M is for Magazines

Like many of you I suspect, I have an addiction to magazines (particularly home decor and design magazines). I have an enormous collection of back issues of my favourite mags and can't bear to throw them out. I do use them for reference and inspiration for topics on my blog and besides, they are just so pretty. One of the single most frustrating things for me when I lived in the UK was that I could only buy the Martha Stewart Living magazine at hugely inflated prices and always about a month after each issue was published. How could I make Halloween themed decorations when I could only get that issue in November?


Of course now I have to pay over the odds for the British version of Country Living here in the States (why is the US version such a pale comparison?). Oh well, it is a small price to pay for a few hours of blissful browsing and many months of inspiration I suppose. I have a thing for foodie magazines too, and the demise of Gourmet was a black day for me. But Bon Appetit and Food & Wine will do just fine thank you.

The rise of online magazines is just too genius for words. I still cannot believe that I get to browse the most inspiring publications for free! These talented people create visual feasts each few months that rival the very best for their quality of photography, art direction and content. Here are my top three...

Lonny Magazine has been sent from above to fill the void that Domino Magazine left for those of us who live for stylish interiors, unique and beautiful design. It serves up the hottest trends, sneak peaks into gorgeous homes and insights into the world of design making each issue a source book that you keep going back to. And the best of all is that most items are directly linked to their source website, so no need to scribble down a reminder to look something up, just click!

(Images from the Aug/Sept 2010 issue of Lonny Magazine)

By Fryd, a Scandinavian lifestyle magazine beautifully photographed, arranged and curated by Jeanette Lunde and now available in an English version (although the images are literally so breathtakingly beautiful you really don't need to understand the writing).

(Images taken from issue 1 By Fryd)

Sweet Paul Magazine, a foodie mag that takes this genre to a whole new level, and is the brain child and labour of love of Paul Lowes, the supreme talent behind the hugely successful blog Sweet Paul.

(Images taken from the Spring issue of Sweet Paul magazine)

There are only two down sides to the online magazine market. 1. They don't publish them every month so I am left gasping for the next issue, 2. I have to admit that I like to sit and flick through a magazine, hold it in my hands, leave them lying in the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen etc for quick bursts of inspiration wherever I may be. I'll get over the last point eventually...