Give Your Windows A Retro-Inspired Upgrade With This Idea From Magnolia Home

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As a classic color, white is as timeless as it is versatile. This is the reason why modern home designers choose this color when styling rooms and certain features of a house, such as the windows. White window frames appeal to many because of the clean and very modern-minimalist aesthetic they add to the space. If you want your home to have a more retro look, ditching the white borders for a darker shade is ideal. Magnolia Home's Joanna Gaines, for one, would rather give windows a dark wood treatment, which is the wood finish trend that will be popping up everywhere in 2026, to make them feel more retro-inspired. And this is exactly what she did for a client on "Mini Reni," her new television show that focuses more on accomplishing small home projects, instead of big home makeovers and remodels.

As seen in a video from the show she posted on Instagram, Gaines is tasked with making the most of a small living room on a tight budget. She walks into it, seeing a blank canvas with all-white walls, windows, and window frames. Though Gaines does not address it in the clip, a jump to a scene of her raving while examining the details of the completed transformation captures what she did to the window trims. Apparently, she painted them dark brown, and the result is a stunning retro-vibe outline for the windows. The shade defined the outlines of the borders and gave a good contrast against the white walls and other neutral elements in the space.

Joanna Gaines's move to paint the window trims of her client's living room was actually smart. Not only did the dark paint add character and depth to the space, but it also accomplished an old-meets-new vibe with how rustic and traditional the new detail looked beside the white walls. Dark wood furniture was quite popular during the Victorian era, and this style carried on until the '90s. More recently, a shift to lighter-toned woods became apparent. Alongside this, white trims also caught on among designers and homeowners, leading to the trendy bright and neutral aesthetics of modern homes. By bringing back dark wood elements to living spaces, Gaines has seemingly found the perfect balance between modern and retro styling.

If you are thinking of recreating Gaines' retro-inspired hack into your own living room, it's important that you invest in the right type and shade of paint to achieve the perfectly dated yet cozy and lived-in feel. Go for Chalky Chicks All-in-One Brown Bear Chalk Paint for furniture or cabinets if you want a dark brown paint that does not require sanding or priming. Rust-Oleum's Gloss Kona Brown Enamel Paint is also a good option if you want your trims in a deep, rich chocolate brown color with a reflective finish. Meanwhile, if you want to highlight your molding's grain patterns, Furniture Clinic's Dark Oak Wood Stain can give you that dark brown shade without concealing your wood's natural lines.