Christopher Lowell
on the Discovery Channel
Christopher Lowell has immense energy and great ideas -- he's the ultimate interior-decorating cheerleader! He is a fabulous guru for people who haven't done much (or any) decorating before but want their homes to look beautiful and unique. Always has great low-budget tips for high-class looks. Check out "Christopher's Classics" on his website for great how-to projects. His show has gone through a few incarnations, but it's always the same delightful Christopher. If you like him on TV, you'll love his books too -- Seven Layers of Design: Fearless, Fabulous Decorating (an excellent primer on design), If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It: Dream Decor on a Budget (great economical ideas), and the forthcoming You Can Do It! Small Spaces: Decorating to Make Every Inch Count.

marthastewart.com
Martha's official website (not to be confused with the Gothic Martha Stewart site, thankyouverymuch!). Home of her multimedia empire, including her TV show, magazine, and countless books. You can access a huge database about the her projects and recipes, plus there's chat, discussion boards, shopping, and much more.

Home and Garden TV
This cable channel is the be-all and end-all of home decorating TV. While the focus is decidedly mainstream, just swap their boring asethetics for your own! The channel has tons of crafty "make clever stuff for your home" shows that will give you great ideas. The schedule's always changing, but a few of my faveourties are Decorating Cents, Awesome Interiors, Design on a Dime, and from Martha's Home (yep, another Martha show ;-).

Digs Magazine
A home and living guide for the post-college, pre-parenthood, quasi-adult generation, but ideal for anyone on a budget or short on time. Excellent projects, recipes, and advice to fit a creative lifestyle.

Shabby Chic
by Rachel Ashwell with Glynis Costin
Beautiful idea and inspiration books. The emphasis is on finding and restoring flea market junk to make elegant yet casually sensuous rooms. Also has some useful information on fabrics, slipcovering, flowers, and lighting. The story continues with Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic : Treasure Hunting & Decorating Guide with an in-depth look at actually finding those flea market treasures. And then there's the The Shabby Chic Home, a thoughtful look at renovating an older home. Ashwell also has a TV show on the Style Network, which features the same beautiful decorating ideas.

The Paris Apartment: Romantic Decor on a Flea Market Budget
by Claudia Strasser
A gorgeous idea book that convinces the reader that you really can get awesome, stylish, luxurious looks out of junk scavenged from the flea market, thrift store, and dumpster.

Flea Market Style: Decorating With a Creative Edge
by Emelie Tolley, Chris Mead
Fabulous picture book that is sure to inspire your next flea market or yard sale shopping trips.

Flea Market Decorating
by Better Homes and Gardens
Practical advice and ideas about turning junk into beautiful furnishings.

Trading Spaces
on the Discovery Channel
One of the most successful (and watchable!) reality shows around. Not the best for actual tips, but the idea that two people and $1,000 can totally transform a room is inspirational. Of course, they have all kinds of off-camera help and an on-camera designer and carpenter team. But you can learn a little something, and it's very entertaining!

Elegant and Easy Rooms: 250 Trade Secrets for Decorating Your Home
by Dylan Landis
A book full of little, usually inexpensive things you can do in your home that will add drama and style immediately.

Decorating on a Dime
by Christy Ferer
A slim little book with easy to follow recipes for sprucing up floors, walls, furniture, and windows, and generally making your home a more festive place to live. And most projects don't require special skills or tools, except occasionally straight-line sewing.

The New Apartment Book
by Michele Michael and Wendy S. Israel
Finally, a decorating guide that takes apartments into consideration! Issues such as white walls, old carpets, and small spaces are all discussed, along with rather upscale design ideas.

Making the Most of Small Spaces
by Anoop Parikh
Snazzy ideas for storage and furniture arrangement to make the most of small living spaces.