Cyber Decorating

Published July 19, 2012

Every so often I like to check out the cyber world for new and interesting websites in the home décor and renovation arena.

The Internet offers a wealth of information for home renovators and do-it-yourselfers.

The advice is free and can be extremely useful when you find yourself immersed in home decorating and any kind of renovation.

If you can spare the time to peruse a few of these sites I think you will discover some interesting “how-to” projects. Some sites require membership to enter while others are free. Remember to use the suggested links on each website.

One of my all-time favorites is: www.getdecorating.com. This is an amazing site that allows you to easily locate subject categories with over 150 individual homes that you can tour. There are over 500 new photos added annually and it is equipped with a very useful supplier directory for all home products.

This site is like having year’s worth of magazines at your disposal. The ideas are endless and you can easily print off your favorites for later use.

Memberships start at $16.99 (US) for 1 month and go as high as $75.00 (US) for 2 years.

Another great site is www.hometime.com

A spin-off of the popular TV show on PBS and TLC, this site is well organized and very easy to follow. Click on the “How To” link and follow step-by-step various projects that you can do at home. Other highlights include an online project advice section with covers many topics and home décor ideas. Click on the “Drywall” section and learn about tools, materials, preparation required to take on this project.  There is everything from cutting and hanging the drywall to finishing the drywall joints and you can choose from over 32 category listings.

We all love Bob Vila. www.bobvila.com is actually a very user-friendly site. It offers a “Hot Topics” section with all kinds of home renovation ideas such as, selecting garage doors and up-to-date articles on hazardous products and how to deal with them. There is also a “Special Interest Area” which features articles dealing with both interior and exterior home renovations. as well as the “Best of Bob” section featuring the best of Villa’s episodes.

If you are looking to pinpoint a specific remodeling project, check out www.doityourself.com.

This site is perfect for step-by-step advice on building and remodeling everything from roughing in a bathroom to laying hardwood floors. The site is user-friendly and offers many useful sections like the “Questions of the Day” link. Perfect for those of us looking for information on specific projects.

Don’t forget websites such as House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens and Elle Decor. These are just a few examples of hot websites that are always at the top of their game.

Most of the renovation websites offer links to other sites that can more closely direct you to what you are after. It’s best to start with the larger sites first and then narrow your search from there.