20+ best example Squarespace websites • blog edition
After choosing Squarespace, and before actually beginning to design a website, people often look at the Squarespace templates page with a blank stare.
'Uhhh ... which template do I choose? How do I decide? Can I see more examples?'
This is generally followed by intense Googling.
Whether you're DIYing or getting a designer to create your new Squarespace website, it's good to have some inspiration to get the creative juices flowing and see what's possible with Squarespace.
Enter: the top Squarespace website example & Squarespace template design inspiration series!
I've scoured the web for the best in Squarespace site design, and compiled them here.
Oh, and since Squarespace 7.1 is fairly new as of writing this, the examples in this post will have all been built on 7.0.
But not to worry!
When Squarespace released the new version of their platform, they did away with different template families.
Meaning each and every single template in the shop can achieve the exact same design, and has all the same features and functions available to them!
Giving you wayyyyy more freedom (and less stress over picking the right template)!
So regardless of which platform you are using, gather up as much inspiration from this post as you fancy, because chances are it can be done in 7.1 too!
Heads up!
This post was originally released a few years ago, and has been added to each year as I find new inspiring examples!
So some of the live sites may have since received a refresh from the original inspiring designs you see captured here! I’ll try to include a before and after where possible for even further inspiration!
New to Squarespace?
You can sign up for a free trial of Squarespace here and I also got ya a little off the price, use code PAIGE10 for 10% off your first year. (Yes, that's an affiliate link!)
Oh, and if you're still in need of a little more guidance before getting started on your Squarespace site...
You'll also love
SQUARESPACE WEBSITES & TEMPLATE INSPIRATION • BLOGGER EDITION
Live site: Ash owens
Template: Brine
Designed by: Alarice Stuart
Squarespace designer Alarice Stuart absolutely nailed this online home for blogger Ash owens!
I love the clever use of a summary block in the banner area to display only the title and “read more” link of most recent posts, lending itself to the simple, warm editorial feel of this design.
Normally, I tell students of my Square Secrets Course to consider limiting your main navigation links to 3-5, but this just goes to show you how when you know the rules, you also know when it’s ok (read: encouraged) to break them!
Live site: Abby Capalbo
Template: Brine
Designed by: Meg Summerfield
Where are my light & airy lovers at? Because this gorgeous site by talented designer Meg Summerfield is really lifestyle blog design at it’s best!
(With a touch of navy to add some glam!)
Oh, and notice how seamlessly Meg integrates Abby’s logo into the different sections down the page to build brand recognition, without sacrificing design!
And the slideshow banner is a nice bit of CSS handywork too!
Live site: Floral Compass
Template: Brine
Designed by: drop cap desigN
I’ve always been fangirl #1 of designer Kadie of Drop Cap Design’s work…but having gorgeous client imagery to work with certainly never hurts to up-level a design!
And I can’t think of a prettier topic than florals!
This lovely blog was designed to showcase Floral Compass’s floral designs, but also to highlight their educational offerings and tutorials!
I just love all the dainty little touches like thin lines, overlaying logos, and tone-on-tone fonts!
Live site: The Good Trade
Template: Unknown
DIY’ED
This understated blog design is a minimalists dream! Simple lines, soft colors, and clean fonts with alllll the whitespace leaves their gorgeous high-end imagery do the all the talking.
I love that their categories live in the main navigation, but that you can also browse through popular featured themes right from their home page, making this blog oh-so bingeable.
Live site: The Daileigh
Template: Brine Family
DIY’ED
The Daileigh is all about helping women build a functional wardrobe, and a style they love.
Ashleigh uses her blog (A.K.A content marketing) to establish her expertise in her industry and to point to her services as a stylist.
Her home page does list a few of her featured posts, and her design is flawless, but the real magic happens in the “Where to start” section - definitely a CTA (call-to-action) done right!
Live site: Jillian Summers
Template: Brine Family
Designed by: My Wolf Design
Pink is definitely still a trend I’m seeing in the Squarespace world, and I’m not mad about it! This gorgeous, girly design by My Wolf Design makes excellent use of alternating sections to draw your eyes down the page.
Even though there is lots of beautiful, delicate design touches happening, at no point does it feel overwhelming, or like her main goals for each section gets overshadowed by busy design.
She’s got a clear “this is who I am and what I do” type tagline right there in the first section which is one thing that I often spot missing from even the highest end designs!
So kudos! 👏
Live site: Hen & CO
Template: skye template family
Designed by: g disain
Designed to mimic our favorite visual search engine (Pinterest!) this beautiful website is sure to keep visitors scrolling and scrolling!
Having valuable, quality content is definitely priority #1, but making it super Pinnable and shareable is definitely what sets this talented blogger apart from many other designs I came across in my search!
Not to mention how cohesive it all is! (Can you say ‘brand recognition?’)
Live site: SNAPPILY KATIE
Template: BrINE FAMILY
Designed by: 23 & 9 Creative
Rule #1 of building a website: aim to make it your ideal client’s happy place.
And that’s exactly what I felt when scrolling through this gal’s gorgeous blog.
Happy!
It’s definitely more of a straight up blog page layout than a traditional website homepage, which allows readers to dive straight into her delicious content!
And it’s stacked view (rather than having multiple posts side by side in a grid) is a great way to draw the eye to just one post at a time!
Plus, extra points for just being so dang cute, right?
Live site: The girl guide
Template: Devlin
Designed by: kiki & co creative
Taking it back to our more minimal vibe, the Girl Guide is basically every 20-30 something girl’s Pinterest account come to life with her gorgeous use of white space, and heart-eyes-inducing vision boards.
I don’t know about you, but when planning pretty much anything in my life, I tend to dream in collage form, so I love that they are so heavily featured on her blog.
Live site: Dear Milano
Template: Farro family
DIY'ed
Need something a little more dramatic to get your brand vision across?
Dear Milano has nailed it with this bold, colorful, ‘look at me’ blog design. It screams high end fashion editorial with it’s sparse text and over the top imagery.
It makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a super glossy magazine!
Live site: A fabulous fete
Template: Wexley
Designed by: Go Live HQ
Hand-lettering lovers rejoice!
This dainty little design is perfect for this calligraphy centered blog! The sidebar is a perfect way to bring the most important CTA’s on her site to eye-level throughout a visitor’s scroll.
Oh, and A Fabulous Fete recently received a super-mod facelift!
(Also gorgeous, so I’ll include that below as well!)
BEFORE
AFTER
Template: Brine Family
Live site: The Locals
Template: York family
DIY'ed
This street style photography blog uses bold oversized lettering to draw the reader’s eye to each section of their brilliant home page design.
I’m usually all about cohesive, repeated palette choices, but this talented DIY designer knows that sometimes rules are made to be broken!
I love how they’ve used colors pulled from each photo to create their individual text overlays!
Live site: Styled Out West
Template: five template
Designed: Peachface Design Co
How funky and chic is this?! 🙌
With it’s simple site navigation, light and airy imagery, and fun use of home-spun hand-lettering, this blog instantly draws you in and makes you want to redesign your entire home (but only if Jenna from Styled Out West is there to help you!)
I love that she’s included so many life-filled photos of herself! Even though people are buying her “brand,” what people are really buying is the lifestyle she has that they want!
So just in case you were wondering whether you should splurge on that brand photoshoot…100% yes. And this site should tell you why.
Also, who else loves the dainty little vertical lines that point to her buttons and labels!? 🖐
Live site: Bo Stanley
Template: Brine Family
DESigned by: ThRee Feathers Designs
Want to start a fitness blog?
Bo Stanley is bringing all the inspo! I love that it’s a mix of super polished design, but also just some real-life photos of her doing her thing and being totally relatable.
It’s pretty, but also a super simple, no-fuss design (read: less to distract you from her praise worthy content!)
Her super clear category thumbnails lead you straight to the good stuff, and she even throws in a little “as seen in” self plug which never hurts to make it look like you actually know what you’re talking about!
(So if you got ‘em flaunt ‘em!)
Live site: Elle & Company Design
Template: Bedford family
Designed by: Elle & Company Design
In a sea of pink websites, I love Lauren’s use of bright, playful colors!
And check out those totally fun & unique little category icons in her sidebar! 👏
The vibe over on Elle & Co seems to me to say “Confident, go-getter ladies (or confident, go-getter wannabes) welcome!”
And there’s no mistaking her content when you come across it on other platforms, which should be the goal for any brand!
Live site: Badlands Blog
Template: Unknown
DIY'ed
Minimal design does it again over on the badlands blog.
Once again it reads just like a high end magazine, and the crisp, clear, professional-looking imagery totally puts this clean-lined design over the top.
The little burst of black in the footer adds at touch of moodiness and dramatic flair, to keep the overall vibe from feeling too dainty. 💁♀️
(Because with a name like Badlands, you need it to feel a bit bada$$ right?)
Live site: From Roses
Template: Montauk family
DIY'ed
The From Roses Blog is just as soft and feminine as it’s name sake.
But it isn’t just posies and all things pretty.
This lifestyle and photography blog covers everything from wardrobe help to mental health, and her design is just as inviting as the content she writes.
PS. From Roses has since seen a little refresh, while styling pretty true to her original blush-obsessed vibe.
Here’s a before and after to inspire you all you Squarespace bloggers out there!
Before
after
Template: Brine
Live site: By Lisa Lihn
Template: Farro family
DIY'ed
In the mood for something…moodier?
By Lisa Linh is the deep and rich design inspiration you’ve been searching for. This lifestyle blog is definitely vino-and-loungewear-night-in inspired.
And it’s only getting cozier as time goes by.
Here’s a before and after from when this Squarespace website example series first went live a few years ago to what it looks like today!
Before
After
Template: Brine Family
Live site: Nicole Carlson
Template: Brine Family
DIY'ed
If you’re looking for that carefully curated influencer look, this gorgeous girl has got you covered with design inspiration for days.
Her fabulous use of imagery plays perfectly into her coffee-themed beige, black and white color palette.
(Coffee is a color, right?)
I love the very light-handed use of color blocking to add depth and interest behind her key images, and her blog post thumbnails are to die for!
Live site: Walk This Wray
Template: Galapagos
DIY'ed
Lifestyle brands seem to make up the majority of our featured Squarespace bloggers, and it’s no doubt due to how easy the platform is for DIY’ers to update and maintain themselves!
This site is currently under construction as of our last check int, but I love the simple presentation of this blog from when we captured it a few years ago!
I think the thing that caught my eye is the Spotify playlist in the sidebar.
I love a good song recommendation, and if someone’s site vibe speaks to you, it’s hiley likely their personal playlist will too!
Just another way to use your blog to build connection with your community!
Live site: Allison Anderson
Template: Brine Family
DIY'ed
Once again, brand buy-in or loyalty has everything to do with the lifestyle you are selling.
And this blog, DIY’ed by the talented Allison Anderson to showcase her personal brand does not disappoint!
Her warm photography style, and Instaworthy locations has readers everywhere dreaming of travel and adventure.
