The Design Approach Joanna Gaines Avoids At All Costs

HGTV and Magnolia Network expert Joanna Gaines is known for her impeccable style and signature design acumen, both things that have made her one of the most popular designers of the past two decades. While some designers embrace and cast off trends on the regular, Gaines' style, while it has evolved and unfolded to embrace new techniques and ideas, still remains very much her own. There may be a good reason for that according to Country Living magazine. The designer's indifference toward emerging and outgoing trends allows her to maintain a focus on classic and enduring spaces.

While Gaines' rooms have their popular materials and approaches, like the use of subway tiles in baths and kitchens and her love of shiplap and wallpaper as ways to add dimension to a room, Gaines avoids many of the fads and emerging trends that we see many designers embrace. Many of these are things that may seem popular and beautiful in the moment, but may not be another five years.

Gaines' reasoning for not jumping on every trend is not just a firmly entrenched aesthetics but also practicality. She tells Country Living, "For me, as a designer and someone who also does renovations, trends are hard for me because I feel like you're directing people one way and then the next year, if you paint everything one color, you're painting it another." While homeowners may be pointing to the latest popular colors and finishes in their redesign requests, Gaines tries to guide them in more timeless directions, saying "So I go more with my gut—what I think is going to happen this year, what I see and what our clients are asking for."

By sticking to classic neutrals, lots of greenery and textures, antiques, industrial accents, and enduring wood finishes, Gaines is able to create rooms that won't need to be redone in a couple of years. The approach is not only more budget-friendly but is a great way to create a sustainable and liveable home for years to come.