The Neutral Paint Color Joanna Gaines Swears By Is Stunning - House Digest (2024)

Home Improvement Paint

Bill Oxford/Getty Images

ByAlexandria Taylor/Nov. 21, 2023 11:00 am EST

Joanna Gaines knows how to master a neutral color palette. The interior designer often uses various shades of white and gray to create a comfortable and clean rustic home. But of all the shades of white gray Gaines uses in her designs, what is her absolute favorite? It turns out it's a shade from the Magnolia paint line. Wedding Band from Magnolia is one of Gaines's favorite shades to use throughout the home. Light blue-tinted silver gray is inspired by the color of Chip Gaines's wedding band. "For me, this color represents promise and timelessness. It's a color that is certain and rich in security," Gaines writes on the Magnolia website.

The versatile shade works well throughout the home. However, Gaines has a few specific places she likes to use it. "In a bathroom, I like the idea of using something fresh and clean, like one of my favorite grays, 'Wedding Band,'" the designer explained in an interview with Elle Decor. A clean and crisp gray is a beautiful color to use in the bathroom because it acts like a balancing neutral between black and white. It creates a calm yet elegant environment, which is ideal for spaces you're trying to relax in. Where black can be too dark and white can feel too austere, gray has the crispness of white with some of the depth of black. Plus, the tint of blue in Wedding Band adds just a hint of color to the space.

Magnolia

Many more interior designers are leaning towards using gray in the spaces they design. The shade has qualities of being soothing, elegant, and timeless, so it easily fits into a variety of décorstyles, including those that lean traditional or modern. Joanna Gaines loves using her favorite gray, Wedding Band, in the bathrooms she designs because it acts as a balancing and calming color. However, you don't have to stop there when adding gray to your home. The neutrality and flexibility mean gray can work in just about every room of the house. Utilizing the calming qualities of gray, it can be a great option to create a relaxing retreat in the bedroom. Gray can also be a great color for an office since it can tone down distractions.

When it comes to painting a room, painting every wall gray is one of the best ways to go. Consider carrying gray up to the ceiling as well for an enveloping look. Or use gray as an accent to draw attention to a part of the design by painting only one wall or part of the walls. Be cautious with gray, though, because it can make a space look flat, so adding texture before painting a wall gray can create a stunning accent. Consider adding board and batten, shiplap, or wainscotting to the wall before painting it gray. The textural element will add some visual interest to the room.

Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

Undertones are essential when choosing a gray paint in your home. Wedding Band from Joanna Gaines' Magnolia has a light blue undertone that can add to the calmness of the space. Since blue has tranquil properties, the undertone in Wedding Band is ideal for creating a soothing environment. However, if you're looking to neutralize the blue undertones, paint it in a room that receives a lot of natural sunlight. While Wedding Band skews blue with its undertones, there are other gray paints that are warmer with yellow, orange, or red undertones.

Paying attention to the undertones of gray is essential because it will help ensure the room looks cohesive. You'll want other gray elements, like furniture, art, pillows, and even other paint, to have a similar undertone to your main gray. That's also important when you pick out other colors for the details in your home. If your gray is a cool gray like Wedding Band, it's best to stick to blues, greens, and purples to create a cohesive color palette.