Tour: See Inside HGTV Star Chip Wade’s Atlanta Workshop + His Favorite Tools

Mar 21, 2023

Want to upgrade your workspace for all of your woodworking or DIY projects? Take inspo from Chip Wade.

The HGTV star took us on a behind-the-scenes tour of his home workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, to show off all of his impressive tools (including his faves!) and to give tips on how to make the most out of your workspace. (Also, here are 3 questions you should ask yourself before starting a DIY project.)

In the center of his workshop, Chip has his main tools that he uses for most of his projects: his table, miter, and chop saw.

"This is where all of the woodworking happens," he says. "All of these are woodworking tools for cabinetry, furniture making, any types of custom projects that you know I'm always into."

But what if you don't have a big space? Chip says you can do your work on a stand, which he calls a "great option and a must-have tool."

In this area, Chip has all of his measurement tools as well as a wood lathe that can be used to shape wood into a variety of shapes.

Near his work table, Chip has a rolling tool chest that is great for "versatility and flexibility."

"You can see everything in the shop is on wheels," he says. "This is a must-have for infinite versatility and flexibility of a space."

On a similar note, Chip says a lot of his supplies are "up off of the floor" and hung on a slat wall or pegboard.

"You can see I have tons of slat wall [and a] pegboard for all of my wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers [and] battery powered tools, so they're just at fingertips reach," he says.

"Inside this room, I call it the ‘Chip Depot’ because it's everything at my disposal: from safety glasses, respirators, painters, tape, you name it, it's all in here."

Just like his slat wall and pegboards, Chip is a fan of retractable reels that he hangs on the ceiling of his workshop.

"I love retractable reels. It keeps everything so organized," Chip says, adding that he hangs his compressed air hoses on reels as well.

"It's always a great idea to have a flammables cabinet. This is where I keep all of the paint nice and organized by color."

"To keep it clean in here, we have a full-shop dust extraction system. This is basically a giant vacuum that has piping to all the different tools. So all the dust we make gets sucked up in there."

What are some of Chip's favorite tools that he believes every DIY’er should have in their workshop? He says...

-Battery Powered Tool Set

"We're eliminating all the extra chargers. They just have everything you need, and you're going to use this type of tool more than anything else," he says.

-Suction Cup

Chip says a battery powered suction cup is great because it allows you to lift heavy objects with a handle.

"Really great and certainly a back saver," he says.

-Battery Powered Generator

Calling this tool "unbelievable," Chip adds, "Whether you're the hero in the power outage, powering your workshop or throwing it in the back of the truck for a tailgate, this is a versatile tool that every DIYer should have."