Fixer Upper's Joanna Gaines Ditches Bathroom Neutrals For A Much Bolder Alternative

Joanna Gaines used to be the number one champion of all things neutral, creating homes that primarily utilized whites, creams, and grays. This was especially true in bathrooms, where she would create luxury oasis master bathrooms using different shades of white and cream.

However, as she and her husband, Chip Gaines, expanded the "Fixer Upper" empire and took on more elaborate projects — such as transforming a castle — her color palette expanded. She has now introduced dark, rich hues into her rotating repertoire, often inspired by the place she's redesigning. That's why, since taking on her latest project, restoring a mid-century lakehouse on Lake Waco, Gaines has embraced a more biophilic-inspired color palette. With it, she ditches using neutrals in the bathroom and instead champions a bolder, earthier blue. 

This endorsement is seen in the product photos for her newest paint collection, Magnolia Home Paint: The Lakehouse Collection. This collection features seven shades, ranging from greens to browns to blues. They're each inspired by the surrounding nature of the lake, but rather than making the bathroom a calm oasis, Gaines encourages being creative with the design and drenching it in blue.

When Joanna Gaines first walked into the Waco lakehouse, she didn't want to change the home into something it wasn't. Instead, she wanted to respect its architecture and its surroundings. "I always have this moment with every project that we do where I kind of let the house tell me the story," she told Elle Decor.

The story she gleaned from this project was a mid-century retreat home, one that would feel "earthy" and "grounding." Because of that, she decided to use biophilic-inspired colors to bring the outside in. She then added those colors to her Lakehouse Collection, allowing fans to bring biophilic design into their own homes. However, instead of creating a minimalist bathroom, the Magnolia star instead wants people to have fun with the space and drench it in blue.

You can see this recommendation when looking at the product page for "Superior," which is a deep, bold blue. In the product images, Gaines stages not only a living room, dining room, and kitchen painted in the color, but also a bathroom. She decided to take it even further by adding a funky element to the design by pairing the blue wall with a checkered terra cotta and white shower wall. This creates a bold and unexpected pop of color, and the wood tones bring the design all together.

This isn't the first time that Gaines decided blue is the perfect color for a bathroom. She has also created various blue bathrooms in "Fixer Upper." For instance, when renovating her sister's new house in Season 5, Episode 6, she decided to go with a mid-century theme throughout the entire space (similar to the lakehouse!). Gaines used pops of blue throughout the space, but really leaned into it in the bathroom, using two tones of blue zellige tiles on the walls, creating a bold accent.

To create something similar in your own home, take a page out of Gaines's book and either color wash your room with blue paint or tile. The tile will be much more labor intensive and expensive, so if you're looking for a beginner-friendly DIY, go the painting route. Consider painting your walls and ceiling a bright, true blue to mimic Gaines' latest tastes. Or, if you're not one to dabble with color, opt for a lighter blue (such as Benjamin Moore's "Morning Sky Blue") or even a grayish-blue (such as "Gray Sky" from Benjamin Moore). This will allow you to play with the trend without going too far outside of your comfort zone.