I embedded an article from my super fave website Houzz.com. How did I do this? I just followed the directions on it. What did the directions say? I don't remember. Just like my high school science tests, when I just memorized what the book said and wrote it down and got a good grade, I just did it. Don't ask me to explain photosynthesis- I'd have to go back and check my notes. Isn't that what happens in "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" on the leaf? Wait, that's a chrysalis. Whatever.
Anyways, if, like me you enjoy sitting in the local coffee shop/kitchen breakfast bar/park bench perusing Pinterest and online decorating photos galore, this is the site for you. It's like window shopping. You don't spend money, just time. Which some of us have more of than money.
Speaking of Pinterest, check out my board entitled Realistic Renovations. Unlike most of the fancy photos on there which are meant to be inspirational, mine are actual photos from my own projects, many of them taken with my iphone.
No fancy edited photos with views of the ocean/golfcourse/mountainside/vineyard. Just pure unadorned reality.
Ok, Back to Houzz.com.
Here are some key features:
1) Ideabooks: These are like folders online you keep of all the photos you save. When you see something you like, you add it to your ideabook. You can add more than photos, but articles as well. You can name all of your ideabooks. That way, when you want to waste valuable time perusing photos, you have them all categorized. You can view the same photos multiple times. This can be very helpful when you are looking for inspiration for a project for yourself or someone else. You can have an ideabook called Dave's Basement, etc. You can put all kinds of stuff in there from products to articles to photos.
2) Articles: Houzz.com not only has a photo gallery, but has groups of photos with articles featuring a certain topic, like, "Eclectic Design in a California Ranch", or "Creating a Craft room in your Closet". Each week they send a newsletter via email with a variety of such articles. So something for everyone. I tend to skip over the architecture and gardening ones, but that's just me.
3) Links to products and blogs:
I find a lot of links on here to cool products that I wouldn't think to look for otherwise. Cool tea towels, art prints, boutique-y things, or just links to other design professionals. A lot of the products are fun and out of the box. They are typically not cheap, mind you, but sometimes you find some great things or ideas.
So, if you are into design in any of its forms, I highly recommend this great website. I have it on the laptop and also on my phone as a mobile app, though my favorite place is on the laptop so the pics are nice and big.
I also have decided to feature one article per week on my gadget-y thing on my blog, relevant to my topic. So you probably won't see any ocean view photos, but definitely ones that encourage budget decor and DIY stuff. I am all for looking at cool crazy design photos, but let's face it, no one would ever put half that stuff in their house.
So check out my cool gadget! I just like saying the word gadget. Go gadget go!
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