How Joanna Gaines Chooses The Perfect Wall Color Every Time
HGTV star Joanna Gaines is an expert in all things design and renovation. She rose to fame by establishing a signature modern farmhouse style and sharing how to incorporate its elements into viewers' homes across the country. At her core, Gaines is a firm believer that spaces should reflect the people living in them. When it comes to picking the right color for a wall, she insists on using this principle to add a personal touch.
Gaines shared her expert design insight during a 2024 MasterClass course titled "Designing a Home That Tells A Story." Speaking to House Beautiful, Gaines recommended that each person focus on "how they want the space to feel, how they want it to function, or the style they're hoping to achieve," when analyzing a space. Gaines especially loves this approach because it takes people's focus off aspirational rooms or designs they see trending online and redirects their focus to what works best for someone's own needs and wishes.
Pick based on how the colors make you feel
Seeing the sheer amount of color choices can be overwhelming – there are more than 3,500 color choices at Benjamin Moore alone! Joanna Gaines lets her feelings guide her. She recommends picking a wall color based on how you want to feel when you're in the room. For example, a sunny yellow hue will brighten up your space and your mood.
For a more casual color choice, consider neutral tones for an airy and tranquil feeling. White walls give off a feeling of peace and inspire clarity with their simplicity, perfect for a living room space. On the other hand, brown tones can be comforting as they have a vintage feel and can give off a cozy nostalgic feeling. This could be a great choice for a kitchen or dining room where the family comes together to make lasting memories.
Warm colors can also help energize a space, perfect for areas where you want to take action. Consider adding these as pops of color to spaces like offices where they will motivate you to get work done. Conversely, cool colors like blue and green evoke a feeling of calm by reminding the brain of the natural hues we see outdoors. A refreshing shade of green is perfect for a relaxing bathroom space or even a rec room where your family can unwind. Rich dark tones would make sense in a bedroom to shut out the loudness of the world when you're sleeping. Plus, rich dark tones will make you feel reflective — recall the day you've had before embarking on a good night's sleep.
Wait to see how the color works in your space
Joanna Gaines knows how important it is for each interior design choice to be functional, and finding the right wall color is no different. After you pick the hue you feel is best for your personal space, Gaines recommends trying it out before painting the entirety of the room. Paint a section of the wall and spend a couple of days observing how the paint looks and acts in the room to avoid the common mistakes everyone makes when choosing a paint color for their home. If you don't want to paint, try tacking the various sample swatches onto your wall instead.
"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," Gaines advised House Beautiful. This will reveal if the paint looks different on a wall than it does stationary and will allow you to see if your paint color has any unknown or unwanted undertones. It may take a few tries, but finding the right color will help your space feel like home.