Best LGBTQ+ Interior Designers & Homemakers to Follow on Instagram
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Can you believe that we're on our halfway to 2022? Time flies so freaking fast, and before you know it, it's Christmas again (I'm always excited about Christmas, but also, I'm a fan of enjoying every minute of the day, so let's stick with June for now.).
June is the month of unity, equality, love, self-awareness, and pride. In celebration of togetherness and freedom to be yourself, we listed some of our favorite members of the LGBTQIA community that are making a massive impact in the field of interior design and homemaking.
Before we jump into the list, I want to share my thoughts on equality in the design industry, especially in interior design. For more than a decade of being part of this fantastic creative journey, I met many talented designers who are uniquely different in many ways. Most of them are women and queer that lead, direct and create what is now called the modern interior design.
We're now in the era of ultra-modern society, and everything has changed (in a very positive way) from when the time when people started to come together to fight for acceptance of who they are. Similar to the interior design industry, from a men-dominated sector to the modern interior design style of Elsie de Wolfe, and now, the creative approach of homeowners trying to make their space a better and more beautiful place to live.
There will be millions of conversations about interior design and the queer community. Still, one thing is for sure, the styles and designs of homes and spaces that we enjoy now are results of decades of fighting for equality and being yourself thru design.
LGBTQ+ Books that might pique your interest:
- This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
-The Book of Pride: LGBTQ Heroes Who Changed the World by Mason Funk
-This is How it Always Is: A Novel by Laurie Frankel
Without further ado, here is the list of our favorite interior designers and homemakers you should follow for inspiration in making your home meaningful and beautiful.
1) Dabito
Image via Dabito's IG
I found Dabito's works while browsing for design inspirations on Instagram. His flamboyant approach to interior design made his IG posts stand out. He is the designer, artist, photographer, blogger, and founder of the colorful (almost glowing) website Old Brand New.
If I'm not mistaken, he has been blogging since 2015, and his previous blogs were his adventure and reviews on thrift shops he visited. Every time I'm interested in someone's blog, I usually start reading their very first blog and see the progression of how they became who they are now. (I have lots of catching up on his blog, but I enjoy reading them). His collections of vintage cameras in thrift stores and good find furniture that he made look new for his apartment are genuinely brilliant.
Image via Old Brand New
Hi latest blog about a room makeover for his aunt in collaboration with Castlery is the perfect treat for people digging "color blocking and whimsical design elements yet still clean and relaxing to the eyes" kind of interior design. He is on the ball; the different shades of yellows combined with other bold colors and leaving the walls white created unity and balance, making the room so dreamy. The TV stand with the gallery wall with prints from his print shop (yup, he sells his prints) is a great feature and idea for home DIYs.
2) Terry Moore
Image Terry Moore's IG
The second on our list is Teri Moore, an interior designer, blogger, and Nashvillian (from her IG). I recently followed her on Instagram because of her home DIYs and room makeovers. When I started reading some of her blogs, notably their Suburban Home Tour, I was hooked by how detailed her design and DIY process are. She speaks to the general homemakers wanting a step-by-step guide (especially on a budget) to renovate their house.
I still have lots to explore in her blogs, and I'm super excited to read the process and see the before and after photos of her room makeovers. I'll spare some time to binge-read (that's a thing now) to read her blogs and discover her past projects.
Image via T Moore Home
Let's look at one of her budget makeovers which is their powder room under $500. I must admit; that the blue Alfresco Palm Leaf Wallpaper is quite the show's star. It's bold (which, for me, is appropriate for any powder room) and goes well with the vanity mirror and wall light. I would love to use this wallpaper when the time comes that I'm renovating my own house. I hope it's still available in, let's say, 3-5 years.
3) Renovation Husband
Image via Renovation Husbands' IG
Stephen and David are the husband and husband team currently renovating their Victorian home. Who wouldn't want to see the process of turning an abandoned Victorian home into a livable 2022 house? Their DIY home renovation process and information about antics made me instantly follow them on Instagram. And thank goodness, they blog all their works.
Blogs that might pique your interest:
-Getting Behind the (Color) Wheel
-Caring for Home Decors and Furnishings
On the About page of the Renovation Husbands, they mentioned their love for an 1893 Boston Victorian house at first sight. Their blogs have transformed this house (room after room) for more than four years.
Image via Renovation Husbands
They have a different approach on their blog (detailed and almost like a case study, not something you'll get bored of) which is very informative. It's also clever to ask opinions from their readers and followers for input and questions. Their kitchen renovation is what I'm fascinated and very excited about; they already did their kitchen before and answered why they're redoing it on this blog. If you read their first kitchen renovation blog, you'll see how different their kitchen renderings are now; that's why I can't wait to see the outcome and read thru the process of their kitchen renewal.
4) This Yunky House
Image via This Yunky House's IG
Zach and Hugh are the design enthusiasts and bloggers of This Yunky House. Aside from blogging and sharing their journey of turning their 1800s Philadelphia row house into a home, they are also raising chickens in their city backyard (super cool).
While browsing through Instagram, I saw a photo of a brown sectional L-shape leather sofa (similar to my sofa from Structube, you'll see that on my DIY living space soon) with wall galleries of old photographs. That caught my attention; I followed their IG and instantly read thru some of their blogs. Their home renovation projects speak homey, and there's an attempt to retain their home's rich history; the chickens are there too, so what's not to like, right?
Image via This Yunky House
Their bathroom renovation is such a roller coaster ride. I like how Zach and Hugh revealed the problems they encountered during demolition through construction and ended up with a great-looking space. They tell their renovation story as if you're in that same room, watching them doing all the renovation work to the decoration process, and in the end, you'll see the after photos of the stunning space with the beautiful cat. I'm excited to read through their blogs and learn about renovating such a house with tons of history.
5) Probably This
Image via Probably This' IG
Probably This (seriously, you should probably follow them) by Beau & Matt is a power couple regarding home renovations, DIYs, and recipes. Their blogs will guide you from homemaking to your very first housewarming.
They have a unique, fun way of documenting and blogging about their process of renovating their Victorian-era shotgun home on top of creating excellent food to celebrate their success with friends and families.
I recently learned about them while looking for an interior design book to buy (hopefully to read and not just to display on my coffee table). When I first saw the book cover, I thought it was an all-food recipe book. But, I saw some tools on the floor, a few on the coffee table, and, of course, the title "Housewarming, A Guide to Creating a Home You Adore," then I thought this was the perfect book to brag about something you recently read. Oh, they also went far by making a blog series about how they came up with the idea of making the book to finally releasing it for everyone to enjoy.
Their last blog post was about their design direction for their Bunk Room. The question about laundry made me wonder why there are always lots of laundry. The wallcovering with mushrooms and leaves looks refreshing. I can't wait to see the splash of yellows combining with rattan textures and, finally, if the shiplap installation will end up vertical or horizontal.
Image via Probably This
6) Toby's Home
Image via Toby's Home's IG
Toby Perryman-Payne of Toby's Home is a home designer and Youtuber who's been filming about styling his home every day. There is so much to see from his Instagram posts, and what caught my attention are his cottage/ farmhouse interior design styles for every room in his home.
He recently started his YouTube channel showing his renovation projects, shopping hauls, and bits and pieces of their lives. The shopping hauls are a fun way to learn more about how he curates decors and creates a friendly and comfy space.
Image via Toby's Home's IG
The video on dinner set-up in their garden is excellent; the chair and table color with the rattan placemats and white plates went well together. It's like having your own mini alfresco cottage-style restaurant space in your garden. It is the kind of set-up for everyone to brunch out with their friends, families, and furry friends during sunny weekends.
7) My Tiny Estate
Image via My Tiny Estate's IG
Dean and Borja of My Tiny Estate are a couple restoring their English estate. The couple is the ultimate team of home renovations and everything about making a great living space. Both have a background in home and design; Borja is an Estate Agent while Dean is an Architect. What a combination! No wonder they will soon be on the TV Show 'Saving Manor' on HGTV.
They are restoring an estate they purchased, including five houses (wow). You can book to stay in the original home to the caretaker and his family in their "My Tiny Estate" and experience the 300-year-old 2-bedroom cottage.
The latest blog about the Caretakers cottage open for rental starting mid-May 2022 is an exciting opportunity to see how they renovated all the rooms and the improvements they made for their new upcoming TV show.
Image via My Tiny Estate
From what I see in the cottage's photos, they used contrasting colors, gorgeous lighting, and plumbing fixtures relevant to the era when the first owners built the house. Traveling was mentioned as one of their hobbies. I'm intrigued and excited to see how well they applied different inspirations from their traveling adventure right into their process and design of restoring their estate.
There you have it, folks; 7 of our favorite interior designers and homemakers that you should follow. We have been following most of them for some time now, and a handful of them I just recently followed because of their unique take on making a space livable. Whatever your reason for following your favorite designer on Instagram, be it their design works, products they use, or precious life lessons they share, I'm sure they'll appreciate a simple "thank you" comment on one of their posts.
I'm sure there are a lot of very talented designers out there, but I'll stick with my best 7 for now. Please let me know if there is someone you want me to add to my list, and I will look into it.
Thank you for stopping by and reading my blogs. I aim to impart more than a decade of design (primarily interior designs) knowledge and experience through reviews, tips, inspirations, and DIYs. I hope you enjoy your time here as much as I enjoy writing my blogs; feel free to comment below, email me at rbutaran@rocabudesigns.com, or subscribe to our newsletter for fresh blog updates.
Together, let's create meaningful and beautiful spaces.
Ron
