From the paint colors on the walls to the decorative items on the shelves—some chosen purely for aesthetics, others treasured for the memories they hold—our homes reflect who we are. For actress JoAnna Garcia Swisher, her home tells a story of love, family and gratitude.
The spacious two-story home in Avila, with its open great room, bold fireplace, and backyard views of the adjacent golf course, reflects the narrative of Garcia Swisher and her family. Known for her roles in “Reba,” “Once Upon a Time” and Netflix’s “Sweet Magnolias,” the Tampa-born actress has personally designed every home she, her husband—former New York Yankees player Nick Swisher—their two daughters, and their rescued pets have lived in.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to her hometown to be closer to family, splitting her time between the Sunshine State and filming in Georgia. In 2021, she and her husband purchased their current estate and began extensive renovations, which included redesigning the kitchen—her favorite room—removing interior columns, replacing windows and installing a new roof.
“I believe good design is when your home reflects who you are and tells a story,” Garcia Swisher says. “For me, a home has to be something that you can touch and feel and is just real, so it’s like a balance.”
Though her education in interior design and her appreciation for a range of styles—from sleek modern aesthetics to cozy Scandinavian design—have influenced her approach to creating spaces, Garcia Swisher credits the house itself with guiding many of her choices. “Every home I’ve gone into that I overhauled and renovated, I’ve always felt that one thing, like that spark,” she explains. “I think the house almost dictates what it wants, and this house sort of led me in that.”
Despite significant progress, she admits the home isn’t finished yet. “Much to the dismay of my husband, who wants it just done, it does take me a minute to kind of live in it to know how our family is going to use it,” she says.
Practicality is key, but sentimentality also plays a role. While Garcia Swisher frequents local design stores like Clayton Gray Home, Magnolia, Marketplace Interiors, and Oxford Exchange, she also loves repurposing cherished items. “There’s a bench in there that’s made it through three homes. I find it, and I make it work—nothing a little paint or fabric can’t reinvent,” she shares. “If you love it, it doesn’t have to be the most designer thing or bespoke, but it has to be filled with memories. And I think this home really is filled with memories.”
Personal touches throughout the house build on that foundation, from her mother’s cherished bench to a comfy, well-worn couch and a painting gifted by Nick that features her favorite flower and their lucky numbers—a constant reminder of their early days together. “Those are memories, those are things that tell a story from when we first fell in love,” she says. “Hopefully our house tells a story of who we are as a family.”
Garcia Swisher’s creativity goes far beyond acting and home design. She launched her home décor line, Clover by Jo, in partnership with HSN, founded her production company, Rolling Clover, and recently stepped into directing during the latest season of “Sweet Magnolias.”
“I think it’s our best season yet. It does not let up, so at the end of every episode there’s another jaw-dropping moment. It’s going to be big; it’s going to be a wild ride for sure,” she said.
Beyond her work in front of and behind the camera, Garcia Swisher dedicates time to her lifestyle blog, The Happy Place, which serves as a platform to share her passions for design, cooking, and more—all with a focus on gratitude.
“I’ve shared my grief of losing my parents and my grandmother in a very short amount of time. I’ve shared my feelings on what it was like to experience postpartum depression, my anxiety, the beautiful highs of the career I’ve had as an actor,” she says. “But it’s all under sort of this decision to look at life in a way that is filled with gratitude and that you can endure and you can find the light even when there’s only a sliver of it.”
Over the years, The Happy Place has grown into a community where Garcia Swisher shares recipes, Amazon finds and projects with her daughters—always with an emphasis on positivity. “When you’re exposing yourself as an actor, there’s a bit of a buffer because I’m just saying lines that are written for me and bringing a character to life. But when you’re creating something that’s very much who you are, it’s really vulnerable,” she says. “I’m not saying The Happy Place is for everybody, but it’s unabashedly how I live and who I am. Nothing is too perfect, because I’m not a chef, I don’t pretend to be an expert in all of these things. I’m an expert in me.”
Season 4 of “Sweet Magnolias” airs on Netflix February 6.
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