Joanna Gaines’ Latest “Mini Reni” Uses Tile in a Super-Fun Way

Joanna Gaines has jumped right into her Mini Reni (renovations that don’t require any demolition and can be completed within a week) side project. Her latest Mini Reni was a small breakfast nook located off her client’s kitchen. It already had beautiful large windows and glossy hardwood floors, and just needed a few details to give it that wow factor. And nothing says wow quite like an accent wall — but Gaines opted for tile over paint.

According to the Magnolia blog, Gaines chose a rectangular tile in cream and mustard to bring out the beauty of the windows. Stacking the tiles lengthwise in a checkerboard pattern created an illusion that the ceiling is taller than it actually is, and the pop of yellow brightens and warms the space.

The soft glossy glaze of the tile is also a perfect reflector of light, making sunny days even sunnier.

And to make the tile wall look less like a bathroom or kitchen backsplash, Gaines and her team installed the tile using a “dry stack” method, meaning they didn’t use any grout or spacers. This gives the tiled wall a more artisanal feel than traditional grouted tile.

Paired with a custom copper-and-wood shelving unit and a new low-hanging light fixture, the breakfast nook went from bland to inviting and is the perfect midpoint between the kitchen and the formal dining room. This corner was built for enjoying sunny mornings and hot cups of coffee.

What a way to start a series! You can check out the next Mini Reni Gaines and her team tackle by tuning into the Magnolia Network.