If you’ve ever stared blankly at a space thinking it needed a change to bring back its pizzazz, but you don’t have the time or budget for a full renovation, you’re not alone. You don’t need to knock down walls or spend months living in a construction zone to fall back in love with your home. Besides, isn’t a total home makeover so last year? Joanna Gaines, the guru of turning blah spaces into homey retreats, says you don’t have to overhaul everything to fall in love with your home again in her new TV show, “Mini Reni.” And according to Gaines, that’s the biggest reason she loves a mini reni.

For anyone who’s followed Gaines since her “Fixer Upper” days, you know all about the mini reni and were perhaps even inspired to recreate her stylish breakfast nook. A mini reni is exactly what it sounds like. A smaller renovation of a couple of spaces can make a big impact on not only the area but also your whole mood. A mini reni is an approachable, more doable, and honestly, a more relatable way to makeover an area without the cost of a renovation. It’s about refreshing rather than rebuilding. Whether it’s repainting your kitchen cabinets, updating light fixtures, or changing out hardware, the goal is to make thoughtful, meaningful updates you can do in, say, a weekend. With smart tweaks, you can transform your space, not through demolition, but through intention.

Joanna Gaines isn’t a stranger to controversial design choices on HGTV’s “Fixer Upper.” But it’s Gaines’ small-scale renovations, which are all about smart, meaningful updates, not major demolition, that she’s all about right now. The mini reni concept took shape a few years ago when she helped a homeowner quickly refresh their space with simple, small-scale updates, making it look and feel cozier on a $15,000 budget. No knocking down walls or overhauling the layout — just thoughtful tweaks like a new paint color, updated light fixtures, and some intentional styling. The results were beautiful, and more importantly, they proved that a big impact doesn’t always require a big budget or a huge time investment. For Gaines, it’s often the little updates in overlooked spaces that end up making the biggest difference.

The new “Mini Reni” TV show is only about 30 minutes per episode, but that’s because the mini renis have a tight turnaround. In real life, you don’t have to rush the process. Not everyone can put their daily routine on hold for a full-blown renovation, and Gaines seems to get that. With a mini reni, you can give a space a fresh new feel in as little as a weekend, without the chaos or major mess. It doesn’t demand thousands of dollars or months of construction. Mini renis work with what you have, not starting from scratch. That’s not just smart design, it’s empowering.

Small home projects give spaces a quick boost of beauty. Joanna Gaines recommends sticking to cosmetic upgrades — paint, tile, and molding in an area that needs new energy. Maybe you love the architecture but can’t stand the wall color and low lighting? A mini reni is about making changes that won’t break the bank. In the kitchen, if you’re tired of looking at the same pine wood stain on your cabinets, then use cabinet paint in a hue that complements your countertops. Or, say your cabinets and drawers don’t have hardware, then add some unique and unexpected cabinet pulls and knobs to add more function and a sleeker look. Tired of your living room curtains? There are plenty of gorgeous window treatment ideas you can steal from Gaines for an updated look. A mini reni doesn’t even need to be in large spaces to be effective.

You can update cabinet hardware in a powder room or bathroom and swap out the fixtures, like the faucet and lights, in more modern finishes. Plus, you can paint plain white walls in a moodier tone, replace the mirror, or add artwork to the walls. Or, give the illusion of a bigger, more functional entryway by adding a mirror with a ledge for tossing your keys the moment you walk into your home.