Interior design has never been simpler because the Internet is home to millions of step-by-step tutorials and inspirational photos. The Internet has made everyone a professional DIYer. People everywhere are finding it easier and cheaper to complete design projects themselves (without overpaying a contractor or interior designer).
From decorating a vase to refurnishing a chair, step-by-step tutorials show you exactly what to do and how to do it. Even novice crafters can redesign and renovate spaces. With all these ideas and potential projects floating around the web, you’re likely wondering where to start. The following websites and mobile applications offer an organized approach to finding and starting a new project, generating ideas, and crafting new items.
Browse Pinterest to Gather Ideas
Pinterest is a website and mobile app that has become wildly popular. It’s a database for sharing ideas and discovering everything ranging from recipes to crafts. You can explore Pinterest in any of 36 categories.
A particularly useful category is ‘DIY and Crafts.’ You can view thousands of pictures of Do-It-Yourself projects, and then you can click on any one of them to view a step-by-step tutorial.
A unique aspect of Pinterest is that you can pin links to boards, so you can look back on them and keep your ideas neat and organized. Similar to Twitter, you can follow your friends and see their pins and boards. Pinterest is a great way to get connected and keep all of your thoughts for future projects in one place.
Watch DIY Tutorials on YouTube
YouTube is a website that most of us are familiar with. YouTube has allowed the world to view countless viral videos of cats and babies; however, there is a more productive and creative side of YouTube.
DIYers, designers, and contractors offer thousands of video tutorials for you to watch. You can view some putting in a basement shower, completing an entire home renovation, power-washing the façade of a two-story home, and so much more. These video tutorials are great because they allow you to watch someone create something before you attempt to create it yourself. The instructional videos can help you decorate your home in no time. They put the steps in easy-to-understand terms so you can complete your project quickly and painlessly.
LikeThatApps.com: A “Visual Search Engine”
Ever see a cute piece of furniture or décor and think I wonder where that came from? Now, you can find out. LikeThatApps.com is a visual search engine that allows you to locate a piece of furniture or cute décor by uploading a picture of it.
If you see a decoration at a friend’s house or at a store or anywhere really you can take a picture of the item with the app, and the app will seek out similar pieces. The app uses image recognition technology to find matches. This visual search engine is extremely useful and will help you to make the right choice in purchasing embellishments for your home. Though this is not a DIY app, it takes the place of a professional designer in finding the right stuff for the right price.
These are only a few of the countless resources you can use to design a space. When you’re looking to give your home that special touch, look no further than your mobile phone or computer.
You don’t need to be a professional designer; you only need an eye for design, a computer, and probably a glue gun and some other tools. More and more homeowners choose to go DIY every day. Save your money and time by using these resources. Happy DIYing, everyone!
