Free Inspirations

I recently had one of my readers contact me and ask me what my favorite free magazines were for design inspiration. However, aside from Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs and West Elm, all of the magazines I get are through paid subscriptions. But I must say they are a much better deal than buying them off the shelf. Usually around $15 for a year. That's only a little over a dollar a month. And many magazines run great promotional deals on their sites. For instance, right now Better Homes and Gardens is running a deal for $5.99 for a one year subscription. However, if subscriptions aren't your thing, there are still many available resources online. Here are a few I use:

1. BHG.com- Better Homes and Gardens has a great website with a variety of topics they cover. From crafts, to food, to decorating, to gardening...they have it all. If you go to their website, you can sign up for their weekly newsletter to be emailed to you. I receive this and find inspiration all of the time. It's not one of those newsletters that you delete before even having read it. And the best part is you can subscribe to whichever ones you want.

-Recipes

-Weekly Update (Decorating)

-Life Made Better

-Holidays & Celebrations.

Even if you do have a subscription to the magazine, I would urge you to sign up for this as well because it covers completely different material. And it's free!

2. Decorpad.com- If you're looking for furniture and accessory pieces that are design worthy but not too costly, you should check out Decorpad.com and their "Look 4 Less" page. They also have a huge gallery of rooms to give you inspiration for your own spaces.

3. HGTV.com- This may sound like a no brainer, but I can't tell you how many people love this channel and watch it religiously, yet rarely tap into their online resources. They have tips for every room in your house and advice straight from the show designers.

4. Marthastewart.com- This site offers more DIY crafts, recipes and entertaining ideas than it does actual interior decorating tips. However, it is great when it comes to making you think outside the box, especially for inexpensive accessories and artwork for your home. And if you are planning to throw a great party at your newly decorated place, Martha is your go-to girl for great ideas. She also offers a wide range of newsletters like bhg.com to be sent to your email.

5. Etsy.com- Because so many of the products sold on this site are handmade, it gives you great inspiration for DIY projects. Type in an item you'd like to make for cheap and see what comes up. You'd be surprised how simple it is to make something beautiful at a low cost. Who knows, you might be so inspired that you want to open up a shop of your own on there!

Hopefully these sites will give you just the inspiration you need!

Do you have places that you regularly checkout for great ideas? Where do you get your design inspirations?