(banner image by Joe Mortell)
For those of us in the design field, it’s sometimes difficult not to get stuck in an infinite scroll on social media, especially on photo-based apps like Instagram. Don’t get us wrong – we love all of the big publications focused on architecture and design and their picturesque Instagram accounts. For years, these household-name magazines have evolved into authorities on the best and brightest in the industry, and with social media, these images are so accessible that we don’t even need to open up a magazine to see them. However, sometimes our favorite ultra-polished blogs and websites, while full of gorgeous projects, gloss over the thrill of discovering the design magic in the everyday. We’ve gathered a handful of Instagram accounts and blogs that bring the beauty of unrecognized places and spaces into the spotlight. By giving these accounts a follow or a search, your social media is about to gain some new variation and perspective!
(photo from Hood Century Modern)
This amazing Instagram account has been making headlines over the past year in publications like Vogue, but in case you aren’t following yet, we wanted to share Jerald Cooper’s work. The archivist and preservationist travels across America documenting jaw-dropping works of mid-century architecture that have been more or less forgotten. From a space age-style Chipotle to architecturally astounding bank drive-throughs, the page shows that not all great design is appreciated the same way in some areas as it is in others. Since the page’s takeoff in 2019, Cooper has joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, and is actively working to preserve Black resources.
(photo from Cheap Old Houses)
“How cheap?,” you may be thinking. $50,000 for a three-level, four-bedroom home cheap, to be exact. Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein, a couple from New York, started the page as a way of getting the word out about historical homes in need of some love. Now, at over 1 million followers, their listings have inspired people from around the country to move into historical homes, make them their own, and save a lot of money in the process. Even if you are not looking to move, “Cheap Old Houses” is an exciting and hopeful account to scroll through.
(photo from Vintage Bathroom Love)
Go the extra tile – err, mile – and check out “Vintage Bathroom Love,” an account that posts bathrooms of the past. Sure, some of them may be outdated or kitschy, but the daring choices of teal tile, bubblegum-pink sinks, and arched showers may provide bits of inspiration and nostalgia worth adding to your feed.
(photo from Mad For Mid)
Discover the hidden mid-century hideaways in California on this account, run by photographer Damon Jones, which shares everything from John Lautner homes to public libraries full of mid-century furniture. This page will give you a renewed sense of adoration for West Coast architecture.
(photo from Mod Traveler)
Photographer and architecture lover Ken McIntyre documents his travels to well-built wonders from Vancouver to Vegas. His website, modtraveler.net, is the ultimate source for anyone seeking out architectural eye candy while on the road.
(photo from Atomic Doors)
Knock, knock! This account shares photos of doors from around the country that really make a statement. With fun colors and eccentric designs, the doors of these homes make them unforgettable even before you step inside. Plus, seeing these standout doors may make you rethink your own entryway. In the words of one commenter under a photo of a teal door framed in stone, “I want to answer that door in a smoking jacket with martini in hand!”
(photo from Joe Mortell)
While 3D artist Joe Mortell’s interiors work isn’t necessarily “real” (the majority of the designs on this page are 3D collages and renderings), they are guaranteed to provide great daydream material. A fluffy square couch in the middle of a rainforest? Check. A pink-carpeted conversation pit that doubles as a hot tub? Check.
(photo from Le Blanc)
Get up-close-and-personal with some of the world’s most exquisite buildings on photographer Sebastian Weiss’ Instagram page. These tight shots of geometric architectural exteriors are all museum-quality, and may even prompt you to buy one of his prints for your own home.
(photo from Architecture is Sexy)
“Architecture is sexy,” according to the Instagram bio for this account.. Featuring work you may not have seen before, from carousels to embassies, the page also and provides manufacturers and product listings in the captions!