32 Cool Design Tricks to Steal From an Arizona Home

Creativity runs in designer Jo Gick’s family. When she was growing up, her dad was always building something in their garage while Jo sat nearby, gluing shims together to make her own masterpiece. Then she married a handy guy, Dave, and they had two kids—Marin, 9, and Doran, 6—who also can’t wait for the next trip to the crafts store.

“My motto is if you can’t buy it, DIY it,” says Jo. The family’s home in Chandler, AZ, showcases many of her most clever moves. She and Dave bought the 3,450-square-foot house in foreclosure in 2016, and they completely revitalized it with a new kitchen, new bathrooms and new floors, along with fresh paint and wallpaper. Dave did a lot of the work himself, and Jo’s ingenuity lent each room a personal touch, from feature walls to supercool floors.

“I get ideas from everywhere,” says Jo. “It can be something I find in the sale aisle at Target, the architectural details of a building or fruit trees in my backyard. If you take a good look at your environment, you’ll be surprised at how much inspiration is all around.”

Jo's first two ideas are simple: 1) Since black paint can fade in the sun, Jo contrasted the white exterior with gray trim. 2) The house’s textured stucco was smoothed out for a more modern look. “It was worth it to take the house from the ’90s to now,” says Jo.

2) Baseboards stacked floor to ceiling is a new twist on shiplap.

3) Local buy-and-sell groups, like the ones on Facebook, can yield great finds, such as these Windsor chairs with funky backs.

5) A trio of half-brass globe pendants add subtle spark to a white kitchen. These are by Visual Comfort.

6) Sure, you can re-cover seats with a tablecloth! Jo used a cotton one, adding a top layer of clear vinyl from the fabric store to make it stainproof. (front center)

7) Open wood shelves with colorful accessories break up all the cabinetry. (back center)

8) Create your own wallpaper: “A watercolor artist I found on Etsy designed this pattern, then I had it made by Spoonflower,” says Jo.

9) Charm up a brand-spanking-new space with a vintage fixture. Jo inherited this lotus light from a client.

10) A 10-lite pocket door painted navy (Parisian Night by Dunn-Edwards) offers a view into the cute pantry.

11) To make the fun gingham floor, cement tiles in solid blue, gray and white were laid in that pattern.

12) Reno’ing? Rethinking windows can get you more storage. The Gicks installed bookshelves over ones on these walls, leaving the upper windows and added French doors.

13) Door knockers can be fabulous cabinet pulls. Jo got hers from Arts of Brass on Etsy.

14) Library lights make any built-in bookcase more chic.

15) A soft watercolor pattern on a rug is like art for your floor.

16) A hanging chair fills an empty corner and invites conversation. “The kids sit here and chat with me while I fold the laundry,” says Jo.

17) An upholstered bed (this one’s from Pottery Barn) in a strong color pops against a white wall.

18) Mid-century-era dressers are just the right height to work as nightstands—with way more storage.

19) A room feels more finished with a bench at the foot of the bed—plus there’s a spot for a throw or laying out clothes.

20) A carpenter built Doran’s clubhouse bed. “It didn’t cost much more than buying one,” says Jo.

21) When a vintage door Jo loved wasn’t tall enough for the closet, she extended it by adding a piece of wood to the bottom.

22) Jo used a laser cutter to make the wood frames, painted them green (Meadow Green by Rust-Oleum), and got custom-fit mirrors.

23) This wall is covered in cassette tapes from eBay and Craigslist. Jo spray-painted clear ones bright colors. She glued them all onto plywood, then attached that to the wall.

24) A mismatched desk and chair always look cooler. These are both from HomeGoods.

25) To make wall cacti, Jo cut out pieces of wood and painted them with green watercolors. Once they were on the wall, she added silk flowers.

26) This pretty dream catcher was put together with a rattan hoop from Ikea and a colorful assortment of tassels and yarn.

27) Loading up a daybed (it’s by Serena & Lily) with punchy pillows makes Marin’s room feel like a hangout—just what the 9-year-old wanted.

28) Jo added edginess to floral wallpaper (this one’s by Indy Bloom Design) with abstract art (the print is from HomeGoods).

29) Gold grout plays off the detailing on the vanity, the mirror and the door handle.