I have had a lot of success finding blogs about interior design. Holly Becker, a writer and interior design consultant, writes Decor8: Fresh Finds for Hip Spaces. She created Decor8 to “catalog beautiful finds and to inspire others.” What distinguishes this blog from others is that it asks questions to its’ readers. It encourages readers to comment on the various posts making the blog a more interactive sight. For example, one post from January 28th asks…“What do you love about this look? What don’t you like? Could you live like this? Do you live like this currently?”

In less than 12 hours, there has already been 35 comments.
Another blog, Remodelista is an “online design forum” for a group of friends who share similar design sensibilities. As stated on their site, this particular blog is for...
“interiors aficionados who share the same design DNA: a genetically encoded aesthetic. You know who you are: You’re not the type to hire an interior designer: you’re not about to outsource your decor, and you don’t want a sterile, magazine-perfect environment”.
What differentiates this blog from the others is that it solely revolves around interior design. Blogs such as Absolutely Beautiful Things, by Anna Spiro, and Coco + Kelly by Cassandra, take a more personal approach, not only sharing their interior design tastes, but also their opinion on such topics such as art, books, cooking and photography.

Apartment Therapy is another blog I came across. From its many advertisements speckled across the pages, it is clear that it is a more established blog than some others I had been reading. This blog also has a different set up, where each new post is just a small sample and in order to read it, you are redirected to a different page. What I like this sight is that they supply related links for each of their posts.

Material Girls

Material Girls is another interior design blog that provides home décor tips for its’ readers. The blog’s contributors include Lauren, Abby Baldwin, Emily Johnston , Jill Seidner and Julia B. Edelmann. All these contributors are talented, well established interior designers. Their offices are scattered across the country, including Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Brooklyn and Chicago.

Everyday, the 172,718 Material Girls’ readers are provided with new information on interior design. The blog’s readers are given the opportunity to comment on the daily posts. The readers’ comments reveal that the blog’s audience can be divided into two main subgroups. One subgroup includes professionals with careers as interior designers. The other subgroup, in which I would categorize myself in, is made up of people who do not necessary work in the interior design business but have an interest in it. Because Material Girls’ blog posts are short and simple, this blog is able to cater to both of these subgroups and be enjoyable for the readers regardless of their experience in the interior design industry. The audiences’ experience and interest on the topic of interior design is evident through their comments because they often offer additional links to other websites as well as helpful design tips.

Although the blog’s writers share their personal opinions, the readers are still provided with a broad, valuable perspective on interior design. This is made possible by the contributors’ combination of different backgrounds and aesthetics. By offering a diverse range of interior design styles to its’ readers and by posting articles from other established sites and interior design magazines, the blog is able to maintain its credibility.

Domino, a reputable and well-respected interior design magazine, was referenced on a post from January 15. The article was about interior designer, Mary McDonald. As Emily Johnson writes, McDonald “does not care if a piece is "high" or "low", she isn't afraid to paint zig zags on the floor, nor does she hesitate when pairing colors like navy and rose”. McDonald is considered “one of the most daring designers out there”. Johnson praises McDonald for knowing “how to dress a space- no matter how unpredictable, glam, bold, ornate, bright, geometric, dressed up, or casual it is, she nails it every time”. The post shares McDonald’s design tips as well as reveals pictures from Domino of some of her work.

McDonald’s design tips (summarized by Material Girls):

1. Define a room with hardware store bought molding



2. Pair classics with the "ridiculous"
3. When designing a room in a monochromatic scheme, add a shot of contrast
4. Don't be afraid to go bold on the floor



5. Don't be afraid to get a little funky in areas that normally lend themselves to the expected
6. Start neutral, then pile on the accessories
7. Cheat by using both high and low end items



8. Collect objects (from around the world) in all the same hue to form unified and sophisticated displays

The blog benefits from being written by working interior designers because it can share information that only professional have access to. For instance, on January 19th, Emily Johnson posted pictures from the Home and Gift Market at The Dallas Market Center. One of Johnson’s favorites showrooms is Global Views. She writes that “lots of glitz and glamour adorn their vignettes” and it is filled with “sunburst mirrors, metallics, and graphic prints”. Here is a picture from the Home and Gift Market at The Dallas Market Center and the showroom.





Although I do not have access to showrooms that a professional might have, I can offer a unique point of view to my readers. Since I do not work in the interior design industry (or own my own house to decorate), I have not cultivated a personal, distinctive style yet. I will be able to provide my readers with a young, fresh, open and uninhibited view on the interior design world. Ultimately, I can only hope that my blog will inspire others the way Material Girls has inspired me.

Welcome

I have a confession. I love watching HGTV, the Home and Garden network. Although I am a 21 year old girl who doesn’t even have a home or garden to cater to, I still adore learning, watching and hearing about interior design.

Although you might not want to admit it, interior design relates to everyone, regardless of age, gender, class or race. Even if you are a college student who has a room full of mismatched furniture, it is that same mismatched furniture you see, feel, sit or run into everyday.

I hope to inform my readers about the world of interior design. I want to show how different styles can be used to express individuality, personality and taste. By sharing a large variety of styles, such as Asian, contemporary, country, eclectic, English country, Mediterranean, mission, modern, romantic, traditional, transitional, tropical or even western, I want to ensure that there is something to inspire everyone.

Designers that have inspired me personally include Rachel Ashwell, Thomas O-Brien, Jamie Drake, Alex Papachristidis, Steven Gambrel, Candice Olson, Kenneth Brown, Phillip Greenberg and Angelo Surmelis to name a few. Although all these designers’ work differs from one another, they all have the uncanny ability to maintain their own point of view. I respect their ability to illustrate their unique vision no matter what type of room they design.

I want to share these renowned designers’ work not to set an unreachable standard for my readers, but to inspire them. I want to show that beautiful furniture, drapes, bedding, pillows or flooring does not always have an expensive price tag attached. Although it might take a disposable income to hire the top designer and afford custom made furniture, it is important to remember that style is free. As long as you are willing to be creative, anyone can surround himself or herself with functional and inspirational design.

It is also important to realize that interior design is not restricted to the home. Interior design is essential for hotels, apartment buildings, restaurants, stores and bars. I want to share the ways these buildings can elicit a feeling or mood just by their interior design.

A major trend that has started to infiltrate the design world is the notion of “going green”. There are a plethora of ways people can be environmentally friendly when designing a room. There is even a television show on HGTV “Red, Hot and Green”, which focuses on designing with the environment in mind. Each episode features an eco-friendly room makeover. I want to share ideas I have gathered from the show and other articles to help inspire others to be more green.

Whether it is that Dallas Cowboys wallpaper you remember having splashed all over your walls when you were growing up, or the antique desk you inherited from your grandparents, the items that make up a your interior design signifies a part of you. What you surround yourself with not only represents you life, but also influences it.