‘Fixer Upper’: Joanna Gaines Uses 1 Paint Color In Nearly Every Home — Here’s Why

Chip and Joanna Gaines rose to fame on their popular HGTV show Fixer Upper, which premiered in 2013 and ran for five seasons. During that time, people grew to love Joanna’s eye for design and her “modern farmhouse” style.

Today, Joanna has reinvented her style just a bit, though she still sticks to that traditional southern look. With that, there is one paint color Joanna uses in almost every home — and for good reason.

Joanna Gaines became famous for her ‘modern farmhouse’ style

When Chip and Joanna were first approached by HGTV producers about doing a show, Chip was certain it was a scam, according to People. However, after some convincing, he and Joanna allowed a crew to come down to their city of Waco, Texas, and follow them around while they did some design work.

The introduction eventually led to the couple’s HGTV show, which was an instant success. Fans loved the jovial banter between the two, and Joanna’s designs were every homeowner’s dream. She made a name for herself through her modern farmhouse style, which featured elements such as shiplap, antique décor pieces, and plenty of fake plants. Soon enough, Chip and Joanna were household names, and they’ve since gone on to expand their business to encompass a magazine, a restaurant, and a massive home décor brand, among other ventures.

Joanna Gaines swears by white walls throughout a home

When it comes to decorating, fans might have noticed a common theme within Joanna Gaines’ designs: The homes almost always have white walls — including her own home. The real reason has nothing to do with being too lazy to paint. Rather, she sees a white wall as a blank canvas.

Joanna revealed on her blog that white walls “provide a neutral and clean foundation to design around that other colors can’t.” This allows her to have “more freedom to get creative with décor.” Joanna used the example of a home she designed, called the Lunar Lander House, which was complete with wooden beams on the ceiling. “In this living room, the white walls … allow for the wooden features to be a subtle architectural focal point that leaves plenty of room for adding in bold decor.”

Plants also stick out nicely on a white-walled background, and everyone knows how much Joanna loves bringing plants into a home.

Joanna Gaines has easy design tips for the perfect home exterior, too

Though the home’s interior is the focus of each Fixer Upper episode, Joanna makes sure not to neglect the outside of a home, either. During an interview with TODAY host Jenna Bush Hager, Joanna explained what makes a cozy home exterior.

“I think [adding] little things, like potted plants, sconces, [a] front door mat,” Gaines said in terms of making the exterior feel like home. It’s all about those smaller pieces that hold meaning, which Gaines also detailed when discussing her living room with Bush Hager. She even highlighted a “special” piece of décor that she and Chip found years ago on their honeymoon — an antique street sign that hangs near her door.