Quote Of The Day By Joanna Gaines: Her Main Interior Design Inspiration

When it comes to interior design, Joanna Gaines is the closest we have to royalty. She and her husband, Chip Gaines, became home renovation superstars thanks to their HGTV show "Fixer Upper," one of the broadcaster's most successful franchises. The show's original five seasons ran from 2013 to 2017 and featured the couple renovating homes in Waco, Texas. Since then, the couple has starred in spinoffs of the show on their very own channel, Magnolia Network. These special seasons centered on out-of-the-box projects, like renovating a castle, a mountain house, or a lakehouse.

While becoming television stars, the Gaines also built an empire. They opened a market, a coffee shop, a restaurant, a hotel, and an array of specialty shops in Waco, Texas. They launched a magazine called the Magnolia Journal and partnered with Target and Anthropologie on several home and decor lines. Plus, they are New York Times bestselling authors. Between the two of them, the Gaines have written almost a dozen books, including cookbooks, design books, memoirs, and even children's books.

Originally from Kansas, Joanna Gaines grew up in Texas. The mother of five is often credited as the woman who singlehandedly popularized modern farmhouse style. Over the years, tons of people tried to steal Gaines' shiplap look in their homes. Needless to say, she knows what she's talking about when it comes to interior design. And that's why Gaines is today's quote of the day.

The full quote reads: "I always tell my team when I get stuck from an inspiration standpoint, or I can't figure out what the next step is, I always go outside. I don't go online, I don't look at books – I have to step outside. Nature is our greatest teacher with design because it does it so perfectly." 

This quote comes from an interview Joanna Gaines did with Homes and Gardens in 2024. The interview touches on how the star interior designer gets her inspiration and how she integrates indoor and outdoor spaces. It's a masterclass in how to think about a home cohesively, beyond the walls of the house.

The interview came on the heels of Gaines releasing the spinoff show "Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse," in which she and her husband renovated a 1960s lakehouse in Waco, Texas. The project brought new challenges to the couple and their team, especially around blending the indoors and outdoors. Clearly, the challenge allowed Gaines to reflect on her art, inspiration, and process, and she was generous enough to share some of her wise conclusions with the rest of us.

With this quote, Joanna Gaines reminds us that the best inspiration comes from the outdoors, not from Pinterest. It's easy to see why nature gets her creative juices flowing: It brings fresh perspectives, and it's full of good design. The shapes, colors, and patterns that you can see in the trees, flowers, sky, and mountains all have a way of fitting together so beautifully. Think about it: Are there many color palettes that can rival a seaside sunset? 

It's easy to find examples of Gaines implementing this approach. Around the time when the Homes and Gardens interview was published, she renovated her lakehouse in Waco, where she brought the outdoors in through earthy colors and organic textures. During this time, she also released a color palette with a commercial paint company, which used earthy color combinations from the great outdoors. To replicate this style, no need to buy this particular palette. Simply look for earthy greens, watery blues, and stone-like grays wherever you get your paint buckets. 

So, the next time you're struggling to find inspiration for a home renovation project, go for a walk. Look around you; what does the scenery inspire? Which colors calm you, and which ones energize you? Are large and open spaces like the sky and sea sparking something in your mind? Or is the coziness of a tree's shadow bringing you comfort? More practically speaking, you can just focus on colors: Which specific tones do you like and want to bring inside?

This quote is also a reminder that fresh air and stepping away from a problem can help you solve it. Instead of going down rabbit holes on Instagram, step outside and experience the world. Even if you don't find the solution to your problem right away, you'll likely be able to look at it in a new light once you return. 

• "[W]henever people are gathered around my table — whether it is a planned or an unexpected moment — I'll pull out the candlesticks with no end in mind. Instead of watching the clock, I watch the wax gather, then drip. I let it land where it's meant to, and as for the evening, I let the same hold true." — from the fall 2026 edition of Magnolia Magazine
• "The reality is that old houses that were built a hundred years ago were built by actual craftsmen, people who were the best in the world at what they did. The little nuances in the woodwork, the framing of the doors, the built-in nooks, the windows — all had been done by smart, talented people, and I quickly found that uncovering those details and all of that character made the house more inviting and more attractive and more alive." — from "The Magnolia Story"
• "I always thought that the 'thriving' would come when everything was perfect, and what I learned is that it's actually down in the mess that things get good." — from "The Magnolia Story"
• "[Th]e most valuable thing you can do when it comes to gathering, whether it's an intimate meal with your family, a last-minute dinner with friends, or an event with guests, is to free yourself from the burden of expectations. And to lean into all the life and goodness and beauty that awaits at our dinner tables." — from "Magnolia Table, Volume 2" 
• "When you're open to share your story, hopefully that inspires other people to feel open, to be vulnerable. I think that's where healing is, that's where connection is, that's where community is. When you want to hide, that's where isolation is, that's where loneliness is." — from a 2022 interview with Today 
• "Spring is when everything comes back to life. It's when nature reawakens and light pours in again throughout the house. It's such a fresh-feeling season and I always want my home to reflect the shifts that are happening out in nature, so for me, the ideal spring decor is always going to come from a place of embracing nature and bringing the outdoors in." — from a 2025 interview with Good Housekeeping