9 Design Tricks We Learned From Joanna Gaines
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As Fixer Upper fans, we can only dream of Chip and Joanna Gaines helping us find houses to transform into rustic, modern beauties we can call home. But until we start packing our bags for Waco, Texas, our plan? Channel Joanna's style for a Fixer Upper-inspired interior.
I've rounded up my favorite 8 design tricks I've learned from Joanna from watching countless episodes (and I mean countless). Try some or all of them to get that farmhouse-chic look Joanna would be proud of!
Open Up the Space
Joanna's motto: When in doubt, open up the space. Open concept spaces allow one space to flow into the other, making every square foot more usable. To add both form and function, she brings in in elements that serve a purpose that will also add a design punch against a neutral backdrop, such as a pot filler over the stove.
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Bring in Dramatic Lighting
Industrial Light Fixtures
The kitchen in the King home has been completely transformed and repositioned. Some of the key elements of the kitchen are the open shelves, the black granite countertops, the brick backsplash, a vent hood, stainless steel appliances, industrial light fixtures and a custom island, as seen on Fixer Upper.
Photo by: Rachel Whyte
Rachel Whyte
If you have it in your budget, incorporate layers of lighting. In this kitchen, subtle can lighting adds a base level of light, while copper pendants add task lighting that doubles as a focal point.
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Add Subtle Color
Traditional Tile Bathroom
The bathroom walls were painted light yellow with white beaded board wainscoting. New tile floors in a traditional pattern adds to the character of the room and a subway tile bathtub and shower were installed. A gray and white patterned towel hangs on a rustic hook.
We all know by now that Chip and Joanna's staple colors are whites and other neutrals — but these spaces are by no means boring! Joanna loves to bring in color in unexpected ways, like gray grout against white subway tiles in this bathroom.
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Outline Doors and Windows
Many of the homes Chip and Joanna renovate are surrounded with beautiful scenery. To take advantage of these surroundings, they highlight doors and windows with natural wood trim. Copy the look at home to embrace your view.
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Stretch Cabinets to the Ceiling
Black and White Breakfast Bar
Fixer Upper hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines removed the wall between the homeowners' kitchen and dining room and they installed a natural wood support beam in it's place. All new white cabinets and black marble countertops bring a modern look to the kitchen, and two hanging globe light fixtures illuminate the breakfast bar. A new stainless steel range and vent hood is surrounded by a beveled subway tile backsplash.
Skip placing plants and other trinkets on top of your cabinets to keep eyes from moving up. Instead, Joanna suggests keeping design elements at eye level and installing cabinets that reach the ceiling. This will give the illusion of a larger kitchen.
Get Creative With Old Materials
One of Joanna's style trademarks? Adding unexpected vintage pieces that make even a new home a collected look. Bonus points if you can use these vintage materials as storage solutions. Here, Joanna used an old wooden ship piece to store books.
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Give Every Room a Focal Point
Rustic Bathroom With Wood Grain and Gray Tones
Chip and Joanna Gaines decked out this main bathroom with new gray paint and a shiplap accent wall on HGTV's Fixer Upper. A large mirror is framed with wood that matches the accent wall, and a modern light fixture illuminates a double vanity with a marble countertop and rectangular vessel sinks. The original claw-foot tub was kept and refinished, and new tile flooring installed.
Personalize your space with a standout piece that inspires you. It can be a rug, an accent wall or chandelier. You want to create a focal point to draw the eye to the most visually-appealing piece in that room.
Rearrange Your Furniture
A symmetrically-designed room provides a clean look. To bring dimension to the space, incorporate color and texture through accessories.
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Bring the Outdoors In
Atrium Dining Room With Herb Garden
HGTV's Fixer Upper transformed this once awkward atrium into an open-air herb garden with wooden window boxes and planters. Located right off the kitchen, the courtyard is the perfect place to entertain guests around a rustic table.
Photo by: Sarah Wilson/ Getty Images © 2013, HGTV/ Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Sarah Wilson/ Getty Images, 2013, HGTV/ Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Chip and Joanna are all about natural elements, and that includes live plants. Here, windowboxes line an indoor atrium. And don't limit plants to traditional spots: Why not add them in the middle of the dining table?
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