9 Decorating Lessons We Learned from Social Media

Each and every one of us appreciates a little inspiration when it comes to producing a beautiful home on a budget. We’ll get our fix anywhere we can, whether by window-shopping storefronts, browsing coffee-table books, or maintaining a healthy diet of DIY blogs. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we’ve found our latest crush: Instagram. There’s lots to be learned from this app, wherein designers and bloggers snap and share photos and tips about creative style. Here, we’ve rounded up 9 super-useful lessons we’ve learned via our smartphones that will amp up your design savvy.

The right tools simplify a paint job.

1/10
How to Spray Paint

We love picking up tips from DIYers that answer the question, “What makes your job easier?” As if spray paint wasn’t already a total time-saver, we now have a new gadget on our wish list that saves index fingers during longer painting jobs, thanks to @simplestylingsblog.

instagram.com/simplestylingblog

Color unifies everything.

2/10
Room Painting Ideas

In @jenniferdimplesandtangles’ hallway, a bold green ties together an eclectic mix of mirrors. Got some mismatching at work in your own home? Choose a single color to unify your collection, be it of frames, vases, or other tchotchkes.

instagram.com/jenniferdimplesandtangles

You can completely DIY your curtains.

3/10
How to Make Curtains

When restyling window treatments or the shower curtain in the bathroom, save a few dollars by skipping hooks altogether. Instead, use contrasting fabric or even scraps from your current curtain to tie it to the rod, as seen in @tiltonfenwick’s cheerfully styled panel.

instagram.com/tiltonfenwick

Plates need not reside in cupboards.

4/10
Dining Room Decorating Ideas

If your wedding china is just too pretty to eat off, opt instead to display your dishes as art. Show off your collection by hanging your fine china on a prominent wall, as @drivenbydecor has done in her dining room.

instagram.com/drivenbydecor

Hardware doesn’t have to match.

5/10
Crafty Drawer Pulls

When you're stuck with furniture that’s missing a few knobs, you can achieve distinguished results by replacing just a couple of them rather than springing for a complete matching set. Or, creatively reposition what you have: This sideboard was short three of the medallion rounds that originally backed the six drawer pulls, so @primitiveandproper simply moved like hardware to the same row.

instagram.com/primitiveandproper

Incorporate the outdoors for natural beauty.

6/10
DIY Wood Headboard

Natural elements offer an inexpensive solution to texture and whimsy, especially when rustic pieces can be picked up from your own backyard. This sliced-wood headboard from @thewhitebuffalostylingco makes us want to curl up for a nap.

instagram.com/thewhitebuffalostylingco

The weathered Pottery Barn look can be achieved with a little sandpaper.

7/10
Shabby Chic DIY

Shabby chic can be as simple as a swipe of sandpaper. Take a page out of @ellaclaireblog’s book and sand down the edges of anything painted—trays, frames, furniture—with a small square of fine-grade sandpaper. The rougher the edges, the better.

instagram.com/ellaclaireblog

Chalkboard paint can make over any sad space.

8/10
Chalkboard Paint Ideas

Don’t let ugly appliances get you down—look how a coat of paint can perk up an old refrigerator! Using chalkboard paint on the fridge, like @deltagirlframes did, will open up space for doodles and grocery lists.

instagram.com/deltagirlframes

Washi tape outlines all your hanging needs.

9/10
How to Hang Pictures

This quick trick helps minimize the effort that goes into planning a gallery wall. Just unroll strips of washi tape to match the size of each frame, then tear and stick to help you envision the best place to hang your art before you put holes in the wall, just as @lillatallbarret has done along this stairwell.

instagram.com/lillatallbarret

For More...

10/10

Don't Miss!

1pixel

If you have the money to hire a handyman for every household woe, go ahead. But if you want to hang on to your cash and exercise some self-sufficiency, check out these clever products that solve a million and one little problems around the house. Go now!