'It's So Cozy!' — Joanna Gaines Transforms Blank Canvas Into A Dream Living Room
When you first move into a new apartment or house, the blank white walls, plain flooring, and lack of warm lighting can make your new space feel uninviting and uninteresting. However, with the right mindset, you may come to see rooms that lack decor and color as exciting, creative opportunities, rather than difficult projects. There are so many possibilities for customization, and tons of different ways to crank up the cozy factor. HGTV star Joanna Gaines provides us with a brilliant example of this in a living room overhaul video on her official TikTok page. She took what was once a completely empty, featureless space and turned it into a dream living room with distinct character, comforting colors, and charming furnishings.
Near the start of the TikTok video, there's a shot of the home's living room before the makeover. It's empty, plain, and featureless, with the exception of a fireplace. The subsequent look at the finished living room is dramatically different. According to Gaines, "earthy blues and greens, textured tile, and lattice molding work together in this living room to create the whimsy, artful, storied look the homeowner wanted in a color palette we knew she loved." There are also notable contrasts between the hues and textures within the new space that make it feel more contemporary. With its brand-new aesthetic, the renovated living room is almost completely unrecognizable. Though a project of this scale isn't exactly the way to refresh your home without spending any money, it's definitely inspirational and showcases what's possible when you invest in upgrading your home's empty spaces.
What makes Gaines's living room makeover project so impressive?
To turn the living room into a more welcoming space, Gaines started by selecting a palette of natural greens and browns. These colors bring the calming, grounded vibes of the outdoors into the home, and are typical staples of biophilic interior design. To add a bit more texture to one of the room's walls, Gaines used vertically-installed lattice molding boards from floor to ceiling. For homeowners who like the depth that this feature brings but prefer a slightly more traditional style, beadboard wainscoting may be a comparable alternative.
@joannagaines Earthy blues and greens, textured tile, and lattice moulding work together in this #minireni living room to create the whimsy, artful, storied look the homeowner wanted in a color palette we knew she loved.
To tune up the space around the fireplace, Gaines went with a rectangular, glossy black tile that contrasts with both the wooden floor and the green walls, yet remains neutral. This selection allows the hearth to become more of an eye-catching focal point — the materials around the opening are completely different from everything else found in the room. This effect is aided by the fact that many of the furniture pieces point in that direction. If you're overhauling your living room but you don't have a fireplace, you can create focal points with art and textiles instead.
After painting the walls, Gaines complemented their color and leaned further into the nature theme with her smaller decor pieces. The addition of house plants and framed drawings of flowers moves the room further away from the cold sterility it once had and makes its seating area a more relaxing environment. The mirror on the mantlepiece is also not to be overlooked; its placement allows it to reflect natural light and create the illusion of additional space.