Our Favourite Home, DIY, and Lifestyle YouTubers
Only five or six years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you much about YouTube. Other than the odd how-to question that lead me to a video, I barely ever opened it up. It was actually a friend who introduced me to the idea that YouTube is a treasure trove of consumable content for whatever interests and hobbies you may have. She told me about some of the channels she watched and how she often opened YouTube rather than watch regular television to unwind in the evenings. It took me a while to give it a go, but eventually when I signed on and started finding videos that interested me, I was overwhelmed (in the best way) with how much well-produced self-made content existed. It didn’t take long for me to find and subscribe to some of my favourite channels that I still watch on a regular basis today.
I know that YouTube can be a double-edged sword - anyone can publish videos. That’s both a positive and a negative. You definitely need to be careful and critical of the content you’re consuming, assessing whether it’s worth your time or sometimes whether it’s even real. But despite the pool of sometimes questionable content, there are so many incredible hard-working creators on there that deserve everything they get out of the platform. Some of them are one-woman/man operations and some of them have built an entire team to run their channels. All are equally as impressive business-people. But most importantly, their content is seriously top notch.
Most of the channels I subscribe to (which essentially means that I am notified when they publish new videos) are in the home, DIY, and creative lifestyle category. Their content has definitely inspired me over the years! I thought it would be fun to share some of my favourite channels here as a way to introduce you to some of the content that exists out there. Maybe you’re new to YouTube itself or maybe you’ve just never heard of some of these, but hopefully you will at least give some of them a chance to impress you. Don’t forget to subscribe if you like what you see - it’s one of the easiest ways to support the creators.
The Sorry Girls
Category: DIY, Home, Lifestyle
These girls are a powerhouse! Not only are they Canadian (hence the Sorry in their name), but they also run an impressive-sized team and have turned their channel into a full-fledged business. They have such a fun and distinct style that they apply to so many different projects, including full room makeovers, furniture DIY’s, and fashion. They put a lot of emphasis on thrifting and buying second-hand and include lifestyle content that shows their creativity at work in little fixes around their own homes or as projects for their team members. And with a full team in place, their production quality and video editing is top notch! They share creative content and produce creative videos - they’re a great channel to start with!
Get started with: diying for our friends AGAIN, recreating designer items for way less $$$, or the Making Home w/ Kelsey! series.
Alexandra Gater
Category: Home
Alexandra Gater is also a Canadian YouTuber. She creates room makeover videos that focus on making home decorating affordable and attainable, especially for millennial renters. Her style is definitely not my own, but it’s fun to see the products she uses and how she creatively problem solves to bring function and style to other people’s often small spaces. She also has a super adorable cat that regularly makes an appearance on her channel. Every video is uplifting, positive, and full of exciting reveals.
Get started with: Turning A Spare Bedroom Into A Home Library With 800+ Books, DIY rental kitchen makeover for under $600, and Dreamy Farmhouse-Style Office Makeover For A Flower Shop!
DIY Wife
Category: DIY
The DIY Wife has a furniture flipping business and she and her husband create videos that chronicle each project. She has a really distinct style and primarily makes over mid-century modern furniture pieces. The videos are really well made and thoughtful. Instead of being typical how-to videos, they simply follow her as she tackles a project so you get to see how she establishes a vision and then executes it. She is known for her beautiful wooden furniture bases (I used her tutorial to inspire our own bedside table flip) and always includes a breakdown of numbers at the end so you can get a sense for the business side of her projects.
Get started with: this pretty modern makeover, DIY Bathroom Makeover, and her furniture base tutorial.
Lone Fox
Category: DIY, Home
Lone Fox is a really talented DIYer who takes on a variety of projects, small and large. He does full out room makeovers as well as IKEA hacks, thrift flips, and dollar store dupes. I love his style and eye for design, as well as his enthusiasm and go-getter attitude. His videos are fun because he will often interact with his viewers by either helping them with their own specific design questions or tackling projects they want to see recreated. He also seems really kind and supportive of other creators, which is always a win in my books.
Get started with: Redoing My WORST Room Makeover, DIY IKEA HACKS - Affordable DIY Room Decor + $50 Plaster Coffee Table!, and FULL APARTMENT TOUR (Renovated 1920’s Rental!).
XO, MaCenna
Category: Home, DIY
XO, MaCenna is one of my current favourite channels to watch. Her content is normally focussed on home thrifting and DIY, but she is currently restoring an old farmhouse/cottage, so most of her current content is based around that massive project. It’s really impressive to see what she takes on herself in such a huge project (she has literally done it all!) with endless positivity and enthusiasm. She also has a vlog channel where she often takes the viewer along to a flea market or thrift store, so if you like to treasure hunt, you’d love watching that content too.
Get started with: the Renovating our 110-Year Old Cottage series, DIY LAUNDRY ROOM MAKEOVER (Part 2), and the vlog channel.
DIY Danie
Category: DIY
DIY Danie is an oddball, but such a breath of fresh air in the DIY space. She is seriously creative! She is really ambitious and lets her creativity run without inhibition. She’s not afraid to take on a big DIY and often challenges herself to work with new materials, tools, and techniques to complete a project she is dreaming up. I particularly like the series where she tries to remake popular furniture and decor pieces from well-known stores on a budget much cheaper than the listed price. She creates projects that other people aren’t and always has such a fun sense of humour too.
Get started with: my home features over 50+ DIY's in it!, can i dupe the Lulu and Georgia Vedima Console Table for cheaper?!, and i dupe two pricey Anthropologie lights for half the cost!
Kitty Cotten
Category: Home, Lifestyle
Kitty Cotten creates simple and thoughtful content. She doesn’t upload very regularly, but when she does, her content is focussed on sustainable living, minimalism, and motherhood. I always like hearing about the products she has tried and would recommend because you can tell that she is always really thoughtful and considerate about what she uses. Her home is calm, peaceful, and beautiful and she occasionally helps out a friend or family member with their own home updates. She loves thrifting and shopping secondhand, too, which is always enjoyable to follow along with.
Get started with: Thrifting My Fall Pinterest & Instagram Wardrobe Inspiration, Sustainable Tips for the Holiday Season, and 10 Ways to Add Color to Your Home.
Katie Scott SALVAGED by k. scott
Category: DIY
SALVAGED by k. scott is another furniture flipper who runs her own business and documents her endless projects on YouTube. She has a really good eye for pieces and always tries a variety of different techniques and products, making each video incredibly fascinating to watch. I appreciate that she is really detail-oriented and does all her flips using best practices, so you can tell that her DIY’d pieces have a lot of longevity (I find that some DIYers can cut corners to save on time or costs and you can tell their projects are cheap and won’t last). Katie started her furniture flipping business to turn a profit, but now that she has a fairly big following on YouTube, she shifted her business model and now either donates her completed furniture pieces or sells them and donates the profits to local charities. I think that’s pretty cool!
Get started with: Cabinet Upcycle with BURLAP!, Contemporary Furniture Makeover, and I Duped Anthropologie's Pisces Furniture Look on a $25 Thrifted Dresser.
Honorable Mentions
As for the honorable mentions, these are also some really great channels! I didn’t include them on my main list because they either don’t put out regular content (maybe the have a limited series) or I’m only interested in a portion of the content they share about (if they have multiple niches). Either way, they are all so fascinating to dive into and have well-produced and well-edited videos.
It’s really inspiring to follow these creative YouTubers. In fact, many of these creators were a big influence on me when I decided I wanted to start our own YouTube channel. They put in a lot of time and effort to show the work they do on their projects and it’s inevitable that their creativity will rub off on you as you watch. Following their videos is way different than simply following someone on Instagram. If you haven’t already, I hope this post will encourage you to give YouTube a shot. I’m confident that you won’t be disappointed!
I hope this post was fun for you to read. If you are a regular YouTube watcher, what are some of your favourite channels to follow? Share them with me below!
