Lifestyle

Does Joanna Gaines Have a Shiplap Addiction? Is that so Wrong?

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Joanna Gaines became one of the first go-to designers to truly make good use of shiplap. For those who aren’t familiar, shiplap is a design element making use of wooden boards in an overlap, paying homage to the historic designs in the homes of days gone by. Fans of the former HGTV star and Texas entrepreneur will recall when Joanna would explain what the product was to viewers, but nowadays, shiplap might have had an almost explosive boom in the market, and a bit of a backlash may have resulted.

Going into the third season of Fixer Upper, a Jezebel article revealed the writer’s disdain for hearing about shiplap thanks to Joanna’s affinity for it. “Chip and Joanna are drunk on shiplap,” explained the writer. “And they are putting it places that it makes no stylistic sense. For instance, in the first episode of the [third] season, they put shiplap over the mantle of a tiled fireplace. Shiplap says rural or seaside; tiled fireplaces do not.”

Does Joanna Gaines Have a Shiplap Addiction? Is that so Wrong?

Photo: Facebook/Joanna Gaines

This, of course, sparked a debate between Jezebel readers who were pure fans of all things Joanna Gaines and those who admittedly loved her concepts but were tired of hearing about shiplap. Entire Pinterest boards were dedicated to decorating ideas incorporating the material, and its popularity snowballed. But some “Fixer Upper” fans were feeling oversold. However, the fact that it would possibly work well in some homes and not in others wasn’t lost on viewers and readers. And its quality certainly wasn’t overlooked by those who regularly make use of it. “I have shiplap in my 1947 garage in San Antonio, Texas, and there is a piece that is stamped with the name of a Honolulu shipping company,” said one commenter on countryliving.com. “The wood is great quality hardwood that had to withstand moisture. It’s hard to find great hardwood anymore. So if you find some, hang on to it!”

Does Joanna Gaines Have a Shiplap Addiction? Is that so Wrong?

Photo: Facebook/Joanna Gaines

Joanna Gaines’ character and taste in the design and decorating world has apparently withstood any criticism with respect to a possible overuse of shiplap. She has grown into a household name while also growing her family, establishing the Magnolia empire with her husband Chip, and continuing to embrace new opportunities. Shiplap, like Joanna, rolls with the punches too. It’s an inexpensive product that lends itself nicely to character and charm in any home it adorns, and it’s easy to install, making people like us look like the pros we wish we were! Maybe she’s been onto something all along. Why embrace a product and a look that’s not so do-it-yourself-y when the premise of their programming has been how to ensure you can turn any “Fixer Upper” into an estate, of sorts? You can’t do that with pricey, hard-to-install products and processes… not on most of our budgets, anyway.