Just heard about the closing of Domino magazine. Gosh, that’s 4 or 5 Decorating Magazines snatched off my magazine rack in the last few months. Word on the street is that folks aren’t decorating in the failing economy. REALLY? SERIOUSLY? I very much doubt that. I mean even our new President is redecorating the White House. On a budget, sure, but a little update is definitely in order.
And what about all these Home decorating bloggers who keep showing us their great before and afters? Even those of us who aren’t doing major decorating at the moment are still looking to decorating magazines to escape the reality of hard times. Gosh, some months it’s what gets you through– just living vicariously through other peoples home makeovers and squirreling away ideas for your own future plans. Just because we might not be able to do it all right “now”, do we have to give up dreaming about decorating too? It’s enough to make me want to whip out a paint roller and show them.
But the magazines are not citing lack of subscriptions or readers as the reason for folding. No, it’s lack of advertisers. The designers have given up on us for now, no point paying to show their wares to mere “dreamers”. Thank goodness for home decorating blogs . Long may they live. Long may we dream. But I’m still gonna miss Domino and the others. What about you?
1. great post Joan!
I’m totally with you.!! There’s nothing more relaxing than curling up on the sofa, turning on HGTV and seeing your favorite decorating magazine ( the new one that just came in the mail) waiting for you to escape for an hour or two (yes I can throughly engage myself for the better part of 2 hours with a good shelter magazine). It’s relaxation for many (and you’d think after working in the interior design field, I’d find something else to do). Oh well, it’s a passion I guess.
Let’s hope more don’t fold. What would we do in the evening after a hard days work?? Clean house?
by Cathy — 1/29/09 at 12:35 pm #
2. Cathy: You are too funny! But so right, decorating magazines are perfect for relaxing. Let’s hope a few stick around.
joan
by Joan — 1/29/09 at 5:17 pm #
3. Hi Joan - I’m distressed to…but I must confess that I have a stack 2 feet high of decor mags I haven’t had a chance to get through (for real!). I can’t just casually browse…I clip, make notes, and generally make a bigger process out if than there needs to be. Guess now I can catch up. Here’s to hoping things turn around soon!
by Susan — 1/29/09 at 7:32 pm #
4. I am with you, Joan. The instant I saw your blog I knew I had to write. Dream decorating get me thru these cold winter evenings. I have recently partially re=decorated living, dining and foyer rooms. I rarely walk thru these rooms without looking if there is something else I can tweak. I am constantly looking through decorating magazines for ideas, usually on a smaller budget. I have been shopping Home Goods for all my extras and I am so happy with the results. The rooms may not look exactly like the magazines but the general idea and plan and color is there. I am partial to “Country French” magazine. Here again, it is getting harder and harder to find. Barnes and Nobels keeps same issue out on rack for several months. Ii have not had luck googling.
by Dori — 1/30/09 at 2:12 pm #
5. Hi Dori:
Your rooms sound lovely, I hope you share some photos here or on Customer finds — you’ll help inspire some others with their decorating dreams I’m sure. Thanks so much for taking the time to join in and keep stopping back, we’ll do our best to share some decorating inspiration here on the blog!
joan
by Joan — 1/30/09 at 11:28 pm #
6. Susan: Wow, a whole stack of decorating magazines? Aren’t you the lucky one. I’m very jealous!
by Joan — 1/30/09 at 11:29 pm #
7. I’m sad, too! I got a postcard in the mail last week informing me, quite off guard, that I had received my last issue of one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE magazines, Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion, second only to when Victoria magazine ended. But Victoria is back, and I hope one day M.E.H.C. will be, too!! Bigger and better than ever!!! I have every issue and I love to go back through them from time to time. I just grab a few, leave them out handy, and browse through when I get the chance. Other magazines that aren’t so dear to me, I’ll rip out pages and put in a folder, but not this one! And one day I hope to play with the paper dolls with my grandbabies….Sigh….
by Betsy — 1/31/09 at 12:15 pm #
8. Hi Joan,
How sad! I’m a Domino subscriber and I have gotten so many ideas from the magazine. Most of the advertisers are too pricey for me - but the ideas are wonderful. I just recreate the same looks from stores like Home Goods, Ikea or Overstock.
Thanks for the post.
Anne
by Anne — 2/1/09 at 9:29 am #
9. Betsy: I had completely forgotten my old grief at the closing of Victorian Magazine all those years ago and you are right, they came back bigger and better so we shall just hold onto that hope for our other favorites. Thanks for sharing.
joan
by Joan — 2/2/09 at 11:20 am #
10. Anne: Thanks for taking the time to comment. I’m guilty too of taking designer ideas and finding ways to replicate them on the cheap. LOL. I think that’s what I love about decorating magazines. They make interior designers accessible to us and let us have the fun of doing it our way!
joan
by Joan — 2/2/09 at 11:22 am #