Joanna Gaines Always Uses This Tip to Choose the Right Paint Colors
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It’s hard to imagine how Joanna Gaines could expand her empire further, but the designer-author-founder-hotelier-shopkeeper has discovered a way. She’s adding MasterClass instructor to her resume. For longtime fans and new recruits alike, the class promises exclusive design insight from Gaines with a clear result: viewers will be able to create a dream home that truly reflects their story.
Believe it or not, there was a period when Gaines was at a loss for how to do just that.
“I can remember a time when I felt stuck and unsure about how to make my home look and feel the way I’d dreamed,” Gaines tells House Beautiful. “I had no clue where or how to even begin making meaningful changes.”
When there’s limitless inspiration, Gaines says, it can feel immobilizing. “I loved the idea of creating a class that could help people get unstuck by showing them the process I’ve followed for the last 20 years, where you’ll learn how to cut through all the design confusion, hone in on the story you want to tell, and then bring it to life in your home.”
In the course, titled Designing a Home That Tells Your Story, Gaines reveals the inner workings of her signature design process. Viewers also learn how to develop their style using a “three-word concept,” which can be applied to every room. “These words can describe how they want the space to feel, or how they want it to function, or the style they’re hoping to achieve,” Gaines says. “What I love about this approach is that it takes people’s eyes off other spaces they’ve seen or want to emulate, and it focuses their attention on their own needs, wants, and wishes.”
Not only that, but Gaines compares the “three-word concept” to a North Star as it functions “as a sort of filter to help you hone in on material selections, which in the end saves you time and money.”
One area in which it comes especially in handy is paint selection. “I’ve been in the paint aisle, completely overwhelmed, more times than I can count, and I’ve learned how helpful it can be to use my three words to hone in on color choice,” Gaines says. She continues: “If I'm working on a space that I’ve said I want to feel tucked away or moody, then I know I should be looking for richer, darker tones. If my words were light or airy or peaceful, then I’ll probably focus in on lighter or more neutral hues.”
The method can become anyone’s go-to guide. “It’s not rocket science, but it does help to quickly cut through the massive volume of color options out there,” Gaines says.
When you’ve landed on a handful of colors, Gaines recommends sitting with the color for a day or two before painting an entire wall. “Consider painting a large swatch of color on the wall or a wooden sample board, then take note of how light impacts color in the room throughout the day.”
No matter what part of the design process you’re in, Gaines believes it’s essential to continuously ground yourself to ensure what you’re creating is timeless. When she feels stuck, she grounds herself in nature. “I just go out into the garden, and sometimes I’ll stare at one flower,” Gaines said in an exclusive clip (above) from her MasterClass.
Whether you live in a tiny apartment or a sprawling house, Gaines’s tips can be applied anywhere. In the end, it’s all about crafting a space that really feels like it’s yours—no matter what you have to work with. After taking her course, Gaines wants everyone to feel more equipped than ever to make their dream home a reality.
She explains: “If there’s one lesson I want people to take away, it’s this: You are the expert of your story, your family, and your rhythms. As long as you design with those things in mind, you will create something really beautiful and really unique because it will be a reflection of you and the people you share your home with. At the end of the day, I believe that good design is about good storytelling, and anchoring your process around that will always result in a space that feels more layered and intentional.”
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