Young House Love:  Even though the Young House Love website is pretty much on hold as they pursue other media, this is still a tremendous repository of inspirational DIY projects taken on by a couple who started out as enthusiastic amateurs and grew into very savvy semi-professional designers.

Family Handyman: Gender normative website name aside, FamilyHandyman.com is a great resource for projects large and small with detailed explanations and photo and sketch illustrations.  I don’t always use their designs but I really appreciate their attention to detail as a jumping off point.

Black and Decker How-To Book Series: I have plenty of experience as a designer but when it comes to DIY, I really appreciate a clearly laid out How-To explanation and these are the best I’ve come across in book form.  I’ve particularly enjoyed their compilation: The Complete Guide to Finishing Basements.