Interior Design Inspiration – 21 Gorgeous Instagram Accounts! (Parts 1,2,&3)

Hi Everyone,

We are now finishing off the last seven (actually) nine interior designers and architects on Instagram you should follow. (If you enjoy Instagram) To skip to Part 3 please click the link below. If you’re arriving here for the first time, please begin from the top.

 

Part 3 Begins Here

 

If you scroll down a bit, you can also skip to part 2.

Hi Everyone,

Before we get into parts 1 and 2 of this beautiful post, a little public service announcement.

Oh my, I just looked at the national weather and see that bitterly cold temps and ice are invading areas that are normally not subjected to that sort of misery. If you’ve never experienced bitter cold, please understand if you don’t dress properly while outdoors, you can die.

My rec is to stay indoors, and definitely stay off the roads.

What about exercise, Laurel?

You can exercise indoors. I just did. Would you like to see my gym?

You have a gym? Why did I not know that?

Yes, I have a gym, of sorts. However, I’m saving that for part 2. If you’re landing here for the first time, please begin from the top, otherwise, you can click the link below to see more of my favorite Interior Design Inspiration accounts– and my cool gym. Oh wait. I just added two new beautiful pics for Jim Howard and one more for Artichoke.

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Hi Everyone,

Geepers, it’s cooooooold outside! I hope everyone in the northern hemisphere is faring well with this blast from the Arctic.

One of you lovelies wrote me the other day needing help. She lives in Manhattan, and it made me nostalgic for the city. So, I started looking at Zillow, and oh man, did I see some properties, but that’s another story.

My point in telling you is that,t as most of you know, I no longer take clients, because this website/blog is a full-time +++ job and I can’t do both.

However, I told her what I’m telling you now;

 

This blog is here to help you help yourself.

 

You don’t need me to do your design. You need me to show you how you can do your design.

 

What? You mean you don’t need to hire a pro?

 

No, I didn’t say that; so designers, please put your machetes back in the tool shed.

What I mean is if you don’t want to hire a designer, or can’t afford the one you’d like to hire, then you can definitely do this yourself. Or, at least a lot of it yourself. However, if working with a pro, please be clear on who’s doing what and when.

 

And aside from my 12-step program that you can read about here, below is my best advice.

 

I’ve made no bones about it. The best way to create a successful interior design is to copy another designer’s work.

When I say, “copy,” I don’t mean make it identical. It won’t be, in any case, and for too many reasons to go into.

However, it works.

 

I know it works because that is how I derive most of my interior design inspiration.

 

Many wonderful designers have inspired me and influenced how I approach design, what colors I like, and to see what works– and what doesn’t.

To that end, every time I find an Instagram account by a designer or related field, I copy the URL to my virtual notepad.  Well, there are well over 100 names on there now.

 

Today, I am sharing 21 people who never fail to amaze me with their immense talents and interior design inspiration.

 

Some you already know, but several on the list are showing up for the first or maybe second time.

 

How do I select these designers?

 

• Well, their designs need to be accessible– for the most part. So, you will not see any European palaces.
• Their work must be classically influenced and timeless.
• At least 95% of the work on their Instagram is theirs, or that they were a major part of. That doesn’t include photographers, although some of them have exquisite feeds.

 

Please note that dozens of other designers can provide much interior design inspiration.

 

However, unless their first name begins with an A-J, please hold off sharing your favorites until the final installment, as I’m not getting to all 21 today.

If interested, there is already a post about the top Lifestyle Insta accounts. That is a separate post. Some of those people should definitely be on this list. And some that are on this list should’ve been on that Instagram lifestyle post.

 

Tonight, I am beginning with the first group of 7, who I find have tremendous interior design inspiration.

 

These are in alphabetical order so as not to imply any favoritism. However, some in this group are very well-known in this volume of blog posts. The links to their Instagram interior design inspiration pages are embedded in their names in CAPS.

 

ABKASHA

 

photo @idhalindhag

I know, they should’ve been on the list last time, but it appears they were not fully on my radar when the first Instagram lifestyle post was written. AB Kasha are the husband and wife Americans in Paris who have done exquisite renovations on dozens, if not 100s of apartments.

The renovations are designed to bring back all that was lost over the years of horrid remuddling and neglect. It was because of them that I knew to make my mantel mirror go almost to the ends of the mantel. You might also enjoy this post when I took two of their empty rooms and furnished them.

 

ANDREW HOWARD

 

Andrew is the son of James Michael (Jim) Howard and step-son of Jim’s equally talented “other half,” Phoebe Howard. Apparently, he learned the interior design trade through osmosis. However, I suspect he’d be a star without his famous parents. Everything they do is just so gosh darned pretty and always beautifully designed.

 

Below is an exquisite Gustavian-inspired dining room by Jim Howard.

 

 

Uh, huh, That’s the same as my Hampton Garden hand-painted wallpaper by Gracie.(below)

 

 

ARTICHOKE

 

Absolutely the most delicious English kitchens ever with an outstanding name!

 

Max Rollitt – Artichoke cabinetry

Another wonderful off-white kitchen by Artichoke.

 

 

GIL SCHAFER 

Yes, Gil Schafer has been named, quoted, and shared on this website dozens of times, but was left off the lifestyle list. His Instagram page is jaw-dropping. He’s the best of the best in architecture, interior design and collabs for most projects and can do no wrong. Some have pointed out, quite astutely, that there’s a very strong resemblance to his long-time Greenwich Village Pied a Terre to my apartment in Boston.

 

 Architectural Digest New Paint Color – photo Eric Piasecki

Below, you will see Gil’s influence on my own bathroom renovation.

 

 

The company has gone through several iterations, and when they teamed with Aimee Buccellatto & Assoc., the name Schafer-Bucellatto… was probably a bit much. So, they wisely changed the name recently to Gil Schafer & Co. Perfect!

 

GREG PENN – AKA: MAN WITH A HAMMER

.

 

This is a wonderful page all about an English chap– with a hammer (and a big beard) who is doing his own renovation room-by-room.

That’s like being in active birthing labor for six years straight. However, not only does he possess a hammer and superb skills with it, but he also has incredible taste. However, some of his color schemes might be a bit eccentric for some Americans. (or not!) The architecture, however, is always gorgeous and inspiring.

 

Man With a Hammer on Instagram

 

Please keep scrolling back on his feed. You’ll be glad you did. Most of the images are of the construction and process. Renovation nerds will love his feed!

 

JEAN STOFFER DESIGN

 

 

I sort of feel like I “discovered” Jean back in the spring of 2020.

 

 

I’m sure that’s not the case. It’s just that as soon as I found her, within a year, she was practically a household name. Having a TV show sure helps. I haven’t seen it, but I’m sure it’s wonderful. She is sooo talented and seems like a super nice lady, too!

 

JEANNETTE WHITSON (Garden Variety Design)

 

Keep scrolling. Her best work begins much farther down the page. The top posts are more personal in nature.

 

Jeanette Whitson (“Kitchens are my gateway drug.”) gets my vote based on this one kitchen alone. But, this immensely talented designer from Nashville, TN, first caught my attention (and millions of others, I’m sure) with her STUNNING blue on blue library with the U-shaped sectional.

 

Do you want to know what makes this room so spectacular, aside from that incredible sofa? I’ll tell you. It’s the brass sconces with the black lampshades.

 

However, the fabric on the ceiling is also quite cool and unexpected.

 

The iconic Jasper – Indian Flower fabric by Michael Smith in blue. (This is 1.25 yds from Etsy. That’s the perfect amount to make two pillows 20″- 22″!) This fabric comes in several colorways. You can find it on Etsy, used on throw pillows. If not in the trade, it can be found at LA Design Concepts, but there’s a 2-yard minimum, which comes to a total of $593 + shipping and probably sales tax.

Okay, that’s all for today!

 

Laurel, didn’t you forget Ben Pentreath and Charlie McCormick?

 

No, you’ll find them, along with Gerald Bland and others, on the prior lifestyle post. I didn’t want to rewrite that post, and I also felt it was redundant to repeat them here.

Next time, we’ll look at the next group of inspirational interior designers and architects on Instagram.

xo,

 

 

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Part 2 Begins Here

 

Sunday, January 25, 2026

Okay, as promised, I’m sharing what my gym looks like.

Well, actually, it’s more of a running/walking track. ;]

Here it is.

 

haha

As you can see, the track begins in the kitchen by the glass doors and then goes through the living room, turns into the den, goes out the other den door, through the vestibule and then loops back into the kitchen. It’s about 75 feet in total, so 70 laps = one mile.

Before the renovation, I skipped the kitchen part, but it was infinitely more boring and made me dizzy.

Do you actually run around 70 times? 

 

Not every day, but I did so today. A couple weeks ago, I went around over 100 times and could barely walk for three days. haha.

Sometimes, I walk on the track while on the phone.

 

Is it fun?

 

I wouldn’t call it fun, no. But I turn on some nice music, and that helps. Today, I listened to this beautiful Philip Glass piece Metamorphis 2.

 

 

I run barefoot, with socks, which are a bit slippery, but I’m not going very fast. It takes me about 23 minutes to jog/walk one mile with all of the turns. I don’t usually run the entire time. Today I ran for 10 minutes and walked the rest of the mile. Altogether, it was 25 minutes.

I also did some light stretches. Later on, it feels good.

 

Okay, let’s continue with the next seven interior designers on Instagram for some fantastic interior design inspiration.

 

JESSICA HELGERSON 

 

Jessica has been featured numerous times in these seven blog posts. I love her work and was hugely inspired by the mouldings in the room below.

 

 

jhinteriordesign on Instagram – stunning pantry – Jessica Helgerson – photo:@aaronleitz

Above is a stunning butler’s pantry with a view into an eclectic dining room. Jessica is keen on beautiful detailing in her interiors. If you’re not familiar with her work, I think you’ll enjoy it a lot.

 

LAURA ROLAND 

 

As I said earlier, whenever I come across someone’s beautiful page, I save the URL and name for reference. I don’t know when I came across Laura, but the second I checked her out again, I knew she was a definite yes for the list of the top 21 Interior Designers on Instagram.

One reason is this kitchen below.

 

Photo: Simon Upton

You can see the other half on her page or in the spread in Elle Decor if you subscribe, which I don’t. But, it’s all on her page. And get this. The architect was Bobby McAlpine, whom I wrote about years ago!  I have admired his timeless contemporary style for decades.

 

Ohhh… that dining room!

But not only is Laura a brilliant interior designer, but she is also the third-generation owner of Fireside Antiques. They have a website, but I also found Fireside Antiques on 1stdibs. The prices are the same. (Hint: You can always offer at least 10% off.)

What I don’t understand is why she has only 3,900 followers on her Insta page. I would think it would be 139,000.

Her style is such an interesting blend of timeless styles, seemingly divergent, but everything always works beautifully together.

 

MARK D. SIKES INTERIORS

 

Mark has two pages: a personal page that is a lifestyle feed, and his interior design page, which is the one I’m linking to. It is glorious!

 

Well, duh. I don’t need to say anything more because 10% of this website is filled with much about him. You can see it all here!

 

MELISSA OHOLENDT – OHO INTERIORS 

 

Oho Interiors stunning office entry photo: @judithmarilyn_

Melissa Oholendt is a young designer who’s beginning to make a name for herself in Minnesota and Colorado. Her style is casual and earthy, homey, and at the same time, quite sophisticated. She’s known for her wonderful use of color with a bit of vintage thrown in.

Below is an image many of you will recognize. It’s in my bed and bath Hot Sales page widget from the Ballard Design Website.

 

Oho Interiors on Instagram photo: @taylorhallobrien

 

Indeed, that is the same mirror that’s in my bathroom. (below) It’s so inexpensive and lightweight. But, aside from that, the finish is quite beautiful.

 

Above is my bathroom with the same mirror from Ballard Designs.

 

NATE BERKUS

 

On Nate’s feed, you’ll need to keep scrolling to get to the great interiors. Another place to see his work is on his associate, Lauren Buxbaum Gordon’s page.

 

I was very lucky to get to meet Nate at KBIS in 2017. He’s awesome!

 

PARK & OAK

 

They are another company featured several times on the blog.

 

 

RACHEL HALVORSON

 

Rachel is one of the most talented interior designers out there and her page is crammed with much interior design inspiration.

 

And what a beauty she is, as well. 

 

 

Rachel 100% understands the concept of balance. While the room is predominantly light and mid-toned neutrals, she knows it needs a few punches of black and dark brown.

 

In looking at this grouping, I realize that there’s a lot of overlap in their styles.

 

 

All of them have elements of timeless classics and classic contemporary pieces + antiques.

I hope you felt the warmth of these beautiful spaces and derived a lot of interior design inspiration.

And please, please, please stay safe. Winter weather is not to be messed with!

xo,

 

 

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Part 3 Begins Here

Wednesday January 28, 2026

Hi Everyone,

Okaaaaaaaay, they got it right this time.

Yes, we got hammered in Boston. I did go out after it had snowed about a foot to literally walk around the block. It wasn’t easy, and just before I rounded the bend to get back on Comm Ave, I went through a stretch of virgin snow.

That was on Sunday. Then, we got hit again on Monday for a few hours, for a total accumulation of 23.2 inches! And now there’s the possibility of another storm on Sunday.

But there’s more. Last night, just before I was going to bed, I was sitting upstairs, when out of the corner of my eye, a bolt of dark gray lightning shot under my sofa.

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

 

I screamed.

And then I went practically catatonic for several minutes.

During that time, I emailed the mouse executioners, AKA “Pest Control Technicians.” I kid you not, I sent them the map of my running track I made for y’all. (coincidentally, it’s the same one the mice use) LOLOLOL

Then, I went into the kitchen to make sure every crumb was gone, and I mopped the floor.

Fortunately, the PCTs had a cancellation and showed up around 2:30PM that day. They pulled out the range, and sure enough, there were two access points. Common guys.

Hopefully, “Bolt” went back to the kitchen when he felt reasonably certain it was safe and went back to his home in the wall. If his access point is somewhere else, then I will very likely see him again.

 

Okay, it’s time to finish up with the final seven nine designers on Instagram who will provide much interior design inspiration.

 

There are some collabs, which is why there are two more designers to enjoy.

And, this list will not disappoint. Two have never been featured.

The first one, however, was inadvertently overlooked and should’ve been in the first grouping.

 

That is JAMES FARMER.

 

Now, with James, we get a twofer.

 

A young designer, HALEY YARBROUGH

 

is listed in many of James’ images as a collaborator. Haley did work for James for several years, and then went out on her own fairly recently.

I’ve featured James’s work on the blog in at least two dozen blog posts.

 

This is one of my favorite images from a while back.

The above image is credited to bot Haley and James.

 

This is Haley’s vignette, and I posted it because I was so tickled to see the Ballard Designs Louis mirror – again!

 

Now, get ready for an astonishing before-and-after done by James Farmer and Haley Yarbrough!

 

 

Next up is a new name, but this young lady, a fiery redhead and mother of four (!) from Nashville, is brilliant. Her use of color is sooooo good. Please keep scrolling. Her feed gets better and better.

 

STEPHANIE SABBE

 

That’s the 16″ Leslie semi-flushmount chandelier, designed by Suzanne Kasler.

It also comes in a 21″ and a 12″. The 12″ is on sale at 1800lighting!

Several people asked for the paint color. It is not dissimilar to Knoxville Gray, but I think it’s closer to Narragansett Green.

 

  Narragansett Green

Knoxville Gray

 

I selected this image because she used faux beams for the ceiling, and they add so much character to this wonderful #unkitchen.

 

Next up is a wonderful architect from Utah.

 

STEVE TIEK 

On Steve’s feed, you will find both interiors and exteriors, drawings, and renovation shots.

However…

This stunning bathroom stopped me in my tracks.

This is in a new Tudor-style home designed by Steve Tiek Design Group. There’s lots to see here, and it’s all gorgeous with beautiful details you can copy!

 

Next is a very familiar name, who’s appeared in nearly two dozen blog posts.

STEVEN GAMBREL

 

Steven is also an architect and an interior designer. I tend to prefer his more muted interiors, but his use of color is brilliant. His favored schemes are usually analogous in nature, like the room below.

I am hesitant to post Stevens images because of copyright trolls. (sad face) No one, knock on wood, has bothered me about Gambrel’s images, but I have been bothered, and it always sucks. This is why I seldom post other designers’ work and have removed hundreds of images from the posts and library. Alas, this image came from social media, where people are encouraged to share. The laws are archaic.

If you’d like to see more of Steven on my blog, please click here. There are still about 30 of my favorite images.

Or, you can go to Steven Gambrel’s website and drool for hours.

Next up are three that most of you will love! All three have been an endless source of interior design inspiration for me.

 

TAMMY CONNOR  ||  JOHN B MURRAY ARCHITECT  ||  CATHY KINCAID 

Tammy and Cathy are both brilliant interior designers who frequently collaborate with architect John B. Murray. Of course, Tammy and Cathy collaborate with other fine architects and John, with other wonderful designers.

Some architects do both architecture and interior design, but most do not. Still, I find the ones who are collaborating with the best designers, probably could do a fantastic job, but are delegating to relieve themselves of some of the responsibility and project management headaches. Or, they prefer to do only the architecture.

 

From Cathy Kincaid’s Instagram. She says, “Don’t be shelf-ish.” ;]

My image above was taken in Beacon Hill Books, designed by Cathy Kincaid.

Believe me when I tell you that I took close-up shots of all of the mouldings. My friends are used to some unorthodox but harmless behavior. ;]

 

Collab via Veranda between Cathy Kincaid and John B Murray.

 

Tammy Connor has offices in both Charleston, SC and Birmingham, AL. She’s a fantastic designer. I adore everything she does, and it will be obvious that she’s inspired my own work.

 

Above and below an exquisitely designed home by Tammy Connor in Kiawah Island, NC.

 

Exquisite home and dining room in Kiawah, SC. The kitchen above is from the same home, and you can see it in the background.

 

 

Above is a collab between Tammy Connor and John B Murray. 

 

Perhaps you can see how these brilliant designers have influenced my design choices.

 

There’s truly nothing new under the sun!

 

And last and definitely not least (Please forgive all of the platitudes) is:

 

WILLIAM  MCLURE

 

William is another brilliant designer who’s first and foremost a fine contemporary artist. His blend of old and new in the many homes he’s occupied in the last decade is unsurpassed.

 

White painted floors. I adore my white painted floors in the lower-level entry halls and bedroom. My son Cale asked me once why I painted the floors white.

Why not? It’s because I LOVE white painted floors, and it’s one of my favorite upgrades from my renovation.

 

This is the most classic, timeless style above.

 

I’ve always adored this dining set with the birdcage-based dining table.

 

Okay, that’s a wrap for some of the most beautiful and helpful interior designers on Instagram.

BTW, Ramona stated in the comments that she’s not fond of Instagram. That’s understandable. All of these designers also have websites, so please do check those out, too. Many are linked here, but if not, you can find them on their Insta pages or by doing a quick Google search.

xo,

 

***Please check out the recently updated HOT SALES

There was a big New Year’s edit for this weekend with some of my favorite sales happening right now.

 Also, if you’re doing some shopping on Amazon, please click this Amazon affiliate link or the graphic below.

 

Thank you so much!

I very much appreciate your help and support!