It seems the path Ella Rose Gaines is taking was always anticipated by her parents. Joanna Gaines once remarked on the similarities between herself and Ella during an interview with People when Ella was only 12. “Ella is like me,” she noted, predicting Ella’s future involvement in various endeavors. At that time, Ella had aspirations of becoming a lead designer and operating a donut truck.

Well, it seems at least one of their children does. On October 28, the home renovation experts gave fans a first look at their new show, “Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House,” and it features their eldest daughter, 19-year-old Ella Rose Gaines. The series follows the couple as they “Turn [a] 1960s home in the heart of the Rockies into a cozy family retreat.” And they tapped Ella to help design the little cottage. “I’m accepting the challenge,” Ella said in the teaser, which racked up thousands of views and reactions within hours of being posted.

Now, at 19, Ella is gaining invaluable experience in the family enterprise. Joanna shared on the “Business of Home” podcast in April 2025 that Ella interned with her parents over the summer. During this period, Joanna and Chip took a pause from Magnolia to reflect on future endeavors. “One of the most meaningful experiences for me, both as a mother and a business owner, was having my eldest daughter involved in many discussions before our break in June,” Joanna proudly recounted. “She expressed a desire to intern, joining me in meetings where I sought creative direction.”

Perhaps they always knew that Ella Rose Gaines would one day follow in their footsteps and embrace the family trade. “Ella is like me,” Joanna Gaines shared in a previous interview with People when Ella was just 12. “I think she’ll follow in my footsteps and have her hand in a lot of things,” gushed the Magnolia Network star. “Right now she wants to cook, be a lead designer, and have a donut truck.” 

At 19, Ella is already getting hands-on experience in the family business. During an April 2025 episode of the “Business of Home” podcast, Joanna revealed that her eldest daughter had spent the last summer interning with her as she and Chip took a break from Magnolia to reassess and think about their next steps. “One of my favorite moments that was so pivotal for me as a mother, but also as a business owner, was my daughter, my oldest daughter, was in on a lot of these conversations before our break in June, that I was having with the team,” the proud mom said. “She wanted to intern, basically. She was interning with me. So she’d be in these meetings where I was like, ‘Y’all, I need vision.’”

And Ella proved herself to be a natural. “She was listening, and she was interested.” In fact, she just jumped right in, pitching ideas and brainstorming projects with her mother, sometimes long after the workday had ended. “She was writing things as I was saying, ‘Okay, if we do this, if we do that…’” recalled Joanna. She took the work very seriously, even when Ella could have been enjoying the summer off, proving she’s eager to learn and is ready to step up.