Ohdeedoh: Site of the Week

This week, I'd like to point out the interesting and efficient use of compact spaces for living and working. Sometimes it would be nice to be able to fit a bed, desk and storage all in a small room or apartment. Ohdeeoh has a nice series of interesting designs that do just that.

Now, I wouldn't say that everything about these is exactly practical (do you really want a rolling chair on an elevated surface?). But if you look carefully, I bet you'll find some useful space-saving tips.

Inspiredology: Site of the Week

As someone who works from home, I sometimes get the feeling that my office has me in a rut. I usually try to fix this by cleaning up my desk, which usually winds up covered in opened envelopes and empty coffee mugs. That helps, but I can't help but wonder if there isn't something missing in my work space. A table? Carpet? What do I need to make if feel fresh again?

This thought brings us to this week's Design Site of the Week: Inspiredology. Specifically, take a look at this post surveying a number of work spaces. Certainly, not everyone will appreciate the details of every workspace, but you just may be able to find something that sparks you to change your own work environment for the better.

Surfaces with Paint: Site of the Week

We're starting a new weekly feature at Your Neighbor's Place. Each week we will highlight an interesting and inspirational home design website that we've found. It could be a home improvement tip, or a gallery of interior decorating photos - anything that we think you will enjoy.

To start things off, I'd like to showcase the website of one of our members. PainterMommy, also known as Dawn, has a site at Surfaces With Paint, where she has shown off her incredible murals. She's done quite a few murals in plenty of categories - nautical, fairy tale, trees, jungles, animals, tropical and more. Take a look if you are thinking about painting a mural for a nursery or any other room in you home.

Email Notifications

Another new feature was rolled out today. You can now receive email notifications whenever someone leaves a comment on one of your photos or favorites.

If you would like to turn this functionality on, go to My Stuff >> Edit Your Account, and then click the checkboxes at the bottom of the screen.

Favorites & Posts

Two new features have been added to Your Neighbors Place! You can now mark individual photos as favorites, and you can see who's commented on your photos on one easy-to-use page.

Both of these features are available through a new navigation bar on your user page. Just click the click the "My Stuff" link) and you will see a new menu bar at the top left (just under the main navigation).

To see a list of all the photos you have marked as favorites, click the "Favorites" link. To see a list of everyone who has commented on your photos, click the "Posts" link.

You can see other people's lists of favorites and posts as well.

I hope you like the new functionality. Please let me know what you think of it!

New Feature: Bigger Photos

You spoke, and I listened. The main view of a photo when you're looking at a binder is now substantially bigger.

Unfortunately this will only apply to photos added from now on. If you want your current photos to be shown bigger, you have to upload them again. (Click "Edit" on the item you want to change, and just re-upload the same photo). If you don't feel like doing all that, no worries - everything should work fine if you do nothing.

Note: Your Neighbor's Place does not embiggen photos - if they're small to start with, that's the way they show up on YNP. Blowing them up just makes them ugly...

Keep the suggestions coming.

Next up: Favorites.

Coming Soon

Your Neighbor's Place is up, running, and growing! Thanks so much to everyone who contributed. Keep it up! Post those photos!

Look for some new features to be rolled out in the near future, all at the request of Your Neighbor's Place members:

Bigger Pictures: Yes, they're a little small. I'm working on a fix for this as we speak.

Favorites: Bookmark your favorite pictures so you can easily go back to them.

Sponsored Accounts: If you have a home related business, you will soon be able to create a sponsored account which will allow you to help promote your business.

Multi-file Upload: This one is on the back burner, but I'm definitely considering it. You'd be able to upload an entire binder's worth of photos in one step once I get this running.

Keep the feedback coming - I will read every piece of email I get and do my best to implement the best suggestions.

Welcome To Your Neighbor's Place

Hello and welcome to Your Neighbor's Place.

Your Neighbor's Place is a website where you can come to share pictures and discuss anything related to your home.

Several months ago, my wife became very frustrated when we were remodeling our kitchen - she couldn't find any pictures of backsplash designs on the web. That frustration has turned into this site. We decided to build a place where real people could post real pictures of their homes. The slick, glossy architecture magazines filled with multi-million dollar homes are fun, but not very practical for most people. We aim to bring home improvement and decorating out of the clouds to a level where everyone can participate.

Your Neighbor's Place is a labor of love, and I would encourage you to use it how you see fit. If it has something to do with your home, my goal is to find a way to incorporate it into the site. If you have a question or comment, do not hesitate to contact me at damon@yourneighborsplace.com

So if you have a story to tell about your home, by all means, tell it on Your Neighbor's Place.