I’ve really been excited about making our Queens apartment a “home”. I’ve been on a little break since “Phase 1” (unpacking & carpets on the floor). Now, I’m ready to finish (for now – homes are always evolving). So, I’m at the curtains and wall coverings stage.
I mentioned that our last apartment came with custom window treatments, so I didn’t have to think about it. There are white blinds on all of the windows at our new apartment, but I don’t really like them. We had ordered roman shades for the kids’ room, but we measured wrong (oops). At this point, I’m thinking roman shades all around (the living area, the kitchen and our bedroom). I would like curtains in the living room, but there is a heater and air conditioner under the windows. (I like for curtains to go all the way down to the floor.)
Wall coverings are a whole other story. I have the pictures for the dining area, our bedroom and the kids’ room set in my mind. The dining room and the living room area is still a question mark though. Perhaps a montage of family pictures on one wall and a blowup of my favorite picture of the moment (the Central Park one) on the other in the living room? I have no idea for the kitchen. We’ll see.
In any event, I wanted to share with you the top 5 blogs that I turn to for home design inspiration:
-Apartment Therapy: This site has a lot of helpful information. I found it when I was doing a search for “water pipe covers”. (There’s a pipe in my bathroom that I want to cover.)
-Design Mom: This is Gabrielle Blair’s site. She’s a designer with five (well-behaved – I’ve seen them at an event) kids. I like that she shares about design and answers questions from readers in a mom-friendly, practical way. I also love the photography on this site.
-Ikea Hacker: So many of my friends have found great buys at Ikea. (I had one guy friend in particular who always seemed to find the most stylish things there.) Anyway, this site highlights what people do with their Ikea purchases. It’s full of great ideas (whether you get the items from Ikea or not).
-ShelterPop: I’m always excited to see what this site is writing about. It’s full of great decorating ideas. Some ideas (i.e. Paint A Rug on Your Floor) are above my skill level, but it is fun to sneak a peek. By far, my favorite posts are the “High vs. Low” where they find similar items at vastly different price ranges. (It’s kind of like what I do in my own home!)
And
-Skimbaco Home: My blogging friend Katja recently started this blog. If anyone should know how to decorate a home, it’s Katja – she moves a lot. On the site, she shares practical interior design tips. I especially like how she showcases various design stores and shares how to incorporate “trendy” colors into your home in a natural way.
What are your favorite design blogs/websites?
