14 Design Details We Love From The Rooms In Joanna Gaines' Waco Castle

Waco, TX is nothing short of a paradise for fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines. The HGTV design duo have been living there for upwards of 20 years, and they've filled the town with new shops, restaurants, and beautiful renovations throughout that time. If you ever get a chance to visit Magnolia for yourself, a trip to Cottonland Castle is a must. The Gaines renovated this castle back in 2019 — which was no easy feat, as it had been mostly abandoned for around 30 years. First built in 1890, the Gaines have worked hard to preserve the original details scattered across the mansion, while also making it feel like a home for the first time in decades.

While designing the space, Joanna came up with a fictional family who would live there. Creating these stories helped her along in the design process, as it gave each room a purpose for this family's life. She imagined a couple who lived there together, had cats, loved hosting, and had many children and grandchildren. Many details of the castle that you'll read about are created specifically for this dream family. We toured Cottonland Castle for ourselves and brought back a few favorite design details from its many rooms. Magnolia fans, here's how to incorporate these genius designs into your own home.

The foyer is one of the first rooms you have the pleasure of seeing as soon as you enter the sprawling Cottonland Castle property. It's bursting with details — a plush green velvet couch, a grand white wood-framed mirror, an antique clock, and a marble coffee table filled with books. But one of our favorite things is the windows. They're paned with delicate diamond shapes and painted in a green-gray color to match the wall paneling.

You don't need new window trim to take inspiration from this look in your own home. If you have pre-existing wall paneling or a colored accent wall, try painting your window trim in the same color — it's an easy DIY that will make your space look more cohesive. For a renter-friendly solution, you can use faux window trim to add on your own designs that will give your space a more historic, vintage feel.

By far the most striking detail in the spacious dining room is the fireplace. It's made entirely from stone and has detailed carvings all over it — all original, featuring the builder's family crest. If you look closely, you can even see pencil lines that mark the heights of the various children who lived in the Castle in the 1900s.

Incorporating this look doesn't mean that you have to opt for a carved mantel — though if you're in the market for a fireplace makeover, a carved wood or stone mantel is certainly an option. An easier way to take inspiration from the grand fireplace is by utilizing carved details around the mantel. A carved mirror frame, shelf, or wall cabinet are simple to incorporate and will add a beautifully storied look.

Alternatively, let the family crest itself inspire you. They're not quite as celebrated now as they were back when the Castle was built, but a mantel is a wonderful place to display family items, as it is traditionally the focal point of a main gathering space in the home. Family photos, inherited heirlooms, or even antiques can add some intrigue.

The Castle's conservatory is where you want to be when sunset happens in Waco. There's nothing like enjoying golden hour surrounded by vibrant greenery and books to read. This long, narrow room has floor-to-ceiling windows that make it feel bright and airy, but we have to say that the many plants also add to the space's sunroom feel.

There's a massive tropical banana plant next to an equally impressive fig on the far side of the room, while two variegated pothos spill out of their containers next to the couch. By the window lives a purple-hued rex begonia, a rubber plant, and another sprawling pothos. There's a clear variety of colors, textures, and sizes amongst the plants that live in this Castle room; they all add their own kind of dimension to the space.

Taller, more dramatic plants like fiddle-leaf figs or rubber plants can fill an empty space in an instant, and they're great eye-catchers. Trailing plants are great at making a space feel more lush, and variegated or colorful plants help make any arrangement pop.

The family that Joanna imagined living in the Castle loves to host, and they're always entertaining. That's why she designed them a second kitchen — one where they could cook and hide the mess, before hosting guests in the main kitchen. Though this kitchen might be made to hide away from guests, it's no less extravagant than any other room in the home. There are plenty of little details to love here, but one of our favorites are the herb drying racks. The racks hang on the wall of the kitchen above the fireplace. They're quite simple: two burnished brass bars with hooks hanging off of them, upon which bundles of herbs are attached.

Incorporating this look into your own home is easy — all you need is a bit of wall space. A rod is easy to find, and you don't need one made for drying herbs specifically; a dowel or even a shower rod that can be safely wall-mounted is more than enough. (You could also use a tension rod if you have the right layout.) Add a few double-sided hooks, hang some bundles of herbs or flowers, and you've got a practical kitchen tool that doubles as rustic decor.

Every nook and cranny in the Castle became its own space after the Gaines' remodel; no area in the mansion goes unused. An open space off the upstairs hallway became a grand library complete with a sliding ladder to help you reach the books on massive shelves. The center of the library features an arched shelf, perfect for displaying books and knickknacks like a curio cabinet would.

Joanna bought books from a flea market by the pound to fill these shelves, because she wanted them to be crammed full of thoughtful reading material without losing their vintage look. We're especially obsessed with how she arranged them, though. The shelves are all different sizes; the thinner shelves hold books stacked horizontally on their sides, while tall shelves are full of vertical rows. The arched cabinet in the center of the room has books that are both stacked and lined up, creating a gorgeous display full of variety.

Sourcing your books from a flea market is a great way to go if you want affordable reading material that looks beautiful. You could also visit a thrift store or second-hand bookstore to pick out works that speak to you. Even if you don't have built-in shelves, any shelving unit will do.

The Castle's primary bedroom is a true oasis. It's plush, elegant, and soothing (and we're pretty confident the enormous glass windows surrounding the room don't hurt, either). Altogether, it's full of details that are simple and clean — after all, a primary bedroom should be a place to retreat to. One piece that stands out in this space, however, is the light fixture. The chandelier in the center of the ceiling is designed to look like a massive candelabra, with flame-shaped lightbulbs that emit a soft, warm glow. It's sleek enough to be unobtrusive, but still draws attention when you walk into the room.

The candle-inspired fixture is clearly a callback to the days when the Castle was first built, but we're truly obsessed with the vintage feel it brings to this bedroom. Take notes from the Gaines' design here: If you're going to opt for a large light fixture, make sure it's thin and sleek, so that it isn't too distracting. Light fixtures that don't cover as much ceiling space are great for crowded, funky, or trailing designs. Don't forget to also take your ceiling space into account; if you have low ceilings, you'll need to find a shallow light fixture. Expansive bedrooms with high ceilings should opt for a larger fixture to help fill the empty space.

Everyone on our tour couldn't help but fall in love with the enormous spa bathroom right off the primary bedroom. The best part? The expansive wet room-style shower, surrounded with paned glass windows and complete with a claw-foot tub right in the middle. It's a brilliant design choice: you get the same beautiful views regardless of whether you're in the shower or bath, and you can treat the entire space as usable wet room if you choose. The shower head is separated from the bath by an alcove, so there's plenty of space for both.

Adding a wet room to your bathroom is a huge bonus design-wise — it can even be a renovation that improves the value of your home — and it's also a great option for smaller bathrooms. Wet rooms with smaller footprints can also use alternative bathtubs, like a compact soaking tub. 

If you're not up for a full bathroom remodel, one aspect of a wet room that makes it look so stylish is how big it can make a bathroom feel. You can make any bathroom feel larger by adding mirrors, using a lighter paint color, and swapping out your shower curtain for glass doors. Continuing the same tile elements from your shower to another area of the bathroom — like the vanity counter backsplash, for example — can also make the space feel more like a cohesive wet room.  

The boy's room feels like one of the most historic rooms in the Castle. Joanna imagined that, in this bedroom, the Castle owner's son could come home from college and stay in his childhood bedroom. She used vintage knickknacks and furniture to add life and history to the space. A golden antique telescope sits by the window, while the bench at the foot of the bed is actually a vintage traveling case. More worn books sit on the nightstand, and a portrait of the Castle's original architect also graces one wall.

These decor pieces make the room feel more authentic, lived-in, and cohesive. If you want a room in your home to feel this storied, it's all about creating a history for it. The pieces in this room go together, and not just because they're all antiques. The briefcase, telescope, vintage camera, and books make the room feel curious and worldly.

Try finding second-hand items that speak to you, and see the ways in which they might complement each other. You could opt for a theme of antique tech, vintage beauty products and magazines, a collection of items from around the world, or anything else that makes you feel at home.

When Joanna thought of the couple she wanted to buy this house, she imagined them to have two young granddaughters that would share a room together. Thus, the cozy pink room on the second floor of the house was born. The sweetest detail here are the matching headboards, made from antique garden gates that Joanna found herself. She had originally hoped to use them for her own daughters, but they ended up wanting something else for their bedrooms; so she saved the twin gates for a future project instead, eventually discovering that they were perfect for the Castle.

Sourcing an old gate is a great way to upcycle your own headboard, and you can opt for a gate of any style you choose. We love the chic curved details on the black metal gates in the girls' room — but the fun part of sourcing your own headboard is that it will end up being completely unique.

If you want two matching headboards like Joanna found, you'll need to find two-door gates. For a headboard that's better suited for a queen- or king-sized bed, a single-door gate is best. You might find one at a local thrift, but your best bet is neighborhood forums like Facebook Marketplace or garage sales.

The downstairs living room is in the basement of the Castle, so it has adorable cubby windows along one wall. That means there's a lot of leftover ledge space that would look awkward on its own; instead, Joanna added a few styling elements to help fill the extra gaps. If you've got a large window or window bench that needs a little extra love, take inspiration from the Castle basement. Books, vases, and plants live in the window cubbies, so that they look appropriately cozy themselves.

For narrower ledges, you could add a small vase or trailing plant. Wider ledges can use a small stack of books, a candle, framed photos, or a table clock. Or, turn a large window ledge into practical storage — if it's in the living or dining room, keep a stack of coasters or cute cocktail napkins on it. Just be sure not to overcrowd your windowsills; even in the large cubby windows, you'll see that Joanna only adds two book stacks with two small vases.

With all the opportunities for hosting the Castle offers, it's no surprise that it also has an abundance of bedrooms. The downstairs guest room is covered in beautiful vintage floral wallpaper; it has a dusty blue background scattered with light leaves and delicate pink flowers. Floral wallpaper is a versatile way to make a room feel livelier; small, busy prints can make a space feel cozy, while larger and more spread-out floral designs ooze elegance and airiness. The Castle picks a print that's gathered, but not overwhelming. The colors in the wallpaper also help to bring out the gold accents throughout the rest of the room, and the pink flowers even match the guest room bedding.

If you're not confident in your wallpapering skills, peel-and-stick wallpaper can be a renter-friendly option that might be easier to apply (and remove). You can also start with a single accent wall to see how the print works in your space, keeping the other design elements of the room in mind.

One thing that makes the basement bathroom stand out is the dark wood finish that stays the same across the bedroom vanity, top shelves, and mirror frame. It's rare that you see the exact same material carried over throughout an entire bathroom, but in this case, it makes the dark wood look more cohesive against the white walls and tile.

The mirror frame, in particular, is what really carries this look — while the dark wood shelves and vanity look like a unit, the matching mirror frame ties it all together. If you bring this design into your own bathroom, make sure to include a similar component that specifically shows how you're bringing the look throughout the entire space. Two matching finishes are a set — three or more demonstrates an aesthetic.

Look for materials that can help contrast what you already have in your bathroom. If you have dark walls and fixtures, consider bringing in a few lighter-toned finishes. If you're working with an all-white space like Joanna, then dark wood is the way to go. This helps make your choices pop.

Who says hanging clothes can't be stylish? Joanna added a small diamond-shaped coat rack to one wall of the downstairs laundry room, creating storage that's both aesthetic and functional. In the Castle, it's used as storage for a wicker basket, linens, decor, and hand brooms.

A wall rack is a budget-friendly way to add personality to your own laundry room (we like the affordable Dseap Accordion Wall Hanger). Find a wood or metal finish that fits your other fixtures and mount it onto your wall; since most of these types of racks can be expanded, you can choose the exact length and shape you want. Leave a few hooks free for laundry if you choose, but don't forget to add decor elements to the pegs to really complete the look.

The moodiest room in the entire house is tucked away in a section of the downstairs basement. It's mostly illuminated by a warm chandelier hanging low over the stone table in the center of the room; the rest of the space feels woodsy and masculine. The fireplace is surrounded by deep black tiles, the walls are paneled with dark wood, there are leather armchairs, and even the floor is black plaid carpet.

One of the fastest ways to turn a room from bright to moody is by darkening the walls. Faux wood paneling is one budget-friendly option here, but you can also opt for a deep paint shade or wallpaper, if you want a darker look. The lighting in the space also helps create its moody atmosphere; consider adding light-filtering curtains to your windows for more control over how the space is lit. Joanna chose warm-toned light bulbs to make the space feel cozier and more intimate, contributing to that secluded and moody feel.