Hi. I’m Emily Henderson and I like blogs written by people with opinions, personal anecdotes, and long-form design nerd details. I also like print magazines, LOL. I can detect AI in under two words. I know when a PR team has hired a writer. I, like most of you, live for a personable person struggling to solve problems and decorate a space that means something to them. I hope for a mistake that I can learn from and I will read all the makeovers and reveals – sponsored or not, big or small. I’m HERE for photography content that doesn’t move fast. I don’t mind videos and reels, but I mostly like it when you can tell someone channeled writing a journal entry while plugging in some pretty photos to illustrate the points and emotions. But most blogs have died, just as their former owners are thriving in different ways (should I do a “where are they now?” column – JUST ASK!!). Some publish 2-3 times a month, tied to sponsored reveals and there’s nothing wrong with that. Yet at the same time, when you post 6-7 times a week like us, you need a 3-5 person team. It’s an untenable career for most and the only reason I’m here is that I got a huge kick in the career by HGTV, then an 8-year Target contract which allowed me to hire and grow a team that helped me create more and better content every day, week, month and year. So many creators are doing so amazingly without their blogs, shifting to mostly social, product lines, books, design firms, and consulting. It’s fun to watch and at times I wish we had a 20-year OG blogger reunion, Romy and Michelle style to see where we all landed after the Wild West of the early digital media. I’m so grateful to still be here which I credit to you and my team (along with my love for it which fuels me daily). So today I thought I’d celebrate those who I still check in with, read, and think are doing a FANTASTIC JOB. If you only post 3-4 times a month don’t be offended that this isn’t your list – you are likely more of an IG influencer which is awesome and a totally different muscle. This blog post, is for my OG ladies and gents. You may notice a trend below with husband and wife teams of which I am totally not jealous, LOL. I also want to be clear that this is not a “best of” or a comprehensive list of what’s out there, it’s just who I consistently check in with and the whole point is to follow MORE.
Chris Loves Julia
If blogs had a prom queen and king I think we know who we’d vote for. They are the powerhouse duo that I’m incredibly impressed with daily/weekly/monthly, watching them as they renovate their own home and design approachable and good product lines for the masses. So much content. So many hours a week on camera for stories and reels and a big staff that supports (and whom they support). They have been able to do all while maintaining a daily blog and a stable family life (and keeping up with social in a remarkably good way). I know that it’s not easy to do what they do and if I have to guess they are both pushing themselves hard towards unknown limits, so I try to thank them for their service by engaging with every post via likes, shares, and comments. And I hope you do, too. My only envy is that my Brian doesn’t share my design/blogging passion, which I would never make him fake but doing it together would be so wonderful. I’m genuinely happy for them that they can be a team while leading a team.
The Grit And Polish
I dare you to find one person who can say a bad thing about what Cathy and Garrett do. They slowly DIY their vintage homes with such thought and integrity. Their words and homes are warm and inviting and while they don’t write every day, it’s usually often enough that I check 2-3 times a week and catch up. I recently connected with them in person for a long lunch and they were incredibly lovely, as predicted. These are the bloggers who should still be around.
Cup Of Jo
While Joanna recently launched a substack (which I really enjoy, Big Salad) the blog is still a lovely corner of the internet that feels warm and still fresh. The comment section is always a delight (I don’t spend that much time in it) and I’m consistently impressed with how fast she reacts to cultural and political issues, in a really thoughtful way. Always a nice way to spend a few minutes with coffee:)
Wit & Delight
Listen, there are some I just can’t not check even if they only post once a week. While she doesn’t post that often and mostly has a substack (like a lot of former bloggers), I still like her voyeuristic photography and wild use of color in her home. She, like many bloggers (including me) overstretched the design content creation budgets and had to make some serious life changes (i.e. design blogging is more expensive than food and fashion). Always rooting for her.
Young House Love
If you thought John and Sherry disappeared I’m happy to say they are alive and thriving! I have the inside scoop of what they are up to and I don’t check more than twice a month, but you can take the girl out of Young House Love but you can’t take the Young House Love out of the girl. I still check. I always will. It wasn’t over for me.
Camille Styles
I check Camille’s site for recipes a lot. She is more in the wellness space with a lot of positive habit-making, beauty routines, and certainly an elevated lifestyle. It’s always pretty and calm, and her new brand Casa Zuma is full of pretty, thoughtfully sourced home items (great gifts, IMHO).
Yellow Brick Home
Kim and Scott have been at it for years and they do an incredible job of documenting their projects (with lots of thoughtful DIYS). Based in Chicago they have multiple projects you can follow along with, and their vibe feels really calm and just easy to read and follow (and I love their designs a LOT).
Honestly, most of my former blog friends have started Substacks, which obviously people pay to read. Joy has one (on mental health), and Orlando as you know has one. And it’s definitely something I really really want to do (I’ve already written a few, but I don’t have the bandwidth to launch it with confidence I can keep up with it). It’s hard for me to encourage people to go into it because there are just so many more eyeballs on social (and social is easier to produce on your own). I’m actually going to New York to speak on a panel in front of policymakers about how AI is affecting (negatively) the blog world (stealing content obviously). We’ve shifted to writing posts that are Un-AI-ABLE, but the future is unknown and yeah, I want regulations in place to protect all creators.
ANYWAY, the question is – what BLOGS do you read (not what IG creators do you follow)? I want more lunchtime friends to check in with.
A couple of fun blog follows that don’t update much, but whom we love: Old Brand New, Jungalow (Hi Justina!), Shavonda Gardner, Carmeon Hamilton. I’m sure I’ll add to this throughout the day as I remember them (or as you remind me) – but PLEASE add more in the comments so those of us who love this media form can add more to our daily (or weekly) repertoire. LONG LIVE BLOGS!!
Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: A Quick Update: The Changes I’ve Made to My LA Living Room
Oh my goodness! Thank you for this ! I had forgotten about some of these old faves of my mine and I am so very excited to spend this Saturday morning with them, might even switch over to my laptop to check them out (as opposed to my phone!). You and Cup of Jo have been my only dailies for years. Love you guys for your content, but also the way you uplift others. Thank you!
I also only check out Emily and Cup of Jo daily, for the content but also for the good vibes!
Thanks, guys 🙂 And i’m a big laptop reader, too (I think blog reading is easier on laptop and similarily social is easier on phones, which could contribute to why i’m less into it). xx
Check out Room for Tuesday. She is great! She is a trained interior designer doing beautiful work on her own home with her husband and also shares interesting projects like overhauling their RV. She posts throughout the week. http://Www.roomfortuesday.com
oh yes! I forgot about her! Will add to list.
If you like fashion, Tom and Lorenzo (formerly Project Rungay), and Gofugyourself are my two favorites.
Interesting post! I would add Remodelista as a good daily post design heavy blog
Thank you for this post, as well as still being here! For years I got up on Saturday morning and sat for hours catching up on my blogs. I have 4 kids and my husband was home so I had a little me time. Two of my favorites were Vicki’s-home and homemade in heaven. The latter stopped in 2015 but I still mourn that one!
Daily blog reader here, and in addition to some noted above which I frequent, here are others:
https://roomfortuesday.com/
https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/ (website, not blog but so much eye candy as I slide into my late-40s let’s get comfy phase of decorating life)
https://kottke.org/
https://joythebaker.com/ (Sunday post)
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/category/nine-favorite-things/ (Sunday post)
https://centsationalstyle.com/
https://thehousethatlarsbuilt.com/
https://www.remodelista.com/
https://www.swiss-miss.com/
Commentary: Cup of Jo is so incredible because of the comments; Joanna has truly created an amazing platform for reader engagement
I read all the blogs you listed, plus The Stripe (daily content) and Centsational Style (2x per week). I really miss old school blogs!
I miss blogs! Thank you for these recommendations… some old favorites, some new finds. I’m all for bringing back the old school blog days!
The Candidly- more fashion and beauty with occasional relationship content. Smartly written, straight forward and accessible. It’s great.
I still have most of these guys on my Feedly and check it daily! Design Files and My Scandinavian Home are still favorites, too. Long live blogging. 🫡
Room for Tuesday still posts a few times a week. Amazing renovations and a nice classic, traditional style.
I too follow CLJ, YBH, and YHL! The other one I follow daily is My Simply Simple!
I love my simply simple!
The only one you didn’t mention that I routinely check is Elements of Style. I’ve always liked her voice and although my tastes aren’t quite the same I still love to see the beautiful spaces she designs and her style posts are great.
I agree. I’ve followed Erin for years and she is a wonderful writer.
You’re my first check-in every morning, thank you! One you haven’t listed that I really enjoy is Laurel Home laurelberninteriors.com she’s currently renovating her Boston townhouse and has a refreshing voice in the design space.
Missmustardseed
homesihavecreated
Thank you for this list—Fellow blog lover here! I check here and Cup of Jo almost daily. Another favorite is My Scandinavian Home, which I follow for the beautiful decorating inspiration and the glimpses of life in Scandinavia. I dearly miss Manhattan Nest, Old Town Home, and Reading My Tea Leaves, and check every once in a while, even though the owners have moved on to other things. 🙂
I really miss Daniel’s writing on Manhattan Nest, too!
He’s still pretty active on Instagram and also did a great short series on YouTube that was very enjoyable. Would love to see more like that from him too! https://www.youtube.com/user/Dkanter08
quiet sigh of longing for Manhattan Nest…
I don’t check instagram every day, which makes it so hard to follow Daniel!
I still LOVE a blog. Hilarious to see the four I check every day (plus yours) are the top three. Cup of Jo, CLJ, Emily Henderson & Grit and Polish. Those are it for me. Excited to check out some of these others that you’ve listed! Thank you! Long live blogs. I agree such a greater sense of personality – and community❤️
Like/read most of blogs you and commenters mentioned. Laurelberni teriors is a fave, enjoy classiccasualhome and sopocottage, too. Especially want to say how much I enjoy your blog and the tremendous amount of work you and your team put into it!
Holly Becker is still working it! https://www.decor8blog.com/
Thanks for the reminder. I used to read her blog religiously, then stopped for some reason. Will check it out again.
There were so many blogs I loved to follow but alas, they are no more. One of my favorites is Addicted 2 Decorating. Kristi is remodeling her home and doing most of the work herself. She posts 4 or 5 days a week.
Just a general heads up for any new followers, she has very right-wing Trump-y personal beliefs.
This seems like an unfair comment. I’ve read a lot of her posts and had no idea what her political affiliation is.
I disagree because this is important to me (and many others) and not something I want to inadvertently support with clicks, traffic and revenue.
I read Kristi’s blog regularly and though she makes no secret about her Christian faith, she is mainly focused on her home and DIY. I do not remember her writing about her political leanings and definitely not Trump. So don’t let this comment put you off if you are interested in her blog. She’s a lot of fun, very talented and colorful and has a great commenting community!
Agree. Can’t stomach it myself.
Room for Tuesday! Sarah’s style is so classy and it’s evident she puts so much time and thought into every post. I keep learning new, practical things even after following her for years!
Many interior designers like myself have blogs as well—we post less frequently but, at least in my case, you can sign up for our monthly newsletter to receive the post in your inbox. It’s worth checking out your favorite designers’ websites to see if they have content.
My background is originally in art and writing, so I love to share my ideas on our Design Log, where I give home styling advice, fashion inspiration, and document my travels. As an avid blog reader myself, it’s fun to craft my own space where I can reach other fellow design enthusiasts.
A little off the tarmac, but two to consider are:
Laurel Bern — she’s definitely more on the traditional end but quite generous and informative with her content.
Kylie M. — excellent for color analyses
Oh!! Great post!! I read most of the blogs you posted about but I really miss Design Sponge. I hope Grace, her wife and their pets are doing well.
I highly recommend Julia Turshen’s (Grace’s wife’s) Substack and virtual cooking classes! Grace sometimes makes a cameo in the classes, as do their very cute cats and dogs (and now a quirky bird lol). I believe Grace is now a family therapist- I too miss DesignSponge but am also always here for a midlife pivot.
As a blogger, I read a ton of blogs. I use Feedly to track them all (about 45 in total!) I really prefer that over Substack, but I know I am in the minority.
You are not in the minority liking blogs over Substack. There is a ton of great writing, and yes it’s worth paying for. My problem is affordably. I could easily pick 20-25 to follow but I don’t know how to choose one over another.
I definitely prefer blogs! I just can’t justify paying what amounts to a magazine subscription price for each writer.
I also follow quite a few blogs on Feedly. I used to use Bloglovin, but their platform became unreliable and glitchy so I switched. It’s one of my favorite things to do on the internet. I often wonder what the temperature is out there for blogs. Are people still starting them?
You and COJ are my everyday blogs and I will click and engage consistently so you both never stop doing this haha! Weekly-ish I’ll check for new posts on Almost Makes Perfect, YHL, Yellow Brick Home, The Grit and Polish, and Room for Tuesday, and then two fashion focused ones I quickly peruse for clothing recs is Un-Fancy and Stitch and Salt. I followed Design Mom and Natalie Borton (fashion) to Substack. Long live blogs!
Thank you so much for this – I, too, love blogs and magazines the most. IG is fine, but I recently deleted the app, sort of by accident, and then lost my login. I barely missed it, and when I went back, I went, huh, there is NOTHING on here that I care about. It’s helpful for recipes, occasional interiors inspo…but I really love long form, where I read all about a house and see tons of photos. IG just isn’t that. Excited to see more suggestions in the comments, too!
Thanks for this post! I needed some new daily/weekly blogs to read!
Yay for blogs!! I miss several that have sinced moved to IG 😭. Like several others, I love keeping up with Sarah at Room for Tuesday. Another one would be Jenna from Jenna Sue Designs. She doesn’t post as much since she had her last kid, but so creative, so many amazing DIYs on a budget. I love that she goes for designer looks with her DIY, not “dollar store crafts” that just make decorating crap that you’ll get tired of quickly. Anyway =) just a couple more awesome ladies doing it on their own!
I love Jenna’s blog, too! She pulls off some amazing DIY and is budget friendly. https://www.jennasuedesign.com/
Thank you for the recommendations! I have my routine in the morning, news, emails, celebrity gossip, then designer blogs. I absolutely love that yours has new content daily, it is hard to find these days. I also look at The Inspired Room and Nesting with Grace. If I find someone on Instagram I forget that they may have a website and then I get to do a deep dive into their old posts. So fun!
This one
coj
lecatch (fashion)
mfamb
VeryWellMind is a great mental health blog that I read every morning. There are a variety of short articles and all are vetted by licensed mental health professionals. A weekly-ish blog I absolutely love is by an artist living in Paris called ParisBreakfasts. She shares daily life photography around the city and the influences for her whimsical watercolors. It’s not refined or cookie-cutter blogging either, which I love.
Emily, I’ve never left a comment before that I can recall but felt compelled to today because I also follow every one of the blogs you spotlighted! Love them, have been influenced by them and feel I have a similar style to them (in my dreams of course). Keep on blogging the “old fashioned way”. I do read them via Feedly if that makes any difference.
I watch Homeworthy on utube. I don’t believe I watch any blogs…how would I know??
I read many of the ones already mentioned along with Mad about the House (which I learned of over on Arlyn’s blog). I think you were smart to stay invested in your blog as it feels to me like people are getting a bit tired of Instagram. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a blog revival. I think substack is a part of that.
I miss many blogs, too – and I think there is some space to fill there – from showcasing readers’ homes (DesignSponge), tasteful diy including remaking/repairing vintage finds (Little Green Notebook) and creative self-expression in decorating (Making It Lovely).
I LOVE Karen from The Art of Doing Stuff. Not a design blog really, more of a very humorous diy girl who empowers readers to do the same. And sooooo funny. Adore her writing style. Check her out everyone! 🙂
After looking up substack, I much prefer old style blogs and mourn the loss of so many. I second the suggestion for The Art of doing Stuff! I discovered Karen a few months ago and it’s a fav. She is irreverent, funny and has interesting and useful content. The only blog I have followed consistently over the years is EHD!
I miss so many blogs! Another vote for LaurelBerninteriors.com. She focuses purely on traditional design and she posts faithfully twice a week.
I find it amazing that Emily Henderson Design is the only blog I really follow. I have been a near daily reader for 10 years and I am not even that into design. So , this must be one great blog to have me keep coming back. I do get tons of newsletter posts in my inbox, mostly economics, media, politics. But still, long live blogs!
Long live blogs! Regular reader here
love this post Emily, thank you! I love and miss the older blogs. Back when everyone wasn’t trying to peddle something. I’m a big fan of real people house tours and recommend The Socialite Family blog, and Inside Closet. Love the comments on here and look forward to checking out some new ones. 🫶
Hi Emily!
Honestly, I probably like the same content on blogs as you! I love a mix of content (design, art, fashion, cooking/recipes, lifestyle, etc) and esp. people who aren’t perfect and let their struggles be known=are real. I do like blogs who post pretty regularly, otherwise with my ADHD brain, I forget to check them! lol
I have followed you since Design Star and you are probably the only blog I read on the reg still!
However, TBH I am not as into your posts about some design issues like molding or something that specific, etc. I more enjoy a antique market haul and showing how you incorporate those items into your/a space, fashion and cooking bits, or any kind of make-overs! I love a good reveal (but ones that don’t take too long! lol).
I truly love your style and love to se how it is evolving over time, because mine is too. 🙂 I also love most posts from the team!
Check out steephillstudio.com started by (another) wife and husband duo. They’re renovating a lake house in Ontario. Beautiful, practical posts.
I also enjoy 600sqftandababy (love the small spaces series).
and not a blog, but I have to give Alexandra Gater a shout out. Her videos are so joyful!
It’s not design but anyone who likes style and history would enjoy Frock Flicks. Love the tag line “Bitchy is our brand.” https://frockflicks.com/
I really miss the Lovetaza blog!!!!! Hope she and her cute kiddos are doing great out there somewhere!
CoJ is surely doing the substack for the money — and you should too! Why not move all (or most) of your personal posts to a substack, which has so many advantages: your blog continues as the natural, public, free home for your design content; your substack meanwhile has the distinct draw that your readers will be motivated to pay for; and you get to do more of the personal writing you enjoy but without the significant downside of it being on the public internet. It’s much safer and healthier to write for the privacy of subscribed/paying fans’ inboxes. It’s a revenue stream you’re missing out on, and which will give you (and Brian??) the freedom to do more of the kind of writing you love. Just an idea!
Emily, I’ve read your blog for years and years and I am so glad you’ve held out. There are MANY of us who are mindfully opting out of social media and who find blogs/websites to just be a safe place to scroll. I can tune into EHD every day and not be at risk of clicking on five billion other things or being exposed to posts/people that aren’t even real. You and your team are awesome and leave me feeling happy, not drained! Love y’all, keep up the great work.
Blogs used to get me through the work day! Now I have much less time, but my if-I-have-time daily reads are this blog (it’s really the only one I READ read every day), Go Fug Yourself (hilarious fashion and pop culture commentary), Pajiba (pop culture), Lainey Gossip (really interesting and smart analysis of celebrity culture and gossip), Celebitchy (more celebrity gossip, but with a lot of royals), and Wonkette (very funny political blog). Love all the suggestions! ♥️
Is Apartment Therapy a blog or online magazine? I also like Elements of Style, Gardenista, and Desire to Inspire but these I check out once a week or so depending on postings. I don’t get Substacks, much prefer blogs. And from time to time The Spruce and The Kitchn.
For fashion, shout out to Kendi (https://www.kendieveryday.com/), Grace (https://thestripe.com/), & Abra (https://caphillstyle.com/).
For food/lifestyle with a Northern CA feel, go see Tracy (https://www.shutterbean.com/blog/).
I really enjoy the Local Project videos and youtube as well as their website. They have beautifully shot architecture in Australia and a few in the Americas, but dive into the design and architecture. I used to enjoy CLJ but it felt like they were mostly just trying to sell me products after a while. I love Cup of Jo as well.