Published February 14, 2019

For every generation, there is a trendsetter and Joanna Gaines is the trendsetter of today. There are so many design trends that she started and inspired through her show Fixer Upper. Lately, it seems that everyone looks to her for the next big thing. Her style has definitely had an impact on companies like ours and in order to keep up with the times, you have to roll with the incoming style. After popularizing the farmhouse theme and ushering in the cotton age, Chip and Joanna Gaines have really set a standard for today’s modern home. Today we want to look at a few of our favorite Joanna Gaines inspired designs that you can make a reality in your home, office, or shop.

Cotton

As we mentioned before the cotton craze began with Joanna Gaines. Throughout her designs, she would use cotton stems to fill a space and bring an earthy feel to that room. Cotton is a staple of the farmhouse theme and has been used multiple time throughout the houses she designs. Use stems to make a simple centerpiece or feature them in a lovely vase on an entry table. This shabby-chic look is what has inspired so many people to gear the renovation of their home into the farmhouse direction. At Mills Floral, cotton has become a huge seller for us, it is such a universal product that can easily transition between seasons and can be dressed up or dressed down depending on style.

Photo credit: homemademodernblog.com

Magnolias

Another trend she and husband Chip inspired was the use of magnolias. Obviously, their companies revolve around the use of magnolias, but here at Mills Floral we love the use of magnolias so much that we have an entire collection dedicated to this lovely leafy flower. Something that one has to understand in the home decor industry is that people who are not as creative as a designer would be, go off what they have seen others use to decide what they want. So when a show like Fixer Upper comes along a trend begins and when a trend begins so does the demand for such items. Our magnolias are one of those items.

Between the cotton and magnolias, the queen of home decor struck a cord with the home decor industry that had the rest of us jumping on board. Our magnolia wreaths, garland, and stems come in different shades and sizes for each region. Something that we love is that Joanna incorporates a magnolia wreath in every home that she designs, giving a home a touch of greenery; like her signature on each home.

Crates

Another one of our favorite design ideas from the Gaines crew is the use of crates! Crates are cheap, they can be customizable for a space and they bring in a natural wood feel to a room. Throughout episodes of Fixer Upper you see Mrs. Gaines use crates to hold and organize toys, blankets, or kitchen utensils. You can paint them any color to match your style, arrange them together to make a bookshelf and you have a functional, custom piece that makes a statement. Crates are another universal and mutli-functional item that is cheap and easy to manipulate however you want! Plus it’s pretty easy to find them – at your local grocery store or craft store.

Photo credit: goodshomedesign.com and thespruce.com

Dramatic Lighting

Lighting has always just been a necessity and usually, the fixtures are pretty low profile, especially in a kitchen. But one trend that the Gaines inspired that we LOVE is the use of dramatic light fixtures. She is not afraid to go big and because of this, lighting becomes a focal point of a room. She executes her unique lighting features most notably over a kitchen island, but throughout her designs, she always uses lighting as a way to attract the eye.

No matter the design, Joanna's go-to pendant style leans more toward industrial pendants with exposed metals, wires, and chains. Also mixing in several types of metals is a huge design choice for Joanna. Long gone are the days of your furniture, fixtures, and accessories needing to match. Nowadays to not be matchy-matchy is to be in style.

Photo credit: homedit.com and hgtv.com

Books

The way that Joanna uses and displays books is one of favs because books are something that you probably already have in your home, it just depends on how you display them. Joanna taught us to display books spine in as to create a more uniform look in a space. According to her the different color spines make a space look cluttered and can darken a space, but turning them around so all the pages are exposed gives the eye a softer place to rest.

Photo credit: hgtv.com

And finally…

Antiques

The Gaines family has brought new life to the antique industry. She has taught us how to take something old and incorporate it into something new, giving a home that charm it needs to feel like its been there forever. From antique doors, to a table, to an old instrument. Joanna Gaines proves that you can buy something on the cheap and transform it into whatever you need and make it unique to your exact style. There are two great aspects when using antiques in your home 1) you can generally negotiate price if you are at a store and get a unique piece for a steal or 2) you can get a piece that has meaning to you, something that has been passed down to you or given to your from a relative that has passed away. You can incorporate these pieces into your home and make it a conversation starter.

Photo credit: wideopencountry.com

We could go on and on mentioning the many styles that Joanna has inspired, from subway tiles to shiplap, but these are the few that inspired us the most! All of these items are pieces that can stand the test of time and find a place in a home across generations. We hope that we can inspire you to try something new in your home this year.

Check out our DIY centerpiece display using our French Lavender buds, to add to your farmhouse style: