Caya Modern Kitchen by Horst Architects, Orange County

We all dream.  In my case, I dream about building a beautiful, custom home complete with an amazing view of the water.  I’ve been designing and decorating this home in my mind while busily browsing Houzz and Pinterest for inspiration and ideas.  Of course, dreams are just that – dreams.

Once I come back to reality, I realize that I may not be able to afford the multi-level playroom complete with indoor tree house that I saw on someone’s pinterest board.  Or the double-island kitchen complete with high-end appliances and a tri-fold doors that open to a lovely stone patio, like the one featured above.  As my husband likes to say, I have champagne tastes, but we are on a beer budget.  So instead of browsing online for things that are out of my financial reach, I’ve turned my attention to home projects that I can handle myself without breaking the bank.

If you’re like me and your budget is screaming more Budweiser than Dom Perignon, have a look at some of my new favorite home decor blogs that emphasize thriftiness without sacrifice:

Decor Chick is probably my favorite new find.  Emily’s designs are colorful and bright, but have a transitional feel that speaks to me.  Her blog is full of do-it-yourself tips and projects.  I’m particularly loving her Pantry and Mudroom makeovers.

The Inspired Room is, well, inspirational. Melissa believes that everyone deserves a beautiful home and she shares the affordable tips and principles that she used to renovate three of our her own homes (you can even see the stunning before and after photos of these home renovation projects on her site).  You can browse decorating ideas, do-it-yourself projects, cleaning and organizational tips, and much more.

Centsational Girl is a fabulous site for the do-it-yourselfer.  Kate’s comprehensive website includes projects for all rooms of your home complete with directions, craft and entertaining ideas, home decorating tips, and a ton of photos for inspiration.

Ikea Hackers is, as the name implies, a site full of home projects that use modified or repurposed Ikea furniture.  These clever do-it-yourself ideas are affordable and look great.  The site covers all rooms of the house and also has an “ideas” section full of inexpensive decorating ideas that are less “hacky” but no less clever or interesting.

Apartment Therapy is a fabulous site full of information that touches on almost every aspect of home life.  There are before and after photos, and plenty of articles on renovations, home projects, upkeep, decor, and more.  My favorite section is the Renovation Diary Roundup where readers can submit photos of their home renovation projects.

Thrifty Decor Chick is, as the name implies, a blog devoted to decorating inexpensively.  As Sarah proclaims, everyone should have a home they love, even if they don’t have a lot of money to spend on it.  Her blog includes home decor projects, tutorials, and photos to inspire anyone and everyone.