Glorious homes

Sustainable ideas – from ­apple crate shelves to sofas made from ­shipping pallets – grace the pages of this blog. "People are rediscovering frugal living, and we wanted to inspire them," says ­designer Paul Gower, who started the blog two years ago with Anastasia Ugorskaya, a painter. Squish also features glorious nature ­photography – just for the fun of it.

Other homes blogs we love...
Cold House Journal Diary of a couple in Maine, USA, living without heating.
Home Shopping Spy High street finds and hidden gems selected by Brit Ellie Tennant.
Katy Elliott An account of ­Elliott's ­renovation of her New England home.
Print and Pattern British blog ­dedicated to all things patterned.
Tea For Joy Vintage design ideas from a London-based tea obsessive.

Homes of dreams

"Most of our ­readers are under 35, like me, and not earning huge ­salaries," says Grace Bonney, Design Sponge founder. "And we haven't traditionally been catered for." The blog has weekly DIY projects, trends and room makeovers with before and ­after shots, each one followed by readers' ­breathless comments: "OMG that kitchen is AMAZING!!!"

Extra ordinary apartments

Ordinary readers showing off their extraordinary homes is ­Apartment Therapy's big draw – and it's hard not to become addicted. The blog also features the sort of useful ­advice – how to fill narrow spaces, how to hang frames, how to shop for vintage – you'd expect from its founder, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, a former interior designer. "In these post-recession times, there is a strong desire for homes that feel ­authentic and ­personal," he says.