many episodes are in Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House?
The project is a three-part limited series. The episodes are “We’re Not in Waco Anymore,” “Bear With Us,” and “Mountain Dreams Come True.”
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The available coverage describes it as a private family vacation home, not a public rental, hotel, or open-to-the-public Magnolia destination.
Did Ella Gaines design part of the property?
Yes. Coverage says Ella Gaines designed one of the guest cottages as her design debut within a Magnolia project. The reported disagreement with Joanna was presented as a design discussion within a collaborative family renovation.
The Bottom Line
Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House is a family-retreat renovation built around adaptation rather than reinvention. Chip and Joanna Gaines preserved the character of a 1960s mountain property, added European-influenced and durable materials, and used two guest cottages, decks, the fireplace, and the surrounding landscape to support extended-family living. The project is documented as a private Colorado home and television renovation—not a public destination—and the available sources do not support claims about its exact address, full construction budget, or every product used.
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