Joanna Gaines's favorite decor trick is so easy to copy (and can completely update a room)

Joanna Gaines has some seriously fabulous decor tricks up her sleeve. (We mean, how else does one amass ten million devoted Instagram followers and build a literal decor empire?) But if you ask us, the reason her reach is so prolific is because said "tricks" are also super-attainable design lessons (for all of us non-millionaires).

Example A: repeating like patterns in different pieces. To lend cohesion to her schemes—while avoiding matchy-matchyness, a huge "design don't"—Jo is constantly pulling in similar shapes and forms in the various elements of her designs.

In the above Fixer Upper gem, for example, the trellis pattern of the dining-room rug is echoed in the Moroccan-inspired buffet moldings, the bulbous twin lamp bases and even the framed wreath display. But note the difference between "similar" and "same" here, folks. By opting for the former, Gaines creates cozy spaces with character—as opposed to cookie-cutter vibes.

Want to give this trick a whirl, but on a budget? Pick out a pattern in your existing rug or curtains—and order yourself some inexpensive, corresponding throw pillows to establish the motif.