Take A Look Inside Chip And Joanna Gaines' Massive Hotel Renovation

What do you do when you've renovated hundreds of houses, plus an actual castle? Transform a hotel, of course. At least, that's the case for Chip and Joanna Gaines. This personable power couple has been putting their hometown of Waco, Texas, on the map ever since HGTV scouted them in 2011. Since then, they've renoed and restored countless homes in front of our eyes, built out the Magnolia empire, and turned Waco into a tourist destination. If that's not enough, Joanna Gaines is thought to have single-handedly inspired America's modern farmhouse fever. 

After their castle renovation, you would have thought this pair had reached a reno peak, but grass definitely doesn't grow under the Gaines' feet. No sooner had "The Castle" episodes drawn to a close, and they started their biggest project ever. As the name suggests, Hotel 1928 was constructed during the Roaring Twenties, a period when the country's cup was bubbling over with optimism, opulence, and innovation. Built in the style of a Moorish Revival lodge, it was originally owned by the Karem Shriners.

After purchasing the property, the "Fixer Upper" hosts considered using it as their headquarters. But once they decided to turn it into a hotel, Joanna Gaines told USA Today, "Our minds were spinning with ideas around how incredible it would be to restore this landmark property in Waco back into a place that welcomes people in again." And boy, did they do just that. Seemingly overnight, the Gaineses renovated and designed over 50,000 square feet of space into a beautifully updated experience that transports visitors back in time to a glamorous period of history.

If you're longing for a caffeinated pick-me-up after check-in, you won't have to look far. The Café at Hotel 1928 is one of three restaurants, all of which are open to both guests and the public. While you might originally go for the coffee, you'll definitely stay for the design. Joanna Gaines is known for her farmhouse-inspired spaces and typically champions timeless, pale paint tones. But for this project, she has taken a far moodier route, opting for stormy black walls, starting in the entrance area and extending into the café. The focal point of the café is definitely the ornate white fireplace surround, which pops dramatically against the dark walls and built-in bookcases. Two vintage leather trunks act as side tables, while a red Persian rug anchors the space and breaks up the black-and-white expanse of checkerboard tile. 

This space is a perfect example of how you can achieve a moody interior without washing everything in dark tones. The white brick to the right helps to break up the dark walls, built-ins, and upholstery. It makes the leather benches pop and picks up the white of the checkerboard tile, the marble tabletops, and the fireplace. Speaking of the fireplace, here's another design element that's definitely worth drawing inspiration from. Not every house has a fireplace, and if you're lucky enough to be blessed with a hearth, why not hype it up by painting it a different color to your walls? And black walls aren't mandatory for this to work. If you have white walls, simply paint your fireplace surround in a contrasting color, such as dark brown, black, slate gray, or a deep terracotta. 

Hotel 1928's rooftop restaurant, Bertie's, will transport you to the '20s faster than you can say, "Waiter, please." This charming eatery serves some serious design flare. During an interview with Architectural Digest, Joanna Gaines said, "The team and I wanted to have a little more fun here, and we kind of had this character in mind: our crazy aunt." Well, Joana's crazy aunt definitely has taste, an eye for color, and a perfect hand with pattern. Outside, the color scheme is soft, with scalloped-edge umbrellas and checker tiles. Inside, guests are greeted by dusty pink sofas in the seating area, marble tables, and leather tub chairs against a backdrop of muted teal-green walls. The petal-shaped pendant lights in this space are a beautifully updated take on Art Deco design. Banquette seating against the back wall makes for a dynamic focal point with floral upholstery that's echoed in the scatter cushions throughout the restaurant.

Once again, the color pairings are on point. Pink and green always play well together and can look both soft and sophisticated if you opt for muted shades. If you're thinking of channeling this color palette in your home, going green on your walls is a great idea. Paint is a cheap way to upgrade an area and is relatively easy to change if you tire of the color. Are you wary of investing in a pink sofa? If so, incorporate blush tones through smaller accent pieces. If you're re-upholstering a piece in a patterned fabric, see if you can get a few scatter cushion covers made as well to repeat the print.

There are 33 rooms in total, and no two are identically decorated. Part of this is because Joanna furnished the hotel with a blend of new and pre-loved vintage or antique pieces. The Gaineses also had to consult with the Texas Historical Commission to get the go-ahead on what types of materials they could use that would be in keeping with the building's past. This guided some of the design decisions. For instance, in the bedroom, Joanna originally considered concrete floors, but the committee decreed that certain rooms had to be carpeted. Although they're all slightly different, the rooms have a similar color palette to the rest of the hotel, with lots of sage green, browns, caramel tones, and a touch of gray, all against a running backdrop of black and white. These color pairings look both grown-up, cozy, subtly glamorous, and old-world. To make it really feel like you're living your best 1920s life, the rooms sport charming details like vintage-style radios and rotary-dial phones.

If you want to recreate Hotel 1928's vibe, one of the best tips to take away is Joanna's ability to blend old and new furniture. The way she combines well-loved, historic pieces with out-of-the-box items of a similar style is impressive. The result is an updated take on traditional design. Pairing smaller vintage items with new furniture can still give off a classic feel. Painting traditional-style pieces can also lend a fresh look. For instance, the Chippendale-style beds and headboards in Hotel 1928 are painted black, which creates a subtle contemporary look and stops the rooms from feeling like stage sets.

If you want to two-step back to the roaring '20s, Hotel 1928's 5,800-square-foot ballroom is the place to do it. This magnificent room feels grand and ultra-authentic. In this area, particularly, the Gaineses focused on restoring rather than changing. During an interview with KCENTV before the project started, Joanna said, "We want to preserve a lot of the historic elements of the building. There's just some beautiful trim work, windows, things that are just killer — the ballroom. You can just walk in and see it and imagine what it was." Fortunately, they were able to keep a lot of the original finishes, including the floors, which is very poetic considering that people danced on them almost a hundred years ago. Paired with the large paned windows, recessed ceiling, molding, and stunning chandeliers, the space gives off decided "Great Gatsby" vibes.

One of the most striking takeaways from this historic ballroom is how great architecture doesn't need complicated decorating. Joanna kept the color palette super simple, sticking to mostly black and white. She could have tried a bold paint color, gone for plusher furnishings –- but instead, she let the beautiful bones of the space speak. If you have an old home with great architecture, taking a paired-back approach like this can help to emphasize its special, original elements, like molding, fireplace surrounds, transom windows, or niches.