Chip & Joanna Gaines’ Daughter, Ella, Betrays Parents
Chip and Joanna Gaines are working on a new project during Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House. The project also became a bit of a family affair, though the couple would soon discover an issue after bringing their daughter, Ella, on board. This also comes out as the series is set to air its finale.
HGTV Stars Chip & Joanna Gaines Share Five Children Together
Chip and Joanna Gaines are best known for their home renovation series, Fixer Upper. This show originally ran from 2013 to 2018. In 2020, the series saw a revival, Fixer Upper: Welcome Home, which was followed by subsequent Fixer Upper series.
In their personal lives, Joanna and Chip married in 2003. They share five children: Drake, Ella, Duke, Emmie, and Crew.
During the finale of Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House, viewers saw a bit of a family feud take place within the Gaines family.
On the show, Chip and Joanna bought a 1960s cabin in Colorado. The two hoped to make it a destination for their family in the years to come, citing “ski trips and spring breaks over the last decade” as inspiration. According to the couple, they wanted to “carve out a place” of their own in the state.
The property was described as “tucked away and hidden,” being a short distance from a river. The main house hosts two bedrooms, and there are also two guest cottages.
Chip & Joanna Brought Their Daughter Ella In On Their Latest Project
Normally based in Texas, the Colorado project marks one of the couple’s first out-of-state fixer uppers. To help with the renovation, they hired a local general contractor, Steve, for the six-month project.
The couple also brought in their 19-year-old daughter, Ella, to help. She will work on the smallest of the two cottages. This will serve as her “first design project.”
Usually, Ella and her siblings haven’t been featured too heavily in recent years after their parents shifted focus away from their children since 2018. That said, Joanna shared her excitement to see her daughter get involved.
Joanna noted, “The idea that my daughter, who is now an adult, has decided to take on what her mother does and I get to teach her, I don’t know, it just feels like this beautiful full-circle moment.” She also shared that her “biggest hope with letting her tackle this cottage is [that] it builds confidence in her.”
Chip and Joanna Gaines daughter, Ella fixing up a Colorado cottage on her own. pic.twitter.com/5c5jYAd4Zp
— Ms. Smith (@MsSmith17743658) December 22, 2025
Early on, Joanna also made sure to give Ella her blessing to do what she wanted with the project, noting, “If you want to paint it black, I’m going to let you paint it black.” However, by the finale, Chip took issue with his daughter’s plans.
In a clip from the show, from the episode, “Mountain Dreams Come True,” Joanna met Chip inside the cottage’s bathroom. Joanna was taken a bit aback by the tiles her daughter selected, noting, “Oh, wow, it’s cubes.”
Joanna & Chips’ Scholastic Past Came Up During The Finale
Chip also didn’t seem to approve of Ella’s choices, sharing, “As I got to unpacking this, I am not going to lie: I was a tad surprised about the color palette, I mean, literally maroon.” Joanna later clarified, “It’s burgundy.”
For Chip, a Baylor University alum, the issue was that the color represents rival college Texas A&M University. Chip shared, “A&M Aggies have no place in any project that I’ve ever been a part of in my life. I think these aren’t ours.”
Joanna, who is also a Baylor graduate, was more supportive of her daughter’s decision. She shared, “This is Ella’s project. She wanted some color.”
However, Chip shared he felt “betrayed.” As he explained, “Ella’s tile selection, she’s got maroon, baby blue, mixed into this template. There’s no Baylor green, there’s no Baylor gold. She didn’t go to Baylor University, her mom and I’s alma mater.”
Joanna also tried to play peacemaker, making a video call to Ella. However, Chip chimed in to mention the tile color. This caused the mother and daughter to laugh things off. Chip asked if she felt “guilty,” but Ella stood her ground.
In the end, Chip assured Ella that he was just teasing her. As he shared, “OK, I love you, Ella Rose. You did great. I’m only kidding!”
Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House will air on December 23 at 9 PM ET. It can be seen on the Magnolia Network and HGTV.
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