Another Texas couple could fill the shoes of Fixer Upper idols Chip and Joanna Gaines, who in April ended their wildly popular Waco-based HGTV series after five seasons. The pilot for Home to Last, starting Brett and Kara Phillips from Aledo, a small town about twenty miles west of Fort Worth, aired in July and will have an encore showing Thursday at 11 p.m. In the show, which is co-produced by Lindsey Weidhorn (who discovered the Gaineses), the Phillipses help families create their forever homes using design techniques that are made to last.

Kara studied real estate at Texas Christian University, while Brett majored in integrated marketing at Pepperdine University in California. Soon after they met at a mutual friend’s wedding, they fell in love, and Brett moved to Texas from California. After building their first home together in 2012, they received so many compliments and inquiries from friends asking for their design help that they started their own company, High Street Homes. Soon, they expanded the boutique building company into real estate, interior design, and most recently an online store of home goods. With their three children in tow, the couple has moved nine times in the span of seven years. They love the renovation process so much that they often live in a house for as few as five months before feeling ready for a new project. “We literally do everything together, and complement each other really well, which is so helpful when running several businesses. We each have our areas of expertise,” Brett says. “The best part of working together, though, is being able to celebrate each other’s strengths. When one of us experiences success or shines in a particular area, it’s doubly rewarding for the other person.”

Many of their homes blend a casual West Coast style with a new traditional design, and most are in the greater Fort Worth area. “Our style is characterized by an abundance of natural light, clean lines, flowing floor plans, classic silhouettes and finishes, layered textures, and collected pieces that help tell a family’s story,” Brett says. “We like to keep things clean, never cluttered or overly styled, but still warm for a finished effect that’s bright, effortless, refined, and inviting.”

When the Phillipses started posting photos from one of their most popular renovations, “The Fairmount Foursquare,” a 1914 American Foursquare style home in a historic neighborhood in the south side of Fort Worth, several production companies inquired about working together on a home design show. The duo decided to go with Weidhorn’s production company, RTR/547Barnard. So far, they have filmed a pilot, with hopes it will be picked up for a full season. On camera, they’re affable, endearing, and approachable—a style of home redesign that’s reminiscent of Chip and Joanna. 

Scroll through for examples of the spaces they create. For more information on the couple and their work, visit their eCommerce site, Phillips House Co., or their real estate company, High Street Homes.

In the living room of one of their personal homes, the Phillipses exposed a boarded-up window to let in light and added two matching built-in bookcases for storage. The original colonnades were re-stained to celebrate the history of this 1914 American Foursquare.
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
A sitting area in one of their family homes turned this non-functional parlor into a cozy reading nook.
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
Bright white cabinets bring some functional storage to a previously dark ranch home.
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
Pairing warm white walls with natural wood tones is one of the couple's signature looks.
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
This is one of the Phillipses' favorite renovations and one that helped them get discovered by the same production company that found Chip and Joanna Gaines. They used Sherwin Williams Colonial Revival Gray exterior paint, updated porch railings, and added fresh landscaping to bring this charmer back to life.
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
Their favorite part of this kitchen was the original diamond wood window, visible from the front door.
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
These blue chairs belonged to Kara’s grandmother. "I love how they add a vintage touch to a new construction home," Kara says. "The tongue and groove white paneled ceiling and the black mist granite stone fireplace surround give the room a storied feel."
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
They used an imperfect board and batten detail in their sons' room to add interest to the walls. Original doors and freshly-finished floors make the space feel more eclectic and cozy.
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
"We love the balance of a bold vanity color with a super clean mirror," Brett says. "The wallpaper adds just the right amount of texture."
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
The exterior color they chose for this home is one of their favorites, Shoji White by Sherwin-Williams. "A lot of new construction houses don’t include great front porches, but we love how they create a space where you can build relationships with your neighbors," Brett says.
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
One of their favorite homemade pieces is this oversized art with an acrylic frame.
Photography by Bree Linne Photography
The design duo created a focal point in this room by adding sconce lighting and a custom, cerused wood mantle above the fireplace.
Photography by Bree Linne Photography