Many of you have thought, “Where did that great idea come from?” or “Wow, I loved the link to those light fixtures” or “That beautiful picture you posted was linked to a blog I just could not stop reading!” so we are happy to share with all of you our little treasure trove of secrets and great ideas.
Decorating sites are everywhere. And some of them should be nowhere. Some of them are very very bad with slow loading pictures, hard to follow directions, weird web design, and terrible writing. And oh yeah, there’s that little issue of lots of tacky decor that makes you wonder if you are really looking at the “After” or the “Before” of The Very Long Ago, Before Taste Was Invented.”
We feel your pain. We are forever sludging through some awful site just because we were click-baited into thinking we might find something wonderful.
So we found some lists of favorites compiled by other brilliant folks like us and we started keeping up with our own as well. What you have below is eye candy for days, eclectic but fabulous ideas and designs, websites that are fast and user friendly, and authors, owners, and bloggers that you can’t help but admire, aspire to be, and just fall in love with.
You know you owe us big time now. Yes, of course, you are very welcome. Just Enjoy and don’t forget to come up for air and take a shower sometime soon!
47 Park Avenue feels like a stream of consciousness as described by design (isn’t everyone’s stream of consciousness chock full of ottomans and paint colors?). The blogger behind the site, Michael, and his partner Jonathan purchased a home in London several years ago, and the house was in desperate need of a redo. The blog chronicles that renovation, and it has been a seriously incredible journey. The blog and the progress on the home is a must-follow.
Apartment 34 is a great resource to inspire every aspect of your life. Founder Erin Hiemstra has a clear eye for design, and each interior featured on the website is carefully chosen in line with her refined, pared-back aesthetic.
Because It’s Awesome is the ultimate resource for cool interior finds like Arianna Belle throw pillows, Doug Johnston baskets, and and geometric terrariums (yes, apparently that’s a thing). Tobe Reed is a home decor guru not only because she provides creative tips for how to update a nursery, but because her answer for getting out of the Monday blues is a Kelly Wearstler designed living room. We couldn’t agree more.
Brunch at Saks is a must read for tips including how to update your patio, how to give your house a summer spin, and even how to make the perfect pitcher of sangria. Editor Annemarie Rouleau has a great eye and each and every interior that Rouleau features on her site is more stunning than the next, one of the many reasons we can’t get enough of the site.
Coco + Kelley features shopping guides for the perfect hardware for the home, trend stories (like how to make toile work), and all of the decor inspiration that you could possibly desire. Our favorite part of Cassandra Lavalle’s blog is that she has managed to make high design incredibly accessible, and that is why we can’t get enough of this site.
CocoCozy was launched in 2008 with the blogger behind it using the pen name “Coco.” The site has since created such a following that Coco has produced her own line of chic home accessories and collaborated with brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, DownTown Co., and Capel Rugs. Still, Coco has never revealed her true identity, which is one of the many reason’s we have this site bookmarked.
Design Crisis does just that, it solves those design crisis’ that many of us having rolling around in our heads. Case in point: A recent post by Erin Williamson proclaiming: “I just have the overwhelming urge to buy something and it just might be a giant black leather couch.” Luckily for us, Williamson also has great taste, so when she picks out her favorite black leather couches, trust us, you are going to end up wanting to buy one too.
Design Love Fest is your go-to if you are looking for decor picks ranging from tablescape inspirations to the best design picks from Etsy. Bri Emery, the voice behind the blog, is an art director based in Los Angeles, and her gorgeous original photos make this blog a must-visit (daily).
Design Stiles is a go-to resource for inspiration on how to actually make decor trends work in your own home (like neon light installations, they aren’t just for museums after all). Irene Lovett started the blog as a hobby, but has since grown it into a full on business, who uses it as platform to focus on clients looking for design help on a budget. Needless to say, anyone would be in good hands with a little help from Lovett.
Elements of Style features everything from inspiration for a backyard al fresco soiree to design picks from around the world (including a super cool bookstore in North Carolina). Erin Gates’ strength as a blogger is that she has been able to make Elements of Style both aspirational and personal—we love for instance that she highlights design projects that she is working on in her own life.
Emily Henderson. Is a stylist, author, and TV host who shares her tips to translate her approachable, vibrant style to your home with shoppable stories and room reveals.
House of Earnest is a resource for home decor, hand made projects, and party style. Erin Souder consistently wows us with her do-it-yourself projects from Lucite bookends to tie-dyed tablecloths. Even if you aren’t as crafty as Souder is, you sure will want to be after reading this blog.
House of Harper: is the site of Caroline Harper Knapp, the founder and curator of this one-stop destination for all things lifestyle, home decorating, beauty, travel, and fashion. Follow along as Harper welcomes you to share her journey as she stylishly navigates her way through life as a new mom, homemaker, beauty junkie, and travel aficionado. Recently relocated from New York City back to her home state of Texas, Harper now resides in Houston with her husband and their two sons.
I Suwannee os a great site that features everything from a “Bookcase of the Day” to musings about searching Pinterest for the perfect triangle wallpaper. We can’t get enough of Jamie Meares‘ eclectic take on home decor. Our favorite feature on the blog is her “Donkey of the Day” (which is an actual donkey) proving that this is a blogger who is able to find the sense of humor in home decor.
Kelly Market is the ultimate resource if you are looking for not just home decor inspiration, but specific things to add to your home. Kelly Ottinger seems to have an eye for the best of the best whether you are looking to splurge or are on a budget. We, for instance, couldn’t get enough of her high low feature on the best arm chairs in a huge range of prices.
Knight Moves is for the truly decor obsessed. The blog’s creator Kyle Knight isn’t afraid to get down to the nitty gritty discussing things like cabinet hardware and textile choices. The best part is, no matter what Knight is posting about, it is always drop dead gorgeous.
La Dolce Vita was founded by Paloma Contreras in 2007, La Dolce Vita is a collection of musings about all of the elements that make up ‘the sweet life’: interior design, fashion, travel, and inspiring people and places. Daily features include beautiful interiors, ideas for effortless entertaining, travel destinations to inspire a major case of wanderlust, and ‘The Style Files’: interviews with the top designers and tastemakers in the country.
Lark & Linen, is like a comforting snuggle in ultra-cozy down bedding. Its aesthetic and tone are reliably soft, peaceful, and pretty.
Matchbook Magazine is more than a blog, it is a curated monthly magazine dedicated to everything from fashion to decor to travel. Founded by Katie Armour and Jane Lilly Warren we are particularly addicted to the site’s decor stories like how to set up the perfect al fresco dinner table and suggestions for the best table lamps to buy now (including an Amethyst lamp that was love at first sight).
My Favorite and My Best (MFAMB) is a wealth of inspiration—like ideas for how to display everything from liquor on bar carts to cosmetics in the bathroom to books on your coffee table. What we really love about Jenny Andrews Anderson’s blog is that it has a real sense of humor. When Anderson, for instance, tried to buy a table and a set of chairs, and was screwed over in the process, she went ahead and blogged about it (with a Miley Cyrus reference thrown in).
Old Brand New, is as overflowing with wide-ranging goodness as you might imagine someone with that many professional titles would be.
Pure Style Home is about design, decorating, and finding beauty in the everyday. Liess writes about the process of decorating, sharing business advice and behind-the-scenes peeks into her new book, HABITAT: The Field Guide to Decorating, before and afters of her clients’ homes, and snippets of her own life. Readers will be inspired by her natural, relaxed, livable style.
Remodelista’s tagline is that the site is a “sourcebook for considered living.” Julie Carlson, the editor-in-chief of the site oversees content that includes gorgeous design picks like the perfect round wood framed mirrors, interiors including a modular Danish summer house, and design inspiration from around the world including a pop-up restaurant in San Francisco. This site is for the design obsessed (or those that want to be).
Savvy Home succeeds in being a blog about “tasteful yet affordable living.” Created by Gabrielle Savoie, the blog includes cool picks like what to buy to have an ultra-cool dorm room. We admire Savoie’s ability to find seriously awesome stuff, and we might just have been inspired to buy a cool inexpensive lamp because she suggested it.
The Aestate is chock full of design inspiration, but what really makes Jessica Rowe’s blog a must-read are the incredible home decor DIY projects she features. Tie-dye pillows, gold leaf bookends, Chanel serving trays—Rowe will seemingly take on any project and make it look easy. If only we were as crafty.
The Pursuit of Style fuses fashion and design, and the results are utterly gorgeous. Lindsay Souza started her blog while working in politics in Washington, DC, and has since gone on to make interior design her full time job. Her passion for design is readily apparent everywhere you look on the site.
The Selby is the ultimate resource if you want to get an insider’s glimpse at the interiors of influencers ranging from artist Terence Koh to Kate Spade. We can’t get enough of Todd Selby’s gorgeous and playful photographs and illustrations, and neither can anyone else. Unsurprisingly, this is one of the most revered interiors blogs on the web, and with good reason.
Upperlyne & Co is based in New Orleans and is a lifestyle blog about a classic, casual, cool approach to style, living, and building a dream life from the bottom up. Juley Le shares her signature American rustic, French minimalist style with readers who relate to her ‘forever-a-work-in-progress and never-too-perfect aesthetic.’ She’s passionate about sharing how a little creative thinking mixed with intuitive living can yield the ultimate life.
Wit + Delight, is the cult-popular lifestyle website of Minneapolis-based consultant Kate Arends, has garnered its very own brand of sorts: namely, simple elegance with an approachable yet edited perspective.
Yellow Brick Home is a precious blog of Scott and Lisa, two DIYers with an enormous cult following who document the transformation of their almost-130-year-old house with new and old finds from outdoor flea markets. They also run two online stores: The Pet Shop and The Print Shop.
