The Instagrammys: the top 10 home contractors to follow
April Dykman | Improvement Center Columnist | December 18, 2013
Get inspired by following the best of the best. Whether you're looking for a small project you can do yourself or you just want to be see the pros at work, there's a contractor on Instagram with a feed you should follow.
Here are 10 contractors with some of the most follow-worthy Instagram feeds.
1. Best weekend project ideas: Craig Newton, CRN Construction @crnconstruction
Photo credit to CRN Construction
Based in Long Beach, California, CRN Construction specializes in door and window installation, kitchen and bath renovation, interior trim, and more, and their Instagram feed is chock full of great ideas, like the effect of a bright door on a traditional building and weekend projects like "pocket doggie doors," which let you close off a room for Fido without using those unattractive baby gates.
2. Best step-by-step shots: Lane Cooper, Cooper Design Builders @cooperdesignbuilders
Photo credit to Cooper Design Builders
This Portland, Oregon firm is a full-service contracting company, and they document their projects beautifully on their Instagram feed. Follow along as Cooper Design Builders see a project through to completion, from the dreary "before" shots to the construction phase to the shining "after" pic, plus fun shots of their four-legged coworker, Luna.
3. Best modern/contemporary remodeling photos: Euro Design Corp @eurodesigncorp
Photo credit to Euro Design Corp
If modern remodels are more your style, this Miami, Florida contractor is one to follow. Standout images from Euro Design Corp include "floating" shelving for TVs, bright white kitchens and bathrooms, and checkerboard-patterned cabinets. Go drool over it all!
4. Most "Pinterest-worthy" photos: Marilynn Allain-Taylor and Allison Allain, The Property Sisters @thepropertysisters
Photo credit to The Property Sisters
The Property Sisters are a design and build firm in Southern California specializing in property renovation, design, market prep, and furnishing makeovers. Some particularly creative projects featured on their Instagram feed are a wall made of wooden pallets for an office, the design of a white powder room in a Spanish bungalow, and their IKEA Billy bookcase hack.
5. Most inspirational: Habitat for Humanity @habitatforhumanity
Photo credit to Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity's feed just might inspire you to join their mission: creating a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Recent photos include a shot of devastated Tacloban, where Habitat will be helping with housing needs. And in honor of the holiday season, there's an image of the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, which @habitatforhumanity says "will be donated to Habitat, and it's lumber will be used to build a home."
6. Best pool shots: John Negri and Cameron McCausland, Minke Pools @minkepools
Photo credit to Minke Pools
These Melbourne-based pool contractors construct a small number of pools each year that incorporate unique architectural details, and they love a complicated construction challenge. On their Instagram feed, they document their projects, like the moment when a new four-sided perimeter overflow pool is about to "spill" for the first time, something that requires precision to the millimeter.
7. Best urban space remodels: Gennaro Brooks-Church, Eco Brooklyn Inc. @ecobrooklyn
Photo credit to Eco Brooklyn
Eco Brooklyn specializes in remodeling Manhattan and Brooklyn brownstones through green materials and eco-friendly construction practices. Follow along as the team completes all sorts of urban projects, including turning a shipping container into a home with a rooftop garden using salvaged materials.
8. Best in upcycling: Dan Phillips, Phoenix Commotion @phoenixcommotion
Photo credit to Dan Phillips
Dan Phillips is a "trash architect" who is remaking houses and gardens in some strange-yet-beautiful ways by repurposing unusual materials. He also insists that homeowners be involved in their projects, giving them the skills and know-how to pitch in. Be sure to check out the recently completed solarium roof and shots of Dan teaching his crew how to use power tools.
9. Best international green building: Juan Casillas, LabMX @juancasillas
Photo credit to Juan Casillas
This Mexico-based firm offers environmental education workshops and constructs eco-friendly structures throughout Mexico. But you don't need to be able to read Spanish to appreciate Juan's photos of their projects, like a straw bale school house, and his beautiful images of life in Mexico, including street art, scorpions, and the intricate wooden floor of the Church of Santa Prisca.
10. Most exciting Instagram rookie: Kate Walker, Kate Walker Design @katewalker_design
Photo credit to Kate Walker Design
Kate Walker consults on projects from the ultra-modern to the heritage-preserving, sourcing the perfect tile and stone for the job. A newcomer to Instagram, we're eagerly awaiting more of her magazine-worthy shots of herringbone tile backsplashes and travertine-tiled pools.