Farmhouse Overflow! Joanna Gaines Reveals What's Hiding in Her Messy Attic

Joanna Gaines is cleaning house — and sharing all the messy details.

The star of HGTV’s Fixer Upper has been getting a head start on New Year’s resolution season and clearing out the overstuffed attic and kitchen of the Waco farmhouse she shares with husband Chip, their four kids, and a small herd of pets.

Unlike the perfectly staged spaces the designer usually shares on her Instagram, her mid-reorganization photos are totally chaotic — and completely familiar to anyone who’s gone all in on a whole-house clean out.

“Attic cleared out,” she writes on one photo of the items that survived her overhaul, including a photo of her and oldest son “Drakey boy” when the 12-year-old was just a tot.

Some other quintessentially Jo finds visible in the snap — an oversized letter “G,” for Gaines no doubt, a chalkboard in a hefty white picture frame — would have been right at home on the first few seasons of Fixer Upper.

And far be it from Jo to leave fans without a satisfying “after” photo.

“Now I want this to be a bedroom or a cute library nook?! Right??!” she writes on a photo of the cleaned up corner, outfitted with new floating shelves. But a new hangout spot just isn’t in the cards. She adds, “#buttheniwillneedanotherattic.”

While an attic overhaul would be plenty for most amateur organizers, Joanna also managed to tackle another intimidating space at the same time: her much-copied farmhouse-style kitchen.

“Taking a break from the attic and reorganizing the kitchen,” she writes, accompanied by a face-palm emoji.

In another snap, we get a peek into the empty cabinets, which look like vintage doors with detailing on the front and back. Even the back wall of the cabinets have a stylish upgrade: they’re lined with beadboard, a close relative of her go-to shiplap.

At least one Gaines family member was lending a paw with the project. “She thinks it’s a new home,” Joanna writes of their new kitten, adding, “Move over kitty . . . mama has some cake plates she’s gotta shove back in there.”

Chip and Joanna will both have a little more time on their hands as they wind down their HGTV series, currently airing it’s fifth and final season.

“We gave everything we had to this show — the beautiful homes and those sweet families — but this just felt like the right time to catch our breath for a bit,” Joanna told PEOPLE of the decision.

Tune in to Fixer Upper Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. EST on HGTV.