2 min readIf there’s anyone who can make “trendlessness” feel cool, it’s Fixer Upper star Joanna Gaines. Just look at her wide-ranging projects, from a Texas hotel to the restoration of a literal castle to her own homes. Gaines’s affinity for timeless design is also on full display in her Magnolia paint collection with KILZ, which is conveniently available on Amazon.
We recently chatted with Gaines about all things paint—of course, we had to get the scoop on her color of the moment: Cottage Grove.
"I love any green," she says. "Whether it's moody or a vintage green, there is so much emotional connection that can come from a green."
Depending on the lighting, Cottage Grove can lean blue or green. In Gaines’s butler’s pantry, it takes on the latter. She drenched the space in the shade, covering the cabinetry, hutch, tongue-and-groove walls, and ceiling. The result feels like being cocooned in a wooded forest.
Fittingly, Gaines says the timeless colors she returns to again and again are those found outdoors.
"A lot of what I've learned in design has come from cues from nature as much as possible," Gaines adds. "When I think of the most timeless palette, I think of what you see in nature: tonal, earthy colors."
Though the designer is clearly a fan of color, she doesn’t love every shade. In fact, she admits that a few give her anxiety.
"This is more of a personal thing, but there are certain colors that give me anxiety, like fuchsia, purple, or red, that make me feel really activated," she notes. "Oh, and orange. That color really pushes on something internally for me."
Of course, color is deeply personal, and a shade that makes one person feel unsettled might make another feel completely at ease. That’s why Gaines doesn’t believe in following strict design rules or trends.
"Paint in whatever colors make you feel best in your home," Gaines tells us. "It's less about the specific color and more about the feeling you want to experience in your space."
