Is that really our name on Apartment Therapy’s list of Homies winners this year? We’re equal parts surprised and honored—utterly speechless and pretty delighted. Thank you so much to everyone who nominated and voted for us; it means more than we can say. There are so many talented home and design blogs out there, so being chosen by readers feels like a genuine compliment.
We also want to express our gratitude to Apartment Therapy for organizing this readers’ choice celebration of shelter blogs. It’s always great when a well-loved site highlights and supports other creators in the design and DIY community. As a small personal note, we got to meet Maxwell at a signing in Richmond recently and he was warm, sincere, and incredibly enthusiastic—exactly the kind of person who makes online communities feel real and connected.
One of the best parts of the Homies process was discovering the long list of recommended home blogs submitted by readers. We’ve already added a stack of new feeds to our reader and are excited to explore fresh perspectives, projects, and ideas. If you’re looking for new blogs to follow, here are a few of the finalists we loved and will be keeping up with:
- Door Sixteen
- Freshome
- Our Little Beehive
- Remodelaholic
- 7th House on the Left
- Slim Paley
- The Steampunk Home
- Table Tonic
The full nomination list that Apartment Therapy compiled is a treasure trove of inspiring blogs and DIY resources. Browsing it felt like getting an instant roadmap to new decorating ideas, clever projects, and personal home stories from bloggers around the world. If you enjoy interior inspiration, clever DIY solutions, or simply seeing how people create comfortable, creative spaces, that list is worth a deep dive.
Along with the Homies title came a small monetary prize. Instead of spending it on a new knickknack or impulse purchase for the house, we decided to pay that generosity forward. We made a donation to DonorsChoose on behalf of teachers in our community who need supplies for art and building projects. DonorsChoose is a straightforward way to support classrooms directly: teachers post requests for specific items, and donors choose the projects they want to fund. It felt like a natural fit for us—supporting local education and enabling hands-on experiences like painting, building, and making things, which are activities we still love.
Choosing to give the prize money away felt like the right way to mark this unexpected honor. It’s a small gesture, but hearing that it will help a classroom with art materials or building supplies made the recognition feel even more meaningful. If you’re ever looking for a way to support teachers and students, checking out classroom requests and funding a small project is a simple, tangible way to help.
Above all, we’re grateful. Grateful to the readers who clicked the box next to our name, grateful to the other bloggers who inspire us, and grateful to Apartment Therapy for shining a light on independent voices in the home and design community. This recognition is a reminder of why we write: to share projects, ideas, and the occasional honest moment from home life. Thank you for reading, for supporting independent blogs, and for keeping the community vibrant and creative. We’re still pinching ourselves—and looking forward to sharing more projects, tips, and stories in the months ahead.