Home design is everywhere, and it’s not just for professionals anymore. It seems that a person can’t turn on cable without flipping past countless home improvement, decor and renovation shows. Several shows allow you to watch professionals tackle redesign projects from simple furniture refinishing to demolishing or gut renovating entire houses. There are also books by interior designers and guides for “dummies” that offer simple step-by-step instructions. Many sources attempt to inspire us and teach us “do-it-yourself” techniques that we can use to update our own home’s style. In my own home, whether it involves creative brainstorming and inspiration or actual practical tips and tricks, my favorite sources are my subscriptions to several magazines. In addition, each magazine has a website that offers bonus content such as special online-exclusive articles, membership with the ability to save your favorites, enter contests and sign up for email newsletters. These are my favorite magazines for home design and decor, that inspire me to take action and do repairs, renovations, redecorating and creative projects in my home. In a first part of this article, I reviewed my favorite magazines for inspiration, those that demonstrate great style and help us to brainstorm about our own style. These are the magazines that go further, inspiring us to take action and make changes!
The Best Magazines For Home Design and Decor Projects
Real Simple
Real Simple is a publication about simplifying everyday life activities and choices. It contains shopping guides, general self-help and inspiration, recipes and planning guides for a variety of activities and decisions. However, many people don’t realize how many of their articles are incredibly useful in matters of home organization. In my own home, I’ve followed several of their projects and design guides that help you do things like clean up and refinish furniture, decide how to plan room layouts, tips and tricks to build shelving or install lighting, pick out color schemes and create decorations for parties, holidays and to change your house with the seasons. There are countless great ideas in their pages and you can later find them archived on the website and the best part is… you guessed it! The projects really are simple!
http://www.realsimple.com/
Domino
Domino reads like the slightly rebellious and edgy, firecracker little sister of Martha Stewart Living. In some ways it is similar to Elle Decor, mentioned in part one of this article, in that it highlights the freshest new ideas, trends, furniture styles and color schemes. It shows pictorial tours of decors and has great articles about designers, architects and artists that often inspire me. However, it goes a few steps further into practical moves and actions you can take and apply to your own home. For one, it tells you where to find everything in its pages that is for sale and often shows price comparisons, which can come in handy for those of us who crave great style but aren’t exactly rich. Beyond that, it offers insightful guides to implementing fresh looks in your own home and how-to articles that help you do your own updating, refinishing and redecorating moves using furniture and items you already have or could easily get. You don’t need a huge budget. Not pretentious at all, the practical advice and savvy stylish sense of fun is a winning combination that can work for anyone who is interested in revamping, redesigning, redecorating and making some adventurous moves with your space.
http://www.dominomag.com/
ReadyMade
For the truly crafty DIY (Do-it-Yourself) daredevils, or people who want to learn how to be, there is a wonderful hip little resource called ReadyMade. With materials lists, step-by-step directions, helpful diagrams and pictures, you have all you need to attempt small tweaks and updates, or take on big projects to build or craft gifts, furniture, and creative renovations. It also inspires by highlighting projects done by crafty readers and independent artisans. Even in its advertisements, it also supports independent sources to get all kinds of homemade and unique gifts, furniture and decorations, but also highlights where to get source materials to make your own. Some of the projects are a bit advanced, but I often keep my eye on them for later, once I’ve had more practice or anytime I may be up for a challenge. Live and learn, right?
http://readymademag.com/
You don’t need to spend tons of money, hiring a designer for your space and you don’t need to spend hours watching home improvement shows, wishing you had the opportunities to create those kinds of changes in your own home. Pick up a few magazines, get inspired and then get to work! Most of all, let your own style shine and have fun with it. This is your home we are talking about!
