Bring Fixer Upper Style Into Your Home

So what do you do in on a rainy Sunday in February when you’re not feeling well and your kids don’t have any hockey or basketball games?  Lay on the couch and watch six hours of Fixer Upper of course!

Oh yes.  I’m feeling a little too sick to lift my head off the pillow, so I’ve been soaking in Joanna Gaines’ design style to come up with new inspiration for furniture pieces when I start painting again in March.  Ooooh… and there’s so much to take in, but I think I’ve got it down.

But I’m not just looking at the furniture in her designs, I’m analyzing all of the little pieces and colors that make up her style.

Each of the homes Joanna and Chip work on are obviously unique.  And just as I do with furniture, Joanna lets the houses speak to her and works with and around their quirks.  But there are definitely recurring elements in her finished design that I’ve seen in just the six episodes I’ve watched today.

So if you’d like to achieve Fixer Upper style, read on and slowly start incorporating these into your own home.

Muted Colors

A muted color scheme was the number one predominant theme I saw across the board with Joanna’s design style.  If you want to instantly move closer to Fixer Upper style for very little money, adjust the colors in your home to muted tones.

You won’t see brightly colored walls or accessories in Joanna’s interior or exterior designs.  Except for in the occassional kid’s rooms – and even rarely there – you won’t find yellows, purples, turquoise, grass greens, or bright reds.  Instead, Joanna keeps her tones subdued and muted.

In all six episodes I watched today, the walls were white or a shade of white.  Not a yellow-white, but a warm white with gray or green undertones.  She will use deeper tones and even dark colors on the walls in offices and bedrooms, but the walls in the main living spaces were always a shade of white.

(Click the image to shop Magnolia paints)

As you’ll see Joanna brings deeper color tones into her spaces with the furniture, accessories, and lighting.  Now while these photos are not actually Joanna’s designs, I think you’ll find that they resemble her style pretty closely.

Continue reading and you’ll see the patterns emerging in Fixer Upper Style…

Light Natural Woods Paired With Warm White

Whether it’s in the kitchen, bath, or living room, Joanna Gaines uses the neutral white walls to highlight the furniture and fixtures – which are more like art than utilitarian pieces.  She uses a lot of natural wood pieces that are either just sealed with a clear coat or stained with Dark Walnut stain.

The lighting is most often bronze (a very dark brown) or wrought iron (black).

Muted Color Tones for Painted Pieces

When the furniture is painted, Joanna most often uses grays and blues with green undertones. These muted tones introduce color into the spaces, without having it glare at you like a bright red would.  When she does use red, you’ll notice it’s a very muted red and in very small doses.

(Click the images to shop Magnolia paints.)

Recessed Panel Cabinet Doors

The days of raised panel or arched doors are definitely out and not in Joanna’s repertoire.  While she may occassionally add an arch to a doorway or alcove, every cabinet I’ve seen Joanna use in her design has always had right-angles, clean lines, and recessed panel doors.

Rustic Wood Doors

Joanna has a knack for finding the most beautiful, interior wood doors.  Doors that look as though they’re 300 years old and the stain has just naturally worn away over the centuries.  Often she’ll find them with some glass and have Chip install them as french doors in an office or as a pantry door in a kitchen – mixing rustic and modern white.

If you’d like to know we create that same naturally aged wood look, get Entri Ways’ free guide:

(Click image for instructions / details)

Wood Floors & Shiplap – Of Course!

Wood on both the floors and the walls is a signature of Joanna Gaines.  She’s made shiplap famous – need I say more.

Floating Shelves

Open, floating shelves are another decorative feature you’ll find added to Joanna’s designs.  But notice how even what seems to be a decorative accessory, is actually highly practical.  Joanna decorates for real-life, farmhouse living. You won’t see any froofy pillows or sofa’s you’re too afraid to sit on.  Most every element of her design combine style and function.

Black Accents

Joanna uses black or a very dark gray to ground spaces.   It may be a bathroom floor as you saw in the photo above, a piece of furniture, or a window frame painted black.

Industrial Metal Accents

You only have to look at the Silos Joanna and Chip purchased to know she appreciates industrial.  You’ll find metal accents around her homes.  Coffee tables, light fixtures, wire baskets, and metal railings can be seen in almost every episode of Fixer Upper.

P.S.  Notice how the metal is contrasted by the warm, rustic wood.

Long Wood Dining Tables

Joanna incorporates some of the longest dining room tables into her space I’ve ever seen.  That design is perfect for huge family gatherings to make the house a home.   Of course it helps that she has woodworker, Clint Harp, available at a moments notice to make her sketches into reality.

Baskets, Benches & Bags

Joanna finishes off her designs by adding personalized items that make the house home.  You’ll see rustic benches, hats, large totes, and baskets made of natural fibers such as wicker, seagrass, or cotton canvas.  These accessories are both pretty and useful.  There’s no hiding that a family lives here.