Research Reveals How to Dominate Pinterest

Photo: StartBloggingOnline.com

Pinterest is the social-media version of Hobby Lobby: a giant inspiration destination, with a gazillion ideas that make women squeal "I want to try that!" You'll find everything from Mason jar desserts to outdoor wedding lanterns made from—you guessed it—Mason jars, all of which adds up to hours spent carefully curating your boards (and hoping your boyfriend doesn't see the one devoted to the wedding he doesn't know you're planning).

So which pins are most likely to catch other women's attention—and make you a Pinterest sensation? Apparently, this is a subject of interest even to scientists. A new University of Minnesota study analyzed the Pinterest content that gets pinned, and repinned, most often by female users. Here's what they found: 

1. Food and drink

2. DIY crafts

3. Home decor

4. Women's fashion

5. Weddings

6. Hair/beauty

7. Kids

8. Humor

9. Design

10. Health and fitness

Want to get more play on Pinterest? The researchers' advice: Follow lots of other pinners, create lots of boards and pin like mad (users with 4,00o-plus pins were the most popular), and post on the topics listed above, without focusing too much on any one area. That said, if you are going to zero in on a topic, you should make it food: If up to 35 percent of your pins are food-related, you're more likely to have lots of followers, the study found.

6 Ways to Make IKEA Pieces Custom

Yep, this bed started as an IKEA frame.

My first trip to IKEA was revelatory: I was enthralled with the array of options and styles, the sheer size of the warehouse, and the "how is this so cheap?" prices. Then came the inevitable backlash: Some of my chairs started falling apart, and I grew tired of the college-dorm look of many of the pieces I'd purchased.

Until I discovered the Internet underworld of "IKEA hacks," clever ways to make the store's cheap pieces look custom. And expensive. Of course, these easy upgrades won't solve the whole falling apart thing, but they do save you enough cash that you can afford to redecorate every few years. I call that a win.

Gold Coffee Table

Vittsjo Nesting Coffee Tables + Gold Spray Paint

Before

After

More at The Hunted Interior

Upholstered Bed

Wooden Bed + Batting + MDF + Fabric

Before

After

More at All Things Campbell

Gilded Drum Shades for Pendant Lights

Kulla Pendant Lamp + Gold Leaf + Spray Adhesive + 

Spray Sealer + Gold Spray Paint

Before

After

More at Haute Khuuture

Bar Cart

Vittsjo Laptop Table + Spray Paint + Acrylic Sheet + Wheels + 

Patterned Paper + Long Screws + Machine Screws + Clear Acrylic Spray

Before

After

More at Style Me Pretty

Dresser

Pine RAST Dresser + Primer + Spray Paint + Stencil + Gold Paint + Spray Polyurethane + Gold Hardware

Before

After

More at Roost

Nailhead Side Table

Two Side Tables + Nailheads

(The project calls for IKEA's Expedit Side Table, which is no longer available. BUT, the LACK Side Table is strikingly similar, and only 10 bucks.)

Before

After

More at Clementine & Olive

Before & After: My Dining Room Makeover

Frank bought our home because it has good bones. You know, it's structurally sound, made of brick, that kind of stuff. Which means, in true bachelor fashion, design didn't really factor into his decision.

Let's start with the dining area: It featured worn-out carpet, an etched glass and brass chandelier circa 1980, and a faux stone wall. Leroy, the old owner, had painted around one of his China cabinets, leaving a faint mint green rectangle on one wall. The bleak situation was not improved by Frank's high-top table, which was a different wood than the other furniture (left by Leroy) and was the wrong shape for the space. An intervention was in order.

Step one: We ripped up the carpet to expose the wood floors (those good bones!) and ripped down the faux stone drywall. Then I replaced the chandelier with a brushed nickel fixture with a white drum shade (Lowes, $169), and installed GE Reveal bulbs, which mimic natural light. I replaced the high-top table with a farm table bought on CraigsList for $45 (what a steal!).

When we removed the drywall, we discovered two junction boxes. Perfect for sconces! I chose nickel sconces with white glass shades (Lowe's, $30 each). The new wall color is Rainwater by Martha Stewart (sold at Home Depot), which gives the space a calming, almost ethereal feel.

I found the chairs in the basement, and I liked their shape and the cane headrests. But the finish was just ugly, as was the red damask fabric. So I painted them white, and reupholstered the cushions with a light teal and beige burlap. I also stained the table to darken it and bring out the scuffs (so it looks like a true farm table). 

Then came the big project: refinishing the China cabinet. I removed the metal lattice on the glass, painted the whole thing white, then painted the backboard Magnolia Yellow by Martha Stewart. (The yellow pops beautifully against the surrounding pale teal walls.) I replaced the old hardware with cut glass knobs, and painted the hinges with brushed nickel spray paint. 

My final purchase was two tufted benches with silver legs from Pier 1. They're actually vanity benches, but I wanted something more elegant than wooden farm benches.