If you watch HGTV, you are probably very familiar with the TV show Fixer Upper. Fixer Upper shows the process by how a couple turns old but potential-rich houses into showplaces. By doing this, they are helping neighborhoods throughout central Texas. Starring Chip and Joanna Gaines, this TV show inspires many to remodel their homes as well. Because Joanna Gaines is considered the decorator of the houses that they remodel, she offers lots of tips and advice for decorating homes. If you are interested in decorating a living room, you have come to the right place. Today we’ll take a look at Joanna Gaines’ living room ideas.
First, Remember To Add Your Own Personal Style
Joanna Gaines truly believes that every home should have that person’s style in it. Don’t worry what other people will think of your living room. Simply decorate with what makes you happy. After all, you will be the one in the living room the most.
Start By Painting the Walls White
White may seem like a boring color to some people, but Joanna says that white is the perfect color to start your living room with. It offers a neutral and clean foundation that other colors can’t give. White walls also allow you to get creative with your living room decor.
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Image Source: Magnolia
Add Greenery
Plants add a whole new look to rooms. That is why Joanna recommends adding some greenery to your living room. Just a pot or two of plants is perfect for living rooms. Make sure the plants you choose go well with your living room decor. For example, you may want to stick with tropical greenery for rustic living rooms.
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Add Slipcovers To Furniture
Wanting to bring a new look to your home without purchasing new furniture? Add some slipcovers to your furniture. Slipcovers come in many different colors, but Joanna recommends using white slipcovers. Although it may seem like white slipcovers will get dirty really quick, there is a reason why Joanna recommends this color. It is because all you have to do is throw it in the washing machine with some bleach. White slipcovers are easier to care for then darker slipcovers.
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Go With Wooden Furniture
To create the farmhouse style that Joanna adds to every home she remodels, you will want to mostly have wooden furniture. Leather couches are ok to have, but for tables and bookshelves, you’ll want to go with a wooden style.
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Image Source: HGTV
Combine Old With New
Another helpful tip that Joanna Gaines gives is to combine old items with new items. For example, perhaps you could combine modern industrial furniture with older accents or vice versa. Make sure you balance out the old items with the new items. Too much old furniture can cause your living room to look outdated.
Too Much Clutter Takes Away the Beauty Of Your Living Room
There will be times when your living room will get messy, but too many items can make your living room look cluttered all the time. Try to only display a few small items. Don’t go overboard with knick-knacks.
Lighting Is Very Important
When decorating your living room, try to add as much lighting as possible. Floor lamps, table lamps, and overhead lights are all lighting options that you should consider adding. If you happen to have some extra money, Joanna recommends installing large windows in your home. Large windows make your living room look much bigger. At the very least, try to remove unnecessary window blinds that are blocking sunlight from coming in.
Choose Farmhouse Style Living Room Furniture
As you probably already know, most of Joanna Gaines’ living room ideas are based upon the farmhouse style. A farmhouse style creates a simple look for your living room. Farmhouse style living room furniture ideas include vintage furniture, wicker furniture, or weathered furniture. Leather also looks very nice. Many of Joanna Gaines’ decorating ideas contain leather couches. A leather couch makes a great farmhouse couch.
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Try Using Dark Colors
In a lot of Joanna Gaines’ living room ideas, she tries to add dark colors to the room. Although many people feel that dark colors are too bold, Joanna believes that darker colors add a warmth to the living room.
Remember To Choose Comfortable Furniture
Although the look of your living room is important, it is more important that the furniture you choose is comfortable. After all, you and your family will be using the furniture the most. If possible, try it out before you buy it to make sure it is comfortable.
Image Source: HGTV
Final Tips From Joanna Gaines
Still looking for more tips on how to decorate your living room? No worries! On her blog Magnolia, Joanna Gaines gives helpful tips on how to decorate a living room for a spacious and beautiful look. Let’s take a look at her ideas so that you can get started on re-decorating your living room.
Choose A Focal Point
In her blog, Joanna Gaines recommends that you choose a focal point for your living room. That way, your living room does not become too cluttered with other furniture and items. Take a look at your living room and decide what should be the focal point. Make sure that the focal point is easy to see. After all, the focal point in a living room is where all attention should go to. Such a place could be your fireplace. Once you choose your focal point, you should start trying to redecorate that area. For example, if you chose the fireplace as the focal point, consider redecorating the mantel. Or perhaps you could add bricks, tiles, or stones to the wall that your fireplace is on. The goal is to make the focal point attractive looking.
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Make Your Living Room Useful For Both You And Your Family
One thing that Joanna recommends the most is to make your living room useful for both you and your family. You shouldn’t have to constantly tell your kids to not touch certain items. All furniture and items in your living room should be kid-friendly. In addition to this, Joanna says in her blog that she likes to add special touches in the living room for the kids. In one house that she was remodeling, she added seats under the windows so that the kids who lived there could do their homework by the window. She also created drawers under those seats for the kids’ toys and school supplies. With that being said, try to make your living room as kid-friendly as possible.
For Large Rooms, Go With Large Accents
If you have a large living room, feel free to use large accents. Rooms that have big windows look even larger because of the natural light coming in. As long as you have plenty of room, Joanna says in her blog that you can add large couches, chairs, and rugs. She especially believes that rugs should be as big as possible. Some of the living rooms she has remolded have rugs almost as big as the room. This gives the room a cozy and cohesive feeling.
Remember To Have Fun
Lastly, Joanna wrote in her blog that the most important tip is to have fun. Even if you mess up, it is not the end of the world. If you happen to paint your wall the wrong color, you can always re-paint it. Joanna recommends that you don’t stress out about it.
Final Thoughts On Joanna Gaines’ Living Room Ideas
Image Source: Eufros
If you watch the TV show Fixer Upper, then you are familiar with the designs that Joanna Gaines creates. Although Joanna Gaines only remodels homes in Texas, you can use Joanna Gaines’ living room ideas no matter where you live. To begin, Joanna says that you should add your own personal style to the living room. Your living room should be functional and not just stylish. In many of the Fixer Upper designs, Joanna adds open shelves and drawers to the living rooms so that there is extra room for storage.
Another helpful tip that Joanna recommends is to add plenty of lighting to your living room. Natural lighting is the best kind of lighting, but if installing windows isn’t an option, Joanna recommends adding lamps and overhead lights. Other living room ideas from Joanna Gaines include painting the walls white, adding greenery, combining old with new, and creating a focal point in your living room.
Joanna also recommends adding large accents to large living rooms. Such accents could be a large coffee table, a large couch, or a large chair. In her blog, Joanna mentions that large rugs are one of the best accents you can add to your home. Joanna prefers larger rugs and sometimes chooses rugs that are almost as big as the living room. She recommends having the front legs of every furniture to be on the rug. I hope this article has inspired you to start decorating your home as Joanna Gaines does. Have fun!
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