If you're a fan of the show Fixer Upper, you know that Joanna Gaines just happens to know
an amazingly talented carpenter.
His name is Clint Harp, and he's extremely good at what he does.
And while he's certainly not a household name, this talented artisan is a favorite of HGTV
fans who admire the incredible one-of-a-kind pieces he creates.
Here are some things you might not know about Fixer Upper's Clint Harp.
Inspired by Grandpa
Harp caught the carpentry bug from his grandfather, who built Colonial-style homes in Georgia.
Harp’s grandfather let him tag along when he was little and taught Harp to invest time
and energy to create pieces that would last generations.
Harp never stopped building things.
In an interview with the Saddleback Leather Company, Harp said of his grandfather:
"He sent me $1,250 when I was 25 and I bought my first tools, which ended up being the same
tools with which I built our company Harp Design Co."
Goodbye corporate world
For a while, Harp had a job in medical sales, so he didn't have a lot of time for woodwork.
It wasn't his calling, but the six-figure salary made it hard to step away.
He kept on building things in his free time, honing his craft and hunting construction
sites and the scrap piles for lumber.
In 2011, he made the leap and quit his full time job.
His wife Kelly was supportive, and wanted a career change herself, so the family moved
from Houston to a small apartment in Waco — meaning Harp's tools went into storage,
and his wife went back to school.
That first year in Waco, Harp volunteered full-time for Habitat for Humanity.
It was noble work, but it didn't pay the bills.
He told the Baylor Business Review:
"I'm thinking, 'I've brought my family out here.
We have no money.
I have no job.
I have nowhere to even build furniture, what was I thinking?"
Chip Gaines changed his life
Of all places, Harp met Chip Gaines at a gas station.
He told the Midland Reporter Telegram:
"As we're sitting there pumping gas, a black truck with Magnolia on the side pulls up.
I get out and ask if he knows a guy named Chip, and it's him…
He invited us to dinner at his house, where I met Joanna, and I talked about my ideas
for building furniture.
Literally six months after that meeting we filmed a pilot for HGTV."
Once he got hooked up with Chip, his only problem was the lack of a shop.
But that problem solved itself, thanks to old connections at Habitat for Humanity, who
let him rent their old shop for next to nothing.
There's nothing like everything coming together all at once, right?
One table leg started it all
Finally in a shop space of his own, Harp started in earnest trying to turn table legs.
He told the DIY Network:
"One day in particular I tried to make a leg, and it took me basically all day, and by the
time I was done, I didn't even like it.
My wife liked the leg, and my kids took it and covered it in encouraging stickers.
I took it back to the shop and leaned it in the corner.
A couple of weeks later, Jo stopped by with designs, and she really wanted a turned leg
for her farm tables.
She looked over in the corner and saw the leg covered in my kids' stickers and said,
'That's it.
I love it!
Use that for the Magnolia Farms tables."
After that, the relationship was sealed.
A goofy, loving marriage
Clint and Kelly have a wonderful relationship, and it shows in many of their photos.
They support each other's pursuits, and have a good time in the process.
The couple met at Baylor University — the same place Chip and Joanna met — and they
aren't afraid to get silly on social media.
They even had a pilot that aired in June 2016 of a show called Against the Grain, that would
follow Harp Design activities.
The pilot didn't get picked up, but that hasn't slowed them down.
Once Fixer Upper gained popularity, Kelly left grad school to help with Clint's business,
and he was able to hire employees.
With a little leg up from Joanna and Chip, Harp is a craftsman of note and is living
his dream.
Inspirational speaker
Harp often does speaking engagements where he tells his remarkable story.
He told Culture Map:
"I just want to get out there, share our story, and inspire people to start a journey of their
own.
I'm not going to tell anyone else to throw caution to the wind, but those struggles are
part of our story.
I'm going to share all of the details you don't get on Fixer Upper.
I find that in telling that, people feel hope."
Through it all, faith has been his mainstay.
They've faced some pretty scary times, but ultimately, their faith that Harp's real passion
would be their family's support got them through.
And look at them today.
Clint and Kelly are just getting started, and we can't wait to see what's next.
Thanks for watching!
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