3 Favorite Home Remodeling Blogs

Reader Contribution by Jessica Kellner and Editor
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Whether it’s a new piece of art or furniture or even some new shelves or organizational bins, things that help us redecorate or organize our homes can make us feel refreshed–especially as spring rolls around! I think new decor is even more fun and satisfying when we’ve had a hand in making or renovating it ourselves. Sure, I like the couch and loveseat my husband and I picked out at the furniture store, but I always brag about the antique dining room set and buffet we spied at a local auction, bought for just $50 and refinished with sandpaper and low-VOC paint. I’m fond of the framed vintage New Yorker covers I bought from a street vendor in New York, but I love the hanging artwork we made ourselves out of four canvases, paint and hemp twine.

DIY home decor projects aren’t just fun–they’re also affordable and offer that “thrill of the hunt” feeling. You didn’t just pick up that piece of furniture at Target. No, you had the incredible vision to pick it out at the secondhand store and recognize its post-renovation potential! You didn’t spend $800 on a piece of cool wall art. You made your own amazing art using stuff from around the house! 

Luckily for those of us who aren’t necessarily always inspired on our own, several bloggers out there are filled with fantastic ideas for smart home decorating and secondhand renovating. If you’re looking for inspiration, I suggest you check them out (in addition to Natural Home & Garden, of course!)


Above: Centsational Girl’s Tiered Wine Barrel Planter

1. Centsational Girl

Kate, a northern California blogger who describers herself as a “bargain hunter, design lover and incurable DIYer” offers so many fabulous and adorable remodeling and decorating projects, it’s hard to choose any one to talk about! We’re including the outdoor cabana makeover she did in the upcoming issue of Natural Home & Garden, but  I also love her DIY organizing projects (such as the homemade laundry drying rack) and smart furniture makeovers (like this kelly green desk). But the best thing Centsational Girl has going for her is a great can-do attitude. She’s constantly finding inspiration in the unexpected and putting it to use in her home.

Above: Young House Love’s gallery postcard wall

2. Young House Love

Sherry and John are two “DIY dorks” who share every detail as they renovate their 50-year-old house for modern-day living. John and Sherry always ask how they can do it themselves, do it better, do it greener and do it cheaper–with fantastic results. They share just about everything, from how to clean the whole house quickly to how to paint furniture to how to keep a good attitude during remodels. Sherry and John’s very readable posts make you feel like you’re seeing a little slice of their adorable family’s life (they have a 1-year-old) and make you feel that if they can do it, you can do it (if you follow their very thorough instructions). 

3. House Tweaking

Design lover and mother of soon-to-be three Dana writes about just about everything in her life–including product pics, maternity workouts and holiday decor along with the main renovation posts–as her family has remodeled a home, sold it and now prepares a smaller space for simple but stylish living. I like the personal nature of her blog and her quick and easy transformations. One of my favorites of her many projects is the DIY Fence Board Headboard, pictured above.

  • Published on Mar 12, 2012
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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