joinfreddie/michaelaiduss/vivirdesign via Instagram

Some home upgrades—notably anything involving plumbing or electricity—demand a professional. But others? Not so much. In fact, in an age when homeowners feel empowered to square off with many home improvement projects themselves, creating DIY decor has become a typical weekend activity.

So to keep you busy during these first few weeks of spring, we’ve assembled a collection of home projects inspired by our current favorite interior-design posts on Instagram. Here are five fabulous, high-reward endeavors no one will believe you actually pulled off yourself.

1. Built-in entryway bench

This cozy entryway bench, seen in a post from @michaelaiduss, makes a wonderful first impression on anyone who walks through your front door. And it won’t take you more than a few days to recreate on your own.

“A built-in entryway bench adds a touch of luxury,” says Sarah Gaffney, lead designer at Next Stage Design. “If you have some carpentry skills, these are actually doable yourself. Otherwise, you can also use a high-backed settee to create a similar look.”

Realtor.com

Looks are truly deceiving.

A sedate Tudor in Ann Arbor, MI, set social media abuzz with its bold, Barbie-inspired palette. That’s why it’s this week’s most popular home on Realtor.com®.

Devotees of the color pink must have a look at this condo. From a kitchen decked out with Barbie-themed appliances to the primary bedroom awash in pink tulle and rosy hued accessories, these interiors are totally tricked out and over the top.

Other homes that made the popularity list include a lakefront tiny home in Georgia, an affordable antique in West Virginia, and a converted church in Illinois.

A critical-care nurse wanted to build a house in Los Angeles for ‘just one person.’ Finding the perfect lot wasn’t easy.

Home365 is a technology-supported full-service property management firm that covers all costs of owning and profiting from real estate.

As mushrooms become more prominent in nearly all spheres of modern life — including wellness, pop culture and cuisine — they’re also becoming sought-after motifs in interior design.

Never worry or wonder if you remembered to shut the garage door or lock the front door. With a system like Alarm.com, you can check in on a property remotely from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

If writing a book seems like an impossible task, just know that it’s not. In the final part of this series, we look at how to write, what to write about, and who can help you make it more manageable.

There are 12 brand archetypes based on common themes, personality traits and marketing niches. Not sure what your “type” could be? Take our quiz to find out.

Make your social media efforts count by posting on the right platforms. Not sure which ones to choose? Here's three steps to help you determine which social media platforms are right for you and your business.

Getting featured in the press can be a game changer because, in addition to creating exposure, it also helps you become a recognized authority in your market. Marketing expert Jeremy Knauff provides a step-by-step strategy for connecting with members of the media.

Jarret Willis, a Black agent who worked at the Hamptons-based luxury brokerage, was smeared by epithets, including "Jafar" in reference to the "Aladdin" Disney movie, a white colleague claims.

Realtor.com

Tucked between Park and Lexington avenues is one of the most prestigious homes on the New York market. The Thomas Lamont mansion at 107 E 70th Street, originally commissioned by Lamont himself, was recently listed for $45 million.

The 10-bedroom, 14-bath, midblock mansion was designed in 1922 by Walker & Gillette—an architecture firm best known for its work on the once-private residences now occupied by the French and Italian consulates and the esteemed Spence School.

Lamont, a partner at J.P. Morgan, acquired the plot of land in 1920 and proceeded to build the “the best house on the best block,” The New York Times boldly stated.

It is, after all, nearly 23,000 square feet.

HGTV

Design experts Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent openly admit they’re not the biggest sports fans. But as we see on the latest episode of “The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project,” they sure know how to score points with sporty homeowners.

Go team!

In the episode, “Story of Sacrifice,” Berkus and Brent meet Mark and Laura, who have lived in Merrick, NY, all their lives. They bought their home 15 years ago and have been wanting to renovate ever since.

The family, which includes two children, has been scrimping and saving for years—with Mark working Saturdays, going in early, and eating PB&J sandwiches for lunch. Over the years, they have managed to save an impressive $175,000 for the remodel. No loans or credit card debt for them!

Getty Images

Rising interest rates have not only thrown a wrench into home sales but have caused some pretty seismic changes in home renovation, too.

According to the just-released 2023 U.S. Houzz & Home renovation report of more than 46,000 respondents, nearly 3 in 5 homeowners remodeled or redecorated their homes last year, and nearly half made repairs. And this urge to revamp will carry firmly through 2023, the report says. More than half of homeowners (55%) are planning renovation projects in the next year.

What’s spurring the continued interest in home reno? It seems partially fueled by the fact that people are planning to stay put in their homes for the long haul, rather than sell and upsize to a bigger and better place.

“Faced with shortages of housing stock and high interest rates, we’re seeing homeowners update their current home to make the space more functional for the long term,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of industry marketing at Houzz.

Dating to the late 1700s, the estate known as Kirkwood Farm features five historic farmhouses, two barns and a springhouse.

In its inaugural sustainability report on Wednesday, Redfin shared its efforts to improve housing access, equity and sustainability alongside corporate diversity and inclusion.

Getty Images

After binge-watching a few hours of HGTV, home flipping may seem like a good way to make some extra cash. But the shows don’t always dwell on the financial risks facing investors who jump into the game.

Home flippers flooded the real estate market last year, according to a recent report from ATTOM, a real estate data firm. But their profits fell, as the housing market corrected to the lowest levels since the Great Recession.

To come up with its findings, ATTOM looked at metropolitan areas with at least 200,000 residents and 100 home flips last year.

Flips comprised roughly 8.4% of all home sales in 2022, the highest percentage since 2005, according to ATTOM. More than 407,000 single-family homes and condos were flipped last year—up 14% from 2021 and 58% from 2020. Nearly two-thirds of flips were purchased in all-cash deals.

Millionaire homeowners are trying to sell their houses before the city’s ‘mansion tax’ goes into effect on April 1.

Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Paramount+ / Realtor.com

Talk about stunning!

New York City brownstones and townhomes are in a class by themselves, simply because there are far fewer of them around, compared to apartments.

So when a property like this one, which is owned by the “X-Men” actress Rebecca Romijn, hits the market (even just to rent), it grabs some attention. Just be prepared to pay dearly: The elegant abode in Manhattan’s trendy Chelsea neighborhood is listed for $17,500 a month.

With historic bones and a modern gut renovation, this gorgeous four-bedroom, three-bath home is truly one of a kind. Romijn’s eclectic remodel was featured in Architectural Digest in 2020.

Getty Images

The numbers: A dip in mortgage rates propelled U.S. home buyers to purchase new homes, boosting sales for the fifth month in a row. The strength in new home sales is due to the low number of options buyers have with previously owned homes.

New home sales rose 1.1% to an annual rate of 640,000 in February, from a revised 633,000 in the prior month, the Commerce Department reported Friday. The number is seasonally adjusted.

The data from January was revised significantly. New home sales only rose a revised 1.8% to 633,000 in January, compared with the initial estimate of a 7.2% increase to 670,000.

The new home sales data are volatile month-on-month and are often revised.