While Kermit the Frog might say, “It’s not easy being green,” for Joanna Gaines, green is a delightful color to embrace. This hue is such a favorite for Gaines that Magnolia Home, her collaboration with paint maker KILZ, showcases at least 10 different shades of this natural color. In honor of the 10th anniversary of her popular HGTV series “Fixer Upper,” which debuted in 2014, Gaines purchased a lakehouse to renovate in Waco, Texas, alongside her husband Chip Gaines. Her love for green led to its extensive use throughout the lakehouse. The impressive outcome can be seen in the limited series “Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse,” which premiered in summer 2024.
If you’ve watched the show and are curious about replicating the design inspiration from “Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse,” or if you simply adore green but are unsure how to incorporate it into your home, we’re here to share some ideas from Joanna Gaines. These tips focus on infusing green into your bedroom, and once you’ve mastered these concepts, you can apply them to other areas of your home too.
Mix a Neutral Green with Warm Colored Woods
Joanna Gaines’ green shades are often drawn from nature, featuring earth tones reminiscent of pine, sage, and ocean green. While some greens might stand out too much on their own, these shades, paired with warm-toned woods like mahogany, oak, cherry, or walnut, cultivate an atmosphere of mature sophistication. However, maturity doesn’t have to mean dullness.
In an Instagram post, Gaines illustrates the impact of a neutral green as a backdrop for a desk chair and finished floor in her library. Painting the bookshelf behind them green enhances the warmth of the wood, imparting a mature, yet not stuffy, feel to the room. For your bedroom, a bed frame, nightstand, or dresser featuring warm wood tones provides an excellent opportunity to utilize a neutral green paint like Magnolia Bespoke Green or 1905 Green, a blend of deep blue and jade green tones. With your walls as a backdrop for your bedframe, finished flooring, or other furniture, the warm hues paired with natural green tones will lend your room an adult, yet engaging vibe. However, there is one shade of green to avoid painting in your home.
Bring Plant Life Indoors
Any Joanna Gaines fan knows she loves incorporating plant life into her interiors. Interiorscaping treats plants as design elements, much like accents or furniture — it’s not just about filling empty spaces but enhancing the room aesthetically and sensibly. Consider the natural lighting in your bedroom, how different plants look together (are they the same size or species, and do they complement each other?), and the maintenance needed to sustain them over time.
Joanna Gaines showcases on “Fixer Upper” how creatively placing planters on a bedroom wall and using different plants to highlight specific areas can elevate your living space. Among the houseplants she favors, the Night-Blooming Cereus is especially notable. This tiny cactus blooms at night, adding a natural touch to your bedroom. As an orchid cactus, it requires regular watering but is not overly demanding. Its fragrant flowers bloom around 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night, offering a natural design enhancement that brings life to your bedroom.
Incorporate Matching Shades of Green into Your Bed Layering
While green paint, plants, and decor can significantly impact your bedroom, integrating your favorite color into your bed linens can also create a pleasing aesthetic. For instance, a single-color green duvet over matching bed linens or pillowcases might be too uniform. Conversely, pairing a solid green duvet with a comforter or pillowcase of another solid color, like white, can also lack interest. By combining a solid green duvet or comforter with a pillowcase featuring a pattern that includes green, you can adhere to your color scheme while diversifying other design elements. This approach allows green to take center stage and anchor the other design elements on your bed without becoming monotonous.
Experiment with different textures — think cotton, velvet, or linen — based on seasonal preferences and personal taste. Enhance the look with throw blankets and pillows for a more refined, tailored appearance. Finally, explore Joanna Gaines’ tips for incorporating green into your home decor to make green a primary color throughout your home.
