Courtesy Magnolia Do: Embrace the Transformational Power of Rugs Floor-length curtains and a contemporary light fixture add height. Doing an accent wall didn’t feel right for the space, so we went with an accent ceiling with a dimensional design,” Gaines says.Īfter: Gaines played up the brightness of the dining room by employing a lighter neutral shade on the walls. “To balance the darker, moody feel of the living room, we created a light and airy feel in the dining room. But let the space-its light, size, and function-be your guide. If you’re still flummoxed when it comes to color, try both bolds and neutrals. “If you’re feeling a pull to go beyond grays and whites, go for it! If it seems a little scary, start small,” she says. “If you’re intimidated by using color in your space, here’s my take: When you find yourself drawn to bolder tones or colors-it could be time to just go for it in your home,” she says. Gaines’s top advice when it comes to color? You do you. In the dining room, however, she accentuated the natural light that flooded the space by selecting a cool dove gray. To achieve a cozy feel in the living room, she selected a shadowy shade of green (Look familiar? It’s the same hue Chip and Joanna used in their castle restoration). “Color is the biggest extension of our personality and style, and I’ve loved letting myself evolve in this area as a designer over the years,” Gaines tells us. Lesson learned? Don’t be afraid to reach for Plan B when necessary-especially when living room sandwiches are involved.īefore: The dining area was a nondescript white box-the perfect blank canvas for Gaines and her team at Magnolia. But when she stepped back to inspect the final result, “it created this odd, white-green-white sandwich so we decided to paint the ceiling green as well, which created that cozy, tucked-in den feeling we were going for,” Gaines shares. “I knew the latter could go a long way,” Gaines says.ĭon’t: Be Afraid to Adjust the Game Plan When NecessaryĪfter giving the dingy walls and ceilings in the living room a good clean and a coat of primer, Gaines decided to paint the room a soothing shade of deep green and leave the textured ceiling white. Courtesy MagnoliaĪs she saw it, the $5,000 living room allotment gave the Magnolia team two options: they could either obliterate the budget on new wood floors, or stretch it out with a fresh paint job, new lighting, and new furniture. The client wanted this to be a den, so my biggest goal was to make it feel cozy and to create a space they would love to hang out in.”Īfter: The odd features were concealed-and even flaunted-with a fresh coat of paint, a large rug, and cozy furniture. “The ceiling looked a little dingy, the wood paneling felt outdated, and the tile was bland. But Gaines chose to embrace them: “The biggest thing in the living room was its age,” she tells us.

In the case of this house, for example, the wood paneling, tiled floors, and oddly textured drop ceilings could be interpreted as apparitions from a decorator’s worst nightmare. If your home has “character” in all the wrong ways, never fear.

Did we mention it took them only eight days? Do: Work with What You’ve Got (Budget Included) See below for how Gaines and the Magnolia team pulled off the dramatic transformations of the living and dining rooms. But the refresh ultimately paid off, proving you can go for broke without actually going broke. With such a small budget, Gaines and her team had to make some tough design calls. While the homeowner was away on her honeymoon, Gaines and her renovation team at Magnolia got to work on conducting what they call a mini reni, leveraging cost-effective-yet-stylish design hacks to create the cozy abode her friend always dreamed of. “Thankfully, styles tend to come back around so even the ‘offenders’ in this house had redeeming qualities.” “This house was your typical fixer in the sense that it had not been updated in 20 years,” Gaines tells ELLE DECOR. Before: The living room had quirky details like wood paneling, textured ceilings, and tile floors.

Joanna gaines farmhouse kitchen decor