Joanna Gaines Turned Her Parents’ Patio into a Greenhouse-Inspired Sunroom You’ll Want to Copy

In her new show, Mini Reni, on Magnolia Network, Joanna Gaines takes on small-scale renovations that require less time and investment than whole-home makeovers. In her largest mini-reni to date, Gaines transforms her parents' covered patio from a seldom-used outdoor space into a multipurpose indoor/outdoor sunroom inspired by their passions. 

"My father has always had a green thumb, whether that be with his indoor plants or with the garden that he had when we were growing up," she says in the episode. "And my mom loves to have family over, so she would love to use this space also as a gathering spot."

The Transformation

Gaines set out to balance their new sunroom between greenery and entertaining. "The strategy for styling is the space needs to be multifunctional. It's a space for plants but also practically, a place to relax in, to have breakfast and dinner in,” she says on the show.

She enclosed the patio with a wall of windows that mimic those on the existing exterior. Adding transom windows above, and double doors that lead out to the patio, lets in maximum sunlight while keeping bugs at bay. From there, it was all about the decor.

5 Sunroom Decorating Tips to Steal from Joanna Gaines

We’ve distilled Gaines' top five tips for styling your own covered patio like a greenhouse you can hang out in. 

1. Add Decorative Details

Since Gaines couldn't find brick that matched the existing facade, she enclosed the patio with waterproof paneling. Not only will it stand up to the elements outside, but it can also handle splashes from plants being watered inside.

To play up the greenhouse-inspired look, she added a raised trim detail on the interior panels as well as around the windows inside. Painting them chalky green in a satin finish (Quaint Cottage from Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines, crafted by KILZ) created a seamless backdrop, giving the room a warm, welcoming feel.

2. Draw Eyes Up

To elevate the space, Gaines capped off the room with tongue-and-groove boards on the ceiling, along with a trio of wrought iron pendant lights. She originally sourced the lights for her own dining room, but they disappeared against the room's darker wall color. Now they're her mother's favorite feature in this space. (It goes to show that what you pair lights with impacts how they appear.)

3. Combine Beauty and Utility

A series of potting stations boast floating shelves that evoke practical greenhouse style. Made of perforated, powder-coated metal, water can run right through, and they won't rust. Gaines also had the cabinets made from waterproof material and opted for quartz countertops rather than marble.

"In this space where dad is going to be watering a lot, quartz looks like marble, but it's more durable," she explains on the show, noting that it won't leave ring marks from wet pots. It's also a more affordable material. Shelves and drawers in the cabinets also offer plenty of storage for tools and vessels.

4. Be Practical

The black and white checkered floor was also inspired by Gaines' own dining room, along with her mother's love of classic, timeless design. Having spent a large portion of the budget on the windows, they opted for oversized, cost-effective tiles rather than pricier marble or concrete. To give the floor a seamless look, she selected a charcoal grout, which was closest in color to the black tile. "It just goes away and you don't have a grout line," she says on the show.

5. Create Zones

Gaines approached decorating as if she were creating separate vignettes. A round table is ideal for morning coffee and quiet evening dinners, while a long table serves as a worktop for potting plants and can double as a dining surface for larger family gatherings.

Her father was keen to keep the seating area around the fire pit in the center of the room, so they replaced the original gas version with an indoor-safe ethanol version. She contemplated retexturing the surface with plaster, but in the end decided the brick surround helped anchor it to the space. A new top in white quartz gave it a fresh look and tied it to the countertops.

Greenhouse Style Essentials

Dive deeper into the greenhouse aesthetic by shopping the look at Magnolia—Joanna Gaines' online boutique. Here are a few of our favorite style elements from this renovation.

Grey Dotted Bergs Pot

Ceramic pots like this one—made by the iconic Copenhagen-based Bergs pottery—line the shelves of this sunroom and put a twist on the typical style with fluted and dotted detailing. Soak it in water before planting to give your plants a boost.

Isadora Exterior Pendant Light

This candelabra-style cage light features a leaf motif along the edges, making it apropos for a room filled with plants. Hang in multiples like Gaines did or simply position one above a dining table for maximum impact.

'Quaint Cottage' Trim, Door, and Cabinetry Paint

Gaines and her parents sifted through multiple paint chips before landing on this tone of green. Nixing darker and lighter shades, and those that skewed too gray, this mix of 'cloudy hazel and oatmeal beige' sets the perfect tone for a space to "get refreshed, recharged, and inspired."