Help me make my home beautiful!

December 30, 2007 4:51 PM

What are your favorite home improvement/design/decorating websites?

I just bought a new home, and I'm planning on redecorating (new paint, furniture, etc.) all of the rooms, as well as adding a new bathroom. I've exhausted the hgtv.com website, and I'm looking for sites relating to remodeling, decorating, room design, etc.

So, what are your favorites?

posted by elquien to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

I actually prefer paper to websites for this kind of thing. Better Homes and Gardens has been a very pleasant surprise. A subscription is really affordable and their ideas, layouts, etc., are extremely practical.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:02 PM on December 30, 2007

I'm partial to Fine Living and Dwell for visual stimulation. Not much "how to" content; but the stuff that is there gives me some wonderful ideas. And following Sweetie Darling's lead: Architectural Digest and House Beautiful make me quite happy.
posted by gummi at 5:06 PM on December 30, 2007

Cottageliving.com, countryliving.com, and sometimes marthastewart.com has tours of her houses. I also picked up catalogs of Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn when we bought our new house, just for ideas, and then got similar mirrors, etc., at Lowe's or even Target.
posted by orangemiles at 5:14 PM on December 30, 2007

I have a house (a small house, but still) yet still get a lot of inspiration from apartmenttherapy.com.
posted by junkbox at 5:15 PM on December 30, 2007

Depending on your plans, you can gain a ton of insight from the forums at That Home Site. Best of luck in your new digs!
posted by pammo at 5:24 PM on December 30, 2007

From my point of view Hammerzone.com is an excellent resource. I especially like their section on storage. You might also want to follow the MAKE Blog. Sometimes they give very valuable information, e.g. plans on how to make a workbench.
posted by pu9iad at 5:29 PM on December 30, 2007

Seconding apartmenttherapy.com - I also enjoy (despite the poorly written entries) Ikea Hacker. Neither will provide you with exactly what you're looking for, but they certainly inspire.
posted by wfrgms at 5:36 PM on December 30, 2007

www.askthedecorator.com/
posted by JayRwv at 5:40 PM on December 30, 2007

Fine Homebuilding. See also this similar AskMe thread.
posted by yoga at 7:21 PM on December 30, 2007

I second apartmenttherapy.com
posted by francesca too at 7:59 PM on December 30, 2007

Houseblogs.net is an aggregator site for people who are blogging their home improvement projects--tons of fun and instructive posts there along with a discussion forum. And it is the work of our own Jeanmari and hubby DIYer.
posted by LarryC at 8:04 PM on December 30, 2007

me, too. I'm thinking of blogging the process of spiffing up the small house I'm buying.
posted by theora55 at 4:26 AM on December 31, 2007

I love Design*Sponge!
posted by foxinthesnow at 6:54 AM on December 31, 2007