HGTV Alum Joanna Gaines Upset Neighbors With This Major Design Fail

HGTV alum Joanna Gaines has become known for her signature farmhouse style, which rose to popularity on the hit series "Fixer Upper." Though she's a renovation icon today, the Kansas native started out as a mistake-making newbie just like everyone else. In fact, among the things that you might not know about Joanna is that she actually graduated from Baylor University with a degree in communications, having no plans to delve into home renovation.

In this way, the early days of Chip and Joanna Gaines' flipping endeavors required some "trial and error" on Joanna's part, with the designer opening up about a major design fail made early in her career. "So, there was one project where I was going to spread my wings," she said during a 2016 Facebook livestream. "I had a $20,000 budget and it cost $11,000 to paint the house and I painted the house the wrong color."

On top of being a renovation setback, this painting mistake also majorly upset the house's neighbors. "When I pulled to the house, all the neighbors were looking at me going," she said, shaking her head slowly. "They really wanted to kick her out of the homeowners association," Chip added. "Basically, she was looking for buttercream, turned out school bus yellow." While Joanna had to use the rest of her budget to repaint the house, it turned out to be a learning moment for the future TV personality.

While not as expensive as the $40,000 mistake that Chip and Joanna Gaines made on "Fixer Upper," Joanna's painting mishap was both time-consuming and costly. Fortunately, it did teach the interior designer an important lesson. "I learned [not to] go by those little swatches," she said during her livestream. "You've got to paint a big section before you make a decision." Since then, Joanna's painting know-how has come a long way.

"A fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest ways to add curb appeal to your home," she told Domino in 2018. "But again, this is one of those projects that seems daunting." Joanna explained that, through working with clients, she's learned how intimidating it can be for homeowners to settle on a paint color. "There are so many options out there that the process of choosing can be overwhelming," she said. "Try buying a sample first, or at least save yourself some time and paint a small corner before you really get started."

Joanna also recommends thinking about how you'd like a space to feel. "Color has that way of making us feel something," the reality TV star told Apartment Therapy. "Whether that be calm, whether that be hungry, whether that be excited, whether that be moody — and so defining those words is really key." With Joanna's advice in mind, prospective renovators can be sure to avoid repeating her neighbor-upsetting design fail.