Joanna Gaines' Tips For Updating Built-Ins To Create A Roomier Space

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Built-in shelves solve a number of storage issues, helping to maximize space in a small home. However, many of those types of shelves come fitted with cabinet doors, a feature that makes them look smaller, according to celebrity designer and "Fixer Upper" star, Joanna Gaines. One of her tips for updating built-ins to create a roomier space is to remove the doors. This opens up the look of the space, giving the eye the impression that the room suddenly got bigger. It's a way to augment the appearance of a feature that's usually designed to be one of the room's focal points.

Despite this strategy being an effective way to visually open the shelves, there's still more you can do to make the area stand out. One trick, which Gaines herself used on season 5, episode 5 of "Fixer Upper," is to create a mix of cabinetry features in a single area. Her design included open shelving, painted uppers, and wooden lowers. 

One way to translate this "mixed use" idea to your built-in shelves would be to leave the doors on the lower cabinets. Those architectural elements might feature lightly-stained wood or black matte doors and matching fixtures, like 5-inch black matte stainless steel door pulls by Ravinte Store. The upper cabinets would remain open and be given a new coat of light paint, like off-white or butter yellow, to make them really stand out next to the darker cabinets below them.

The good effects of this trick are negated if the shelves look cluttered. So, choose a theme and decorate your shelves with it strategically. Let's say you choose books. Joanna Gaines would place a stack of three books with the page-side of the tomes turned outward. Next to the stack might be a potted plant, and on the other side, a stack of two more books. This fills the shelves without cluttering them, leaving plenty of negative space around the decorative elements. It also employs a common design trick that puts items in groups of two or three. The celeb designer turned the books in that direction to create visual texture, which makes them stand out against the smooth cabinets. 

Another trick the celeb designer has employed to create texture is to wrap books in linen or cotton. In this case, the colors of the DIY book covers would be close in hue to the paint on the shelves. The uniformity of color schemes keeps the area looking airy and light.

Know that you're not stuck with books as a decorative theme. You could choose items like groups of family photos or decorative antique boxes flanked by vases or other sculptures. Just ensure you stick to the same decorative element throughout the space, and keep the items clustered in small groupings to prevent the shelves from looking cluttered. Finally, Gaines often decorates with different types of mirrors. Mirrors could be affixed to the back walls of the shelves, reflecting the light from the room and making the built-ins look even brighter and more open.