It’s here! Find nostalgic pieces for bright, beloved traditions and unfolding joy. Shop the holiday collection.

The fall issue of Magnolia Journal is out on newsstands. Subscribe Now.

Coming January 28: Jo’s New Children’s Book, The World Needs the Wonder You See. Pre-Order Today.

Fixer Upper Season 5, Episode 16

by Joanna Gaines
Published on March 13, 2018

Tonight’s episode was a new adventure for us—a loft! This was our first loft to feature on the show, and it came with its own set of design challenges. My favorite room from the "No Place Like Home Apartment" is the office/guest room/library combo. Here are a few ideas for renovating an apartment space like this one!

Space-Saving Solutions

Catherine wanted a spare bedroom for guests, a home office, and a library area, but we only had enough square footage to build one room. With an apartment building, we didn’t have the option of expanding out...so we decided to build up. By opening up the ceilings, it gave us a lot more usable space to build a lofted guest bed in this room. We asked our friend, Dustin, to build this bed and the glass and metal wall structure that we designed. This framed wall made the space feel even larger. From there, we had plenty of square footage on the ground to build shelving for the library and a desk. In a small room like this one, every inch counts. For your own home, when you need a room to serve a specific purpose but have limited space to work with, get creative and think outside the box. Combining rooms could be a good solution.

Dark Paint Colors

In here, we used a matte black paint on the walls and then lightened it with other design details in the room—like the flooring, rug, and furniture. Don’t be afraid of dark paint colors! Even bold shades can be balanced out by the other elements in your space.

Bold Blues

I wanted to incorporate the color blue, so we did a lot of color blocking in this space using different shades. Choose a color you love and incorporate it throughout your space using books. I love the way this bookshelf turned out using so many different blue tones.

Thank you for watching with us tonight. Here's a peek at more photos and details from the No Place Like Home Apartment!

WATCH THE EPISODE