Magnolia’s Mini Reni: Joanna Gaines Reinvents the Makeover

Recapping Magnolia's Mini Reni - Season 1 - Episode 1 "Whimsical Indoor Garden."

In this episode, Shari and Rhonda dive into Mini Reni, the Magnolia Network’s newest design gem starring Joanna Gaines—minus the demo, the drywall dust, or Chip’s cockroach stunts. With just paint, trim, and $15K, Jo transforms three rooms in a 1930s cottage into a whimsical indoor garden dream.

The Besties break down the design details, debate the reality of DIYing a Mini Reni yourself (spoiler: you'd need a tile fairy), and fawn over that Shari-coded breakfast nook. Plus, Shari confesses to being color gutless, Rhonda drops a Marie Antoinette candle fact, and both launch their own mini reni challenge—with serious regrets already.

If your brain is basically made of HGTV and your dream is a room with zero demo but max drama, this one’s for you.

Love and Kisses,

Rhonda and Shari

Find us at https://designingbesties.buzzsprout.com, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

Transcript

015 - FINAL - MAGNOLIA MINI RENI S1 E1

[00:00:00] Shari: Who needs demo day when Joanna Gaines just reinvented the makeover with nothing but paint, trim, and a perfectly styled monstera.

[00:00:08] Rhonda: She's calling it a mini reni, and we're calling it our new design obsession.

[00:00:15] Shari: Hi there, I'm Shari, and this is my BFF Rhonda.

[00:00:18] Rhonda: And welcome to Designing Bitches!

This podcast for women

[00:00:21] Shari: and brave men

[00:00:22] Rhonda: who eat, sleep, and breathe interior design and recognize their addiction to HGTV.

[00:00:28] Shari: Whether you're rearranging your living room for the 12th time or here to justify another HomeGoods spree. You're in the right place.

[00:00:34] Rhonda: Let's talk design, disasters, and all the beautiful chaos in between.

[00:00:38] Shari: This week we're talking about a brand new show on the Magnolia Network that honestly feels like a warm hug from one of my design heroes, Joanna Gaines. She's back, but this time without Chip and without the construction chaos.

[00:00:51] Rhonda: No sledgehammers, no knocking down walls, just pure design joy to scratch that itch Joanna has after a big renovation. It's called a mini reni. And Joanna's working her magic with nothing more than paint, moldings and furniture. Honestly, it's kind of genius.

[00:01:07] Shari: Exactly. She's proving that you don't need a full-blown reno to make a major impact. And of course, she's doing it with her signature calm, that design eye we'd kill for, and a team that feels like an extension of her living room.

[00:01:20] Rhonda: friends, family, coworkers, basically anybody lucky to be in Joanna's orbit is getting a makeover. And all I could think was, I wish I was next.

[00:01:30] Shari: This week we're covering the very first episode Joanna Gaines does of Mini Reni, Season 1, Episode 1 called "Indoor Whimsical Garden."

[00:01:41] Shari: It is crazy how many HGTV shows today were modeled after Fixer Upper.

[00:01:47] Rhonda: It's clearly made the industry, I think, quite honestly, 

[00:01:50] Shari: I think so too.

[00:01:51] Rhonda: Have to think that I really got into this when she and Chip had their show. I think that was the, the hook for me for HGTV, quite

[00:02:00] Shari: I agree. I was a big fan of HGTV when it first came out. 

[00:02:04] Rhonda: Mm-hmm. 

[00:02:05] Shari: the gardening shows.

[00:02:06] Rhonda: Mm-hmm.

[00:02:07] Shari: And as those kind of dwindled off, and I was deep into my career, I kind of fell out of love with HGTV

and then a couple of years into Fixer Upper because I wasn't an early adopter, friends started talking about this show and I thought, I need to watch it.

And let me tell you, I was obsessed

[00:02:26] Rhonda: In love. Yes.

[00:02:27] Shari: and I feel like Joanna Gaines walked, so half of HGTV could run. they made shiplap a household name, modern farmhouse, a household name, 

and quite frankly, while we've broken up with shiplap since, I still love Joanna.

[00:02:45] Rhonda: Yeah, I, I read a short summary on the internet from some people that had their houses featured on the show,

and they say. You don't see Chip and Joanna as much as it is implied

[00:02:57] Shari: Okay.

[00:02:58] Rhonda: you're not best friends after you don't hang out.

[00:03:01] Shari: Damnit,

I want her as a bestie.

[00:03:05] Rhonda: But they also said, interestingly, chip is even more rambunctious than he appears 

[00:03:10] Shari: How is

that 

possible? 

[00:03:11] Rhonda: I know. And Joanna's even more quiet.

[00:03:13] Shari: I relate to Joanna in that way because I definitely prefer introversion.

[00:03:18] Rhonda: No I'm more the chip, but, I'm not gonna eat a cockroach or jump through a wall to, uh, impress people. These, interviews also said, , they think she's genius and she delivered exactly what they were looking for without even knowing what that was.

So she has that, that knack about her. I would say they also said the renovation was quality. Thick wood trim, beautiful carpentry, you know, class a job, the whole nine yards, no complaints. they don't get to keep the staging, which I think sometimes

really makes it right. 

[00:03:49] Shari: now they can buy it though, 

[00:03:51] Rhonda: They can. Yeah, they can. But think what that would add to your overall renovation budget.

[00:03:55] Shari: And just a reminder, besties, we're, we're actually still talking about Fixer Upper.

We'll get into the new show in a 

[00:04:02] Rhonda: Yeah, sorry. Uh, but yeah, I'd have to throw all my old stuff out and take a second job to afford Joanna's selections. There's no way I'd keep what I had with her, with her renovation, but I thought she looked great. Getting back to the episode, I thought she looked fantastic. She had her hairs glowing.

I thought the overall episode without Chip being there had such a nice feeling of zen.

[00:04:24] Shari: It did. It felt like we were with besties, right? Like this was kind of like a little woman's creation space.

And there's something about, Joanna isn't just her design, and her design aesthetic and I are not always on the same page, but it's the way she builds spaces and the way they've built their businesses with, I wanna say it's sort of with like heart and clarity and a real purpose.

I'm thinking about if you get Magnolia Magazine, which I do, the Magnolia Manifesto.

[00:04:55] Rhonda: Yes.

[00:04:56] Shari: Like there's really something about how they want to move forward and it's very intentional and like that kind of creative force. 

I am in awe of, and I 

would always respect 

[00:05:10] Rhonda: Yeah. You have to respect, people who have built a, an empire, 

right? A Magnolia Empire. They have their own channel, like Oprah, it's a

[00:05:19] Shari: The silos, the network, the 

magazine, like she's a 

visionary, A great brand builder, and it's sort of like she's mastered this making the personal universal 

[00:05:33] Rhonda: Yeah. 

Yeah. Without any. 

Bad press,

you know? 

[00:05:37] Shari: had some bad press.

[00:05:39] Rhonda: Oh, really?

[00:05:39] Shari: Mm-hmm. I don't wanna, I don't wanna actually give it voice. I'm not going to, like, if you besties, are curious, just Google it.

[00:05:47] Rhonda: Mm-hmm.

[00:05:48] Shari: Um, but I also think because we've really been focused on kind of our approach to building this podcast, we just had a strategy meeting yesterday, so it's really top of mind. And when I think about our approach, I, I really wanna model it after kind of how they've been in the creative process, like 

[00:06:05] Rhonda: Yeah, 

[00:06:06] Shari: and others might think it's funny that we use sleep, creep, and leap to describe our podcast journey and our path forward. But I feel like it makes perfect sense to us. And when I was watching this episode and thinking about how Chip and Joanna had moved forward, I feel like it would make perfect sense to Joanna

especially 'cause she's a gardener. 

[00:06:25] Rhonda: Yeah, the reason I love it is I feel very safe with it. I feel, protected and excited at the same time.

[00:06:31] Shari: Yeah. Well, let's talk about this mini reni concept. So I didn't initially like mini reni the term, but it, I honestly, it's grown on me. It's really grown on me.

[00:06:43] Rhonda: Yeah. She said she craves smaller projects after a big renovation. And I can see what she means it that it takes so long she said she loves the before and after. Right. And when it's months, months before you see it. Uh, this is a, this is a week. 

[00:07:01] Shari: I love when she says the mini reni is a way for her to get her wiggles out

[00:07:05] Rhonda: Mm-hmm.

[00:07:06] Shari: in smaller ways without this huge time commitment for her and 

[00:07:10] Rhonda: Mm-hmm. 

[00:07:11] Shari: for the homeowners.

[00:07:12] Rhonda: Yeah, I like that she has rules because you can see how quickly without rules that this could get out of control, and you'd be back into the major renovation,

[00:07:21] Shari: there's already a rule implied that she doesn't specifically call out, and that's the budget.

[00:07:26] Rhonda: Mm-hmm.

[00:07:26] Shari: And then what are the other rules? no demo, no 

demo day, 

[00:07:30] Rhonda: yeah, no tearing down walls. all of the items must be sourced within the local area.

[00:07:36] Shari: or within a week.

[00:07:37] Rhonda: No it'll be here in three months kind of 

thing. 

[00:07:40] Shari: No custom tile coming in.

[00:07:42] Rhonda: No, or made, made while she's doing the renovation and, she. Basically asked employees and friends and family, Hey, do you know anybody that wants a, you know, a mini renovation?

And, and I

just thought, why can't I be one of those people? I would love that. 

[00:07:59] Shari: Well, I feel like we're not friends, family or coworkers. So until we're in that space, we're not on the radar.

[00:08:10] Rhonda: Yes,

[00:08:11] Shari: But I do love that they do it. And I, there was a little bit that I was confused about this project because at one point when she talks about this particular project, she says, these people were getting ready to move in, but when you, when they go to the house, it 

appears that they have already moved in.

So I don't know if I misheard that But it almost sounded like they get together to talk about these projects, that they're kind of looking through a lot of options and they 

[00:08:36] Rhonda: Mm-hmm. 

[00:08:36] Shari: this one.

[00:08:37] Rhonda: Yes.

[00:08:38] Shari: And I didn't know if I caught that right or not, but I, that's sort of what it felt like to me.

And I would imagine if you have an opportunity for Joanna Gaines to do any room in your house.

[00:08:47] Rhonda: Yeah.

[00:08:48] Shari: My guess is they're not on the hunt for people to do this for that they probably have a ton of people who want to be 

[00:08:55] Rhonda: Oh, absolutely. Yes, absolutely. the homeowner, she said, gave her free reign, free reign,

and I, in Joanna's book, she always says like, she wants you to describe your design style in words, 

right? Give her three words or four words. And so this homeowner mentions storied, era authentic, detailed, and artful twist.

Now, I don't know about you, Shari, but these are very interesting choices of words like this must be someone who's a creative

[00:09:28] Shari: interesting the, none of these words are something I would pick. 

I immediately, you know, started thinking about, well, what words would I describe? And I feel like I would take a couple of weeks and probably use chat GPT to help me come up with these four words. And that probably says a lot about me.

That's not necessarily positive, but I would probably stress over finding these four words

[00:09:50] Rhonda: Yeah, I would use words. Yeah. Like welcoming, comfortable. Those would be my words for sure. But yeah, era, authentic, artful twist.

[00:10:01] Shari: Oh my God. Like my house was built in 1993. Like era. Authentic is the last thing 

I'd want it to be. I feel like I've demoed everything about the era this house was built. Like 

[00:10:12] Rhonda: you have stripped. Yes. 

[00:10:13] Shari: No, no, no. no. Sh No, you're right. I know, I know. And then, when she's looking through the options and she finds her inspiration in things like the details on the fireplace and the built-in corner cabinet, and I thought, oh, queue Rhonda saying, I would just tear that fireplace out.

[00:10:35] Rhonda: Yeah. Shari, we'd be like, I don't need a fireplace. Tear that out.

I 

[00:10:38] Shari: don't need that fireplace. I don't need it there.

[00:10:41] Rhonda: I went in another

room. 

Yes. Yeah. She started with the beautiful, arts and crafts looking wallpaper. So that might've been the arty, you know, the arty design 

[00:10:51] Shari: It almost looked like a 

[00:10:51] Rhonda: inspiration. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Yeah. And basically the green, right? She wanted green with, , gold and white accents. And I loved how she pulled all the paint colors from the wallpaper and the tile color, right?

[00:11:05] Shari: Yes,

And the budget is 15 grand.

[00:11:08] Rhonda: Mm-hmm. Not crazy.

[00:11:10] Shari: And then Joanna goes through the house and decides they're gonna do three rooms to stay within budget.

And she selects the living room, dining room, and breakfast nook because they all kind of flow together. And she can do them within the budget and those three rooms would make a big impact.

She also comments that she's not gonna touch the kitchen because that would start to become a construction project, and that's not within the rule set of a mini re 

[00:11:33] Rhonda: No, and. I do mention at the end of my notes I put that kitchen's gonna look really drab. It's gonna look real like it needs a renovation 

after 

[00:11:45] Shari: like the kitchen renovation comes next because you're right. 

[00:11:49] Rhonda: really quick, really quick, Yeah. Uh, she did advise finalizing the design before starting,

and I am. I think that's so smart, and I really wish I'd have done that before I started my office makeover.

Um, I, I put up these, you know, wall of acoustic wood panels and, uh, now I'm trying to find a desk, like I'm trying to brute force everything I. Uh, from here out into this room.

[00:12:13] Shari: That's true. 

[00:12:14] Rhonda: yeah, where I already have a fancy light fixture. I already have built-in IKEA cabinets and yeah, I'm, I'm suffering. I need some inspiration and, some discipline.

So 

finalizing before you

[00:12:24] Shari: as you 

thought about this, because you're currently working on this office. 

Like besties. Were living in the office reno with Rhonda because right now she's recording the podcast from some 

closet in her house.

[00:12:36] Rhonda: And so I'm in the 

[00:12:37] Shari: Um, but I wondered if you thought about, oh, like maybe, and I know you've seen the masterclass that Joanna gives, which talks about like doing these keywords.

Had you already, did you have keywords? If you thought, oh, let me take a step back from my office, redo and incorporate some of these Joanna concepts.

[00:12:56] Rhonda: No, I went at it like a child, like a child would. Yeah. I basically saw these acoustic wood panels at Costco and said, I need some acoustic panels because we're recording a podcast and I

need to make the sound better. 

[00:13:10] Shari: What's the name of that?

Oh, impulse shopper.

[00:13:13] Rhonda: And 

you know, look, I'm saving 

so much money, buying it at Costco and blah, blah, blah. Anyway, huge. Yeah, yeah. Anyway, yeah. I should have started again if I could do it again. Finalize your design, get your words, get your approach together.

[00:13:27] Shari: And watching this made me think I have been half assed working on my primary bedroom

[00:13:34] Rhonda: Mm-hmm.

[00:13:35] Shari: and it's like halfway done.

[00:13:37] Rhonda: Mm-hmm.

[00:13:38] Shari: I watched the show and I thought, I'm gonna go back to kind of the basics that she talks about.

And also I loved that throughout the show she gives little design tips and they show up on the screen.

And I think that was really helpful. The importance also having a plan in the mini reni is because they have that week deadline. And if you don't know if you can source the materials within a week, like you can't wait until you're in the middle of the project to go Oh, like, like that wallpaper's on back order for 

[00:14:04] Rhonda: Yeah, no. No, I did like the names of these paint is this Joanna's line of paint, I assume?

Um, 

[00:14:12] Shari: but you could be, right? 

[00:14:13] Rhonda: band. Blue garden. Party green. Oh, delicious names. 

[00:14:18] Shari: Oh, now, when they said they were gonna paint the living room walls green and the trim blue,

[00:14:23] Rhonda: Mm-hmm. 

[00:14:24] Shari: uh, you can imagine the freak out that was happening in my head.

First of all, I like all, almost all my walls are white and I'm just 

[00:14:33] Rhonda: Yep.

Yep. 

[00:14:35] Shari: OMG. Why don't you just put some plaid wallpaper on the wall while you're at it?

I could not imagine, and I literally, in my head, I'm just thinking, I, I could not even pick, I totally could not picture it. 

[00:14:51] Rhonda: Yeah. 

[00:14:52] Shari: tends to gray a lot. The blue they 

[00:14:54] Rhonda: And almost white, it's so light. I mean, we weren't there in the room to see it in that light, but it, it almost looked like a shade of white to me. It was 

[00:15:03] Shari: Yeah, and I totally trust Joanna's instincts and I knew this wasn't gonna look bad, but I could. I could not. I could not have 

[00:15:13] Rhonda: Yeah. It is funny how your mind goes to a grass green with a navy blue. Right. 

[00:15:18] Shari: Something. Exactly. And 

also I 

[00:15:21] Rhonda: really awful 

version of blue. Yeah. 

[00:15:24] Shari: I don't have the color guts 

[00:15:25] Rhonda: Mm-hmm. 

[00:15:26] Shari: And I had to 

ask myself, am 

[00:15:28] Rhonda: Yeah. 

[00:15:29] Shari: gutless? 

[00:15:31] Rhonda: Why color gutless? I think you are, but only because you know yourself well enough to know that you've tried color and almost every time it fails for

[00:15:40] Shari: I have to paint over it. I don't like painting in the first place and then 

I have to go over it and I just feel, I feel like a total failure.

[00:15:47] Rhonda: Yeah. I think, again, you know yourself well enough that, you're gonna crave the white. You're gonna, that's the only thing

you're really gonna be happy with. 

[00:15:54] Shari: better, Rhonda.

[00:15:55] Rhonda: Well, you know, I just saying, I'm a person that likes color. I want color in my rooms. I crave it. but. I am the person that goes to the store and buys the paint, gets 10 chips, Bina, paints them on the wall, does all the sampling, and then it never fails.

I am just like, Joanna, that I decide on a paint, I put it on the wall, and the next day I stand there saying,

[00:16:16] Shari: Hmm.

[00:16:17] Rhonda: that's not what I picked. That's not what I want. So when it happens to, you know, the design Queen Joanna Gaines puts the paint up and says, this is not right. and goes back to her original plan, and I think the quote she said was, sometimes your first instinct is your best instinct.

So yeah, I did appreciate that. Even Joanna has to suffer some of the, uh, pains. Now, on the other hand, you and I have to repaint our walls. Joanna just tells somebody else to do it. So there is, you know, there is that. Now then Joanna starts describing what they're gonna do in the breakfast nook.

Uhhuh.

[00:16:50] Shari: And in the window area to highlight it and give it its own moment. And I started laughing like another designer's talking about moments,

[00:16:58] Rhonda: Yes. We need a

[00:16:59] Shari: and it's gonna be this gold and white that looks like handmade tiles in

[00:17:04] Rhonda: What do they call those tiles? Are those artisanal? Is that what the artisanal

[00:17:07] Shari: I feel like.

Yeah. They also call it zelliege.

[00:17:12] Rhonda: Okay. Okay. She seems to be in love with that right now because she's using it a lot

[00:17:16] Shari: Mm-hmm. It's really like it's, it's having a moment in the design industry, that's for sure.

[00:17:21] Rhonda: Okay.

[00:17:22] Shari: And it's gonna be these gold and white tiles laid in a checkerboard pattern. And I immediately think of this shower that Christina does in The Flip Off.

[00:17:30] Rhonda: Yes, exactly. Mm-hmm. For her, mother design shower.

[00:17:35] Shari: And when she says, because at their design meeting there are all these paint chips out there, and when it turns out that they're only using two paint colors in all three rooms, I am like, nah, nah. But that is exactly what they did.

[00:17:51] Rhonda: well, not exactly because the, the tile is gold,

[00:17:55] Shari: No, no paint colors.

[00:17:56] Rhonda: Oh, yeah. But I'm just saying there's another color introduced with the tile. It didn't ever occur to me to put tile on a wall that is not affected by water.

[00:18:03] Shari: We'll talk about the reveal later. It like it's a beautiful choice.

[00:18:08] Rhonda: absolutely. But it would not, that would not dawn on Me to put tile on a wall that is not affected by just for me, tile goes on 

Where there's a Can you imagine how, thinking about how hard it's to get wallpaper off, can you imagine when you 

[00:18:21] Shari: get bored of the tile and you're like having to redo all the

[00:18:24] Rhonda: Oh yeah. Especially at that cost. Can you imagine? but anyway, I thought it was beautiful and interesting. She admits she went bolder than usual, which

[00:18:34] Shari: I liked it and I found myself throughout this episode thinking about how much of. What she's creating in these spaces is about those little details.

[00:18:46] Rhonda: Yes. Beautiful details,

[00:18:48] Shari: Now the work starts

and Joanna shares that each of these rooms, I'm gonna laugh when I say this. Each of these rooms can be done with one or two people.

I immediately start thinking, yes, one or two people who have some really good skills in painting, hanging, wallpaper, building those shelves.

[00:19:08] Rhonda: Tile install.

[00:19:10] Shari: me or you and me trying to do this same project? First of all, it would be a six month project and not a one week project.

[00:19:18] Rhonda: Yes.

[00:19:18] Shari: So I felt like that was a little bit, it was, it was a little bit of gaslighting by 

Joanna. Sure one or two people can do it, but

[00:19:27] Rhonda: if it was you and me, I'd be in there hanging that wallpaper by myself,

[00:19:31] Shari: mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

[00:19:32] Rhonda: and you'd be in the other room trying to finish the painting. Angry. 

Angry. 

[00:19:37] Shari: tile before, but it's been a long time, so I would probably cut a

finger 

[00:19:40] Rhonda: Oh yeah,

in the emergency room. I'll finish the 

wallpaper.

[00:19:45] Shari: our recovery time. So make that, it's probably an eight month project Now, besties, if you're thinking like somehow that Rhonda and I live together in the same house, we don't, we're talking about doing things together, but we actually live in two different cities,

[00:19:58] Rhonda: Yes. It would

[00:19:59] Shari: so we just call each other and complain about our little design projects all the time, and how they fail, 

[00:20:06] Rhonda: She did do a short side trip to crew in the garden picking flowers.

[00:20:11] Shari: I love that. First of all, I love her gardens and those zinnias that were so big and crew is adorable.

[00:20:19] Rhonda: He is. Yes. I have a question.

[00:20:21] Shari: Mm-hmm.

[00:20:22] Rhonda: Does she have a Downton Abby sized staff to maintain these gardens? She has a rose garden, this wildflower garden, this flower garden, this veg garden.

She has bees who is maintaining all of

[00:20:36] Shari: I actually don't know, but in my head the way it works is she is so hands-on. This 

[00:20:43] Rhonda: Me 

[00:20:43] Shari: woman who remade, remade, a biscuit 

[00:20:48] Rhonda: Yeah. 

[00:20:49] Shari: five or 10 times to get it exactly right. And I think the only way, like those roses get trimmed, that's Joanna does it.

[00:20:58] Rhonda: Yeah. No, I That they show enough shots of 

[00:21:00] Shari: going in there like she does it.

[00:21:02] Rhonda: Mm-hmm. They have enough shots of her out there working in the garden, but. Part of me is I know how much work my garden is and it's 

[00:21:09] Shari: And it could also be that she gives very specific instructions to, you know, garden staff maybe, and maybe the garden staff is chip, maybe chip's out there cutting the roses.

[00:21:19] Rhonda: I have a feeling he's in the office making money, making deals, making contracts.

[00:21:25] Shari: And then she also changes her mind about, like, she very specifically has a design for how the trim is gonna work in the dining room, along with the wallpaper. And she was gonna do like a pencil line, like put the wallpaper, hang it one foot below the top of the wall, do a pencil molding, and then do crown molding with some egg. 

Egg crate molding below. It like looks very fancy, but when she sees it up, she uses this analogy with jeans that you, once you've heard it, you can't unhear it. And I'm gonna start thinking about how I'm gonna do some design and using jean analogies

[00:22:05] Rhonda: Yes,

[00:22:06] Shari: and that great design is like a great pair of jeans.

[00:22:10] Rhonda: this room has muffin top.

[00:22:11] Shari: And this roof has a muffin top. I loved that. And she decides to add wallpaper above the pencil line, and it absolutely transforms how it looks

[00:22:21] Rhonda: And thank God she still had some left because most of us would not have, would have measured exactly. And not have

[00:22:27] Shari: Oh, you're right. 

[00:22:28] Rhonda: enough to

[00:22:29] Shari: You're right. You're 

[00:22:30] Rhonda: level. So you have to go back online, you have to order some more wallpaper, and guess what? It's a different lot number. So now

it's a different color.

[00:22:39] Shari: I also did like that I have the same experience with my projects. I have this vision . Sometimes I actually do a drawing and I, in my head, it's gonna look great. then when I actually put it up, like it's not exactly what I was envisioning, and then I have to adjust. And I feel like most people probably experience that with their design projects.

And I loved that Joanna shared those with us.

[00:23:03] Rhonda: Yes. So the final reveal.

[00:23:05] Shari: Well, wait,

I need to talk about their trooping through the Magnolia Home store.

[00:23:10] Rhonda: Yes.

[00:23:11] Shari: of all, I'm thinking of her original Magnolia Home store, the Little

[00:23:14] Rhonda: Yeah, that little tiny

[00:23:16] Shari: and 

[00:23:16] Rhonda: 11 size building.

[00:23:18] Shari: This new store is, is vastly different. And you know, I love a monstera 

[00:23:25] Rhonda: Uh, yes, 

[00:23:26] Shari: and they are used abundantly throughout the store, but they go around a corner and there's like this stack of monsteras,

[00:23:35] Rhonda: Yep.

[00:23:36] Shari: it's at least three plants.

And immediately I'm like, I need to find a place to do that. In my house. That was my first thought. I need to find a place to do that. My second thought was, oh my God, I need to, I need to clean the leaves of my monsteras. 'cause hers are all

[00:23:50] Rhonda: Shiny.

[00:23:50] Shari: shiny and mine, I, I

[00:23:53] Rhonda: Staff.

[00:23:54] Shari: and mine, I'm just thinking, oh, like they're, they're suffering.

, I need to clean the leaves of my monsteras. That's my project for this afternoon.

[00:24:03] Rhonda: Oh, excellent. All right.

[00:24:04] Shari: And then the last thing before we get to the reveal, Joanna has a long conversation with us about grounding your space when you style it,

[00:24:11] Rhonda: Oh, 

[00:24:12] Shari: and she's talking about the rugs.

[00:24:14] Rhonda: Mm-hmm.

[00:24:15] Shari: And grounding isn't necessarily putting some dark color on your floor because she uses some very light colored rugs. But it's about how it pulls everything together and it's the idea of centering a room.

[00:24:27] Rhonda: Yeah.

[00:24:28] Shari: And how it really shifts it.

And as she's talking about it, you can absolutely see that it puts everything kind of on the same plane.

[00:24:36] Rhonda: Yeah, she also talks about how busy the walls are, and so keeping everything neutral 

[00:24:41] Shari: Yes. 

[00:24:42] Rhonda: you know, so it doesn't give you that visual clutter that you hate in some of the other design shows.

[00:24:51] Shari: So the reveal, da, da, da.

[00:24:54] Rhonda: So charming and welcoming.

[00:24:56] Shari: Yes.

[00:24:57] Rhonda: But again, Shari, where does the TV go?

[00:25:00] Shari: You know what? I was so in love with these rooms that I actually never thought about it. I now, I'm gonna have to go back and watch the episode.

[00:25:08] Rhonda: she clearly is not pushing Magnolia Network on her clients. There is no television in her design.

[00:25:17] Shari: What we don't know is maybe there's a TV room.

[00:25:20] Rhonda: I's what I was thinking. Another part of the house. Maybe there's a room where they go to watch tv. Yeah, I don't, I don't know. But yeah, I, again, I did that. Where's the TV go moment? You know, it just is never there.

[00:25:31] Shari: Now speaking of the living room, those three little pieces of trim, they, they spaced out in that room that added verticality. The little thin slats, like I was in love with that.

[00:25:44] Rhonda: Me too. I would've felt ridiculous doing that if, if I said to my husband, we're gonna put three slats 

up and they're gonna be 10, 10 inches apart. You know, he'd have been, why, why are we doing this?

[00:25:54] Shari: it looks so 

good. And I was thinking, oh, I bet that would look good in my guest room.

[00:26:01] Rhonda: it would,

[00:26:01] Shari: It would. And if I left it the color of the wood, that's the trim on the nightstand.

[00:26:07] Rhonda: Yes.

[00:26:07] Shari: I, and now I'm thinking, would it be all the walls? No, no, no. Just the wall 

[00:26:10] Rhonda: No. No, but Shari, I did read on the internet that feature walls are out.

[00:26:15] Shari: Oh no,

[00:26:17] Rhonda: saying just like the 

[00:26:18] Shari: just like no more open, no more open concept houses. Mm-hmm.

[00:26:24] Rhonda: Yes. Someone who has a feature wall in almost every room in my house. I did not appreciate reading that.

[00:26:29] Shari: It's so funny, I actually saw a realtor post that one of the ways you can help your home sell is to take out a feature wallet. I almost peed 

[00:26:35] Rhonda: there it is. There it is. Well, you know what?

[00:26:38] Shari: I thought, I don't believe you.

[00:26:41] Rhonda: they're gonna have to change that. Yeah. Yeah. I, I don't think I would ever buy a house because of a feature wall, but maybe, I don't know.

[00:26:48] Shari: And then we get to the dining room and Joanna says she wanted to create a magical moment in the dining room, and it 

[00:26:54] Rhonda: lovely, lovely, magical moment. Yes. Agree

[00:26:57] Shari: And then when she 

[00:26:58] Rhonda: the trim. Mm. Beautiful.

[00:27:00] Shari: it all went together so beautifully. I was worried a little bit about the light colored rug underneath the dining room table.

[00:27:06] Rhonda: Well, what about the white furniture in the living room? I thought clearly there are not toddlers or large dogs living in this house.

[00:27:13] Shari: Yeah, or they certainly can't eat in that room. And then she describes how the tapers on the dining table, she's been very specific about the color because it's pulling the color that's in the wallpaper,

[00:27:24] Rhonda: Yeah.

[00:27:25] Shari: but also the tapers have burned tips. And I have to replace a taper that has a burn tip like 

I 

[00:27:31] Rhonda: you have got to 

[00:27:32] Shari: you never used them. 

[00:27:34] Rhonda: You have got to get some therapy. That's bananas.

[00:27:36] Shari: do. And I was thinking, oh, maybe I should burn them. No. In fact, I like ones with lids, so you never see the burned, ugly stuff on top.

[00:27:44] Rhonda: Oh my god.

[00:27:45] Shari: So, you 

[00:27:46] Rhonda: random.

You can't have these burnt candles. 

You know? Who else was that way? Marie Antoinette. So if you ever go to Versailles, they talk about how they would only burn the candles for one setting and then 

whatever candle was left, they would sell it and then buy brand new candles. That's one of the reasons there was a revolution,

[00:28:02] Shari: Oh my gosh.

[00:28:04] Rhonda: Yeah. You and Marie Antoinette. Mmm.

[00:28:06] Shari: Hmmmmmmmmm. Maybe somehow I'm related to her too.

[00:28:10] Rhonda: Well, you're convinced you're, uh, nobility. So there it is.

[00:28:13] Shari: Well, I am. I am. Now my favorite room though, which you probably already know, is the breakfast nook.

It's my favorite of the three. It's so Shari-coded white walls, round table, lots of plants and shelves to style, and the checkerboard tile on the window wall absolutely

[00:28:35] Rhonda: Some personality.

[00:28:36] Shari: does, and it adds a finishing element to the space and it draws your eye through the room.

[00:28:41] Rhonda: If she hadn't have done that, it would've just been a, again, a boring little space. So, gosh. Dang it. Joanna, you

are good.

[00:28:49] Shari: But it is absolutely, of the three, like no cap, that is my favorite

[00:28:54] Rhonda: I like the living room. It just looks, you walk right into that room, The front door goes right into that room, which I usually don't like, but I will tell you, it just felt like you would walk in there and go, I'm home. This feels so welcoming.

[00:29:05] Shari: True. I feel like I was so taken with the, the molding they had put on the walls and how much I wanted to use it in my guest space that I kind of just didn't really see the rest.

[00:29:18] Rhonda: Yeah.

[00:29:19] Shari: But in the breakfast nook, let's go back to my favorite room. She talks about how the round table creates softness. Because there are so many hard edges in this space, and I absolutely thought about you and I and Crate and 

Barrel yesterday, and you are in love with these cabinets that are arched,

but you were afraid you don't have any other arches in this space.

And that either you would go arch crazy and make your husband start building all kinds of arches throughout your house and 

like your walls are 10 feet high.

And that also because you have so many 90 degree lines in your house and it wouldn't go. But I think Joanna gives you the exact reason why. Those are probably the type of bookshelves you need. You need to create a little softness.

[00:30:05] Rhonda: agree. No, I, I've been thinking about it for sure.

[00:30:08] Shari: So Crate and Barrel, I think Joanna Gains just made you a sale from Rhonda.

[00:30:14] Rhonda: well, again, we'll see. We'll see.

[00:30:16] Shari: Anything else about the reveal rhonda?

[00:30:18] Rhonda: No, no, I. I would say I really enjoyed this episode of Joanna Without Chip. I loved her little sweater with Joey.

[00:30:28] Shari: Yes. 

[00:30:29] Rhonda: Joey on it. Love it. I feel like we got to see a little more of her personality without Chip's energy. 

Dominating, you know, uh, and it, again, like I said, in the beginning, it felt kind of zen-Like I really felt relaxed watching this show.

It had a definite relaxing energy that is not at all there when Chip is running through walls. And like I said, eating a cockroach and, uh, all the things Chip does. So, 

[00:30:58] Shari: Yes. 

[00:30:59] Rhonda: I will, my only, my only criticism. Of the episode is despite trying to appear a little more achievable for the average person, I, I don't think this is something a homeowner could ever achieve by themselves.

It did not feel DIY to me at all.

[00:31:17] Shari: I feel like, 'cause I believe anything's

possible. I feel like it would be possible, but that it's way more than a week.

If you don't know already how to lay tile, and yeah, if you don't already don't know because you're also working with those zelliege tiles

that aren't exactly square you, you'd be driving yourself nuts unless you know how to do that and the wallpaper, and you know, you're the wallpaper wizard.

But I'm the wallpaper idiot. And

I was convinced, based on how you talked about it like that, it was so easy. But I was misled by you.

[00:31:51] Rhonda: I am sorry. I

[00:31:52] Shari: I try to do it and you know, a month later and me crying and my office still being a mess and all being Rhonda's fault,

finally I have two walls, wallpapered, 

[00:32:04] Rhonda: Yeah. 

[00:32:04] Shari: not doing anymore.

[00:32:05] Rhonda: Nope. It's good. It's

good. Call it done.

Mm-hmm. Done.

anyway, I did, I did feel like this was not the average makeover even again, it was just so beautiful. But, it did show how quickly a couple of rooms. Right. Could be completely changed.

[00:32:22] Shari: and that you're doing it with, you didn't take down any walls. This is about using trim

[00:32:29] Rhonda: Mm-hmm.

[00:32:29] Shari: and paint mostly and also restyling it.

[00:32:33] Rhonda: Yeah. It, uh, it looked beautiful. Again, I'm thinking the rest of the house is now looking dingy. time she walks through that, through that breakfast nook and has to look at her kitchen cabinets that need touchups, you know, the baseboards need to be painted again. You know, it never ends.

It 

[00:32:50] Shari: yes. Well, besties, that wraps up our recap of Mini Reni Episode 1, where Joanna Gaines showed us that you don't need a sledgehammer or a chip to create something magical. Just give her a week, a scallop, and 15 K.

[00:33:08] Rhonda: She transformed three rooms in a 1930s cottage into a garden dream, and with just two paint colors, a checkerboard tile, and some seriously bold trim. I loved it and I still dunno how they sourced everything.

That Fast

[00:33:24] Shari: I think you're right that a lot of it comes from her own Mm-hmm.

[00:33:28] Rhonda: Mm-hmm. but Right. Like I struggled to get throw pillows delivered

[00:33:33] Shari: on time and she's out here pulling together three rooms in week. I do not have her color courage call me color gutless, but the end result was stunning. That breakfast nook, Shari-coded to the max.

[00:33:47] Rhonda: Thumbs up. Yes. we've got to give Jo a slow clap for even coming up with a reni No demo, no stress. Just clever design. Quick impact. It's the design challenge we didn't know we needed.

[00:34:00] Shari: Absolutely. Which is why we're thinking of doing our own mini reni challenge.

[00:34:05] Rhonda: Oh,

no. 

[00:34:07] Shari: up besties. Keep an eye on our socials to see if we're brave enough to show the before shots.

[00:34:14] Rhonda: judge. Don't judge. Spoiler. I already regret agreeing to do this, so 

[00:34:24] Shari: and as always, we have some apologies to make. I'm sorry to the burned taper candle community.

I see you. I relate to you, but I still hate the look.

[00:34:34] Rhonda: Who are these people? Come on. Oh, well, after the power goes out, you'll have your own burned taper issue. So,

[00:34:44] Shari: If you are vibing with us and your brain is basically made of HGTV at this point, you need to catch up on all of our episodes at designingbitches.com. We're literally everywhere you listen to podcasts, so hit that follow, like, star or whatever button your app throws at you. We're not picky. We're just needy.

Well, until next time, besties. Bye.

[00:35:04] Rhonda: Bye. See you soon.