Design Sponge

Los Angeles is no doubt the mother of many a creative inspiration, so it's no wonder that L.A. has become a Disneyland for home decoration. It's unenviable traffic packed roads are lined with countless facets of innovative home design. So how do you navigate 30 miles of lusty home furnishings? Enter Grace Bonney. A gift to home design enthusiasts everywhere, she gives back to the world with her blog called Design Sponge. This little gem in the World Wide Web offers tidbits of information from all over the U.S. and beyond, offering guides, Do-It-Yourself and before and after shots of others homes; giving those with no idea what to do with their living spaces plenty of ideas to make their home comfortable and unique to them. Likewise, Grace, along with several colleagues, has compiled a list for cities across the U.S. to show off their best stores and native-known-only hot spots to visit if you're in the mood to decorate. For L.A. dwellers, here's a list of stores that might make you forget that IKEA exists altogether.