Joanna Gaines Shares Her Secret To Good Home Design (And It's So Touching)

For those of us who aren't professional interior designers, the prospect of redecorating or otherwise designing a home can seem like quite a daunting task. Where should you start? What are the major interior design styles you should know about? How can you avoid an unintentional design faux pas? These are all valid questions, and if you don't have the funds to splurge on your own interior designer, you'll have to research to try and find the answers yourself. Thankfully for us newbies, the very talented Magnolia Network star Joanna Gaines is divulging her top design secret to get you started. 

As an interior designer, Gaines is certainly a respected authority on this topic. She hosted a Masterclass where she shared her top secrets to successfully designing any home. Her most important tip? You're the expert! Gaines believes that designing is all about storytelling, and in that case, there is no one more equipped to tell your family's story than you. You can incorporate your own story in your home by relying on your own instincts for furniture, color, and decor choices. If something feels sentimental to you, choose furnishings that go with that particular item. This step can add personality to any room.

Gaines uses her Instagram channel to show exactly what she means when she says to design your house with storytelling in mind. She showcases a vintage bowl that holds a handful of family photos, plus some baseballs from her kids' first homeruns. For your own home design, consider which items best represent your core values and some of your most cherished memories, and let those guide the decisions you make for each room. 

Your home isn't just a space you and your family exist in, it's where you live, and where you create memories that will last a lifetime. When you design your home with your own story in mind, it creates a space that feels authentic. Some practical ways to achieve this are to incorporate art, photos, furniture, and other personal items, as well as any sentimental memorabilia.

As you consider specific areas like how to decorate your living room, consider creating a photo album with this beautiful linen album from Zicoto. It can be displayed with other books on your coffee table, or you can take your photos to design a gallery wall with unique, personal art pieces as a hallway focal point idea. For each room, choose an item that tells the story of yourself and your family, and let the rest of your design choices highlight or complement it. Home design doesn't have to feel overwhelming. If you stay true to your own journey, preferences, and story at the core, your home will reflect a space of love, familiarity, and comfort.