Expert Joanna Gaines’ Tips for a Farmhouse Interior Design

 Watching HGTV’s show, Fixer Upper, you may have developed a love for everything farmhouse from shiplap to old hardwood floors. But going back to the basics isn’t what we are typically used to today – even in interior design. In a world where we are surrounded by innovation and new technology, where does one even begin with it comes to incorporating a farmhouse feel into their home?

Fortunately, Fixer Upper’s interior designer, Joanne Gaines, has some excellent tips on how you (yes, YOU) can add a splash of rustic-modern to your space quite effortlessly.

1. Incorporate natural accents into your space.

What’s a farmhouse design without aspects from nature? Looking at Joanna Gaines’ many designs over the years, there is always some kind of inspiration of nature involved. This may involve plants, a fireplace with natural stone, or even prints throughout the space featuring natural fibers. Sometimes Gaines will even create a live herb box to hang on the wall or place on the kitchen counter of her clients’ homes.

Apart from elements and textures of nature, farmhouse interior designs are also often noted for their earthy-tones: beige, forest green, pastels, grays, browns, and so on. (Hey, just look at Gaines’ closet for inspiration!)

In her own designs, Gaines tends to gravitate towards white walls, white countertops, and white cupboards. But every once in a while, she’ll switch it up, maybe offering a light blue-gray accent wall or pastel gray cupboards. Regardless of what she designs to do, there are always aspects of nature thrown in there somehow.

If you wish to implement plants and the like into your space but don’t have a green thumb, check out your local home décor shop for fake flowers, succulents, trees, and other artificial plants that can look just as good in your design as the real thing.

2. Don’t rush the process.

Especially if you’re new to anything related to interior design, quickly getting through the process if never an option if you want things done right the first time around.

According to Joanna Gaines:

“Take your time and gather pieces that mean something to you, whether they’re framed family photos, a beautiful antique clock that speaks to you, or a knickknack that reminds you of your grandmother. Take care in the process, and don’t rush. These elements are what make a house feel like home.

Throw the idea that your house has to look a certain way right out the window. In my opinion, what sets a home apart is when you focus on your family’s story, rather than a style ideal. Find pieces that speak to you, and give yourself the freedom to tell your story in your own unique way.”

Gaines does an excellent job in bringing the simple things into a design. Her idea of incorporating pieces and items that have meaning and emotions tied to them is a great example of why we should take our time with redesigning our home. After all, we do want our home to look and feel like a home, right?

Often times, modern designs try to eliminate the normal home atmosphere. It’s typically about minimizing, scaling back, and a “less is more” approach. But a farmhouse interior design tends to bring what a modern design lacks: a family feel.

3. See the potential in your space.

Regardless of what your home currently looks and feels like, how small or large it is, or even how messy and cramped it may seem, there is always hope for your home to turn into exactly what you picture. It can be hard to imagine now, but step-by-step, you will begin to see the bigger picture as you turn your current design into the farmhouse feel you love.

Gaines states:

“One thing I want to stress is that every home has potential. But ultimately, the potential has to meet the total renovation budget realistically.”

Based on Gaines’ advice, being open to change, and more importantly, actually making the change knowing that your space can become something so much more is key to renovating your dingy, boring design into a clean, enjoyable, rustic space.

Of course, it’s not enough to do what you want in your design; sticking to your design budget is equally as important. Sometimes being thrifty is something you may have to do – and that’s okay.

If you’ve watched Fixer Upper at all, you’ve probably noticed that Gaines works well with slim budgets. She often opts for reclaimed wood or renovates the “yucky” parts of a home in a way that rejuvenates it for future use, all without touching or hardly touching the budget.

Even if you think your home is “too old” and “too outdated” to be revived into a modern-farmhouse design, think again. Gaines has worked with several decade-old homes and turned them from old-fashioned to trendy in a short period of time through working her farmhouse magic.

4. Add beautiful barn lights in your design.

Joanna Gaines is all too familiar with rustic chandeliers or even industrial barn lights. Adding barn lights or other farmhouse-friendly light fixtures is a real turning point for your interior design. Your fixtures, after all, are one of the first things that draws someone to a space.

Fortunately, Cocoweb offers several barn light models and other traditional or rustic fixtures. Many of them immediately scream “Joanna Gaines” all over them. Apart from having the older-styled, metal fixture style you want, our website even offers the right color scheme for your farmhouse space.

Refusing to add the right fixtures to your farmhouse design is not something you’ll want to do, as picking fixtures of a different era will instantly break the natural flow of a space, making the overall design less appealing.

5. Get some inspiration from Pinterest or Houzz.

Even for those who think they know exactly what they want in their interior design, there may be moments when they need to revive their inspiration. That’s when Gaines suggests to her clients that they should consider heading over to Pinterest.com or Houzz.com to get a better idea of their design style.

This is especially important if you feel your design is just a tad off but don’t know how to pull it in. Sometimes you just need that one element or a dash of another color to make your space more appealing.

Always remember that when you ask for advice or even seek out help from sources such as Pinterest or Houzz, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that the design failed you. Instead, it means you made the first important step in accepting that there is always space for growth and learning. Even expert interior designers have their mishaps every now and then and need to replenish their creativity somehow.

Conclusion

From interior designer Joanna Gaines’ words of advice to inspiration from her actual designs, there is a lot we can learn about the farmhouse style, and of course, of interior design on a broad scale. Making use of a rustic design isn’t about being perfect or spending the most money. Rather, it’s about making it affordable, cozy, and family-oriented, and trusting ourselves in the process without killing our bank account.

If you’re ready to implement some farmhouse into your space, make your way on over to Cocoweb.com for stunning barn lights or barn floor lamps that will offer the industrial flair your space needs. Or, if you’re still a little stuck on whether or not farmhouse is for you, check out the rest of our light fixtures – from pendant lights to lanterns – that can best suit your space.