Have you seen this video trailer for the second issue of Anthology magazine?
Isn’t it so happy? It’s such a fun way to celebrate the latest issue of the magazine, and it echoes the theme of the entire issue: Mixing old and new. In this case, a print magazine with online digital content, and both work brilliantly.
I’ve looked at the latest issue of Rue from cover to cover. There are lots of great things inside these virtual pages. Here’s what I liked most:
1. There’s a lot of content—297 pages worth.
2. There’s variety. Some of the features appealed to my aesthetic, others didn’t, but all of them were visually interesting.
3. My favorite article was the piece on lingerie designer Jessie Zinke of Zinke Design. I love her home! And I thought the opening spread of this feature was the best of the issue.
4. The images of designer Katie Ermilio and her home by photographer Jamie Beck are simply stunning.
5. I also enjoyed the images of Brooke White and Summer Bellessa a.k.a. The Girls with Glasses by Feather Love. The image quality and styling was really interesting and fun.
I enjoyed this issue and will definitely be back to see the third!
A new online lifestyle publication is hitting the virtual newstands in January: Matchbook: Field Guide to a Charmed Life.
It comes to us courtesy of a trio of charming and talented ladies—Katie Armour of The Neo-Traditionalist as editorial director, Jane Lilly Warren of Lox Papers as creative director, and Fallon Hogerty of A Lovely Being as associate editor. I read and enjoy all three of these blogs. Each of these ladies has an interesting aesthetic, voice, and editorial eye, and I’m excited to see the results of their collaboration on these pages.
I’ve been anxiously waiting for my copy of Anthology to arrive in my mailbox, and today was the day.
The magazine itself is a piece of art. The cover by Kris Atomic is insanely beautiful, colorful, and happy. (I already described how enamored I am with it here.) I want to frame it and hang it in my home. I love the refreshing and fun design, and the paper is a sturdy, thick paper stock that feels quite luxurious by typical magazine standards. The theme is the slow life—taking it easy and enjoying the simple pleasures in life—which is something we could all benefit from.
I really enjoyed the variety of the homes and people featured, and the fact that they covered cities across the U.S., not just on each coast—loved seeing Monroe, Louisiana make an appearance.
Some of my favorites from this issue:
• The graphic features and behind-the-scenes info in Making the Magazine.
• The layout, design, and information of Anatomy of a Lovely Bike
• The Southern Comfort feature and house tour. I love the artwork by Meredith Pardue (shown below).
I’m already looking forward to the next issue due out in January.
Clearly I’m a couple months late on this one, but I just discovered the Toronto-based online magazine Covet Garden (which premiered in September). Refreshingly, the images and interiors are not styled by photo stylists or decorated by interior designers; they’re the homes of real people. Each issue is small in size—the first three issues ranged in length from 18 to 23 pages—and is devoted exclusively to one person, couple, or family.
The editorial team introduces us to some of Toronto’s most interesting people and gives us a glimpse into their homes and lives. Each issue also includes a Q&A with the homeowners, a craft project or recipe, quirky other tidbits of information (see Sock It To Ya! with the sock illustration below—love it), and an inspiration section about how to get their look in your own home. They’ve included embedded where-to-buy links, which are always handy.
The photography is stunning and the layout is clean, simple, and uncluttered. I love illustrated covers, and this magazine has offered that on two if its covers so far—the premiere issue is my favorite—as well as the interiors. In a market that seems to be saturated with online homes magazines (and new ones popping up all the time), this one provides a unique and intriguing perspective. I’m looking forward to seeing what this mini-magazine has to offer in the future.
All images courtesy of Covet Garden.
Like so many others, I love Domino and miss seeing it on newsstands every month or two. Go on any design blog or check out any design blogger’s home tour, and you’re bound to see old issues of the magazine sitting around and the Domino book situated front and center somewhere in one of the pictures, usually on a coffee table nestled among a tray or stacked on top of other design-related books with a paperweight or some other sculptural element sitting on top. My copy is sitting on a bookshelf with my other design and art books. It seems you can’t be a design blogger without one.
So with that in mind, I drew this, my first Ode to Domino based on the colors of the book. It’s sort of a synopsis of all the homes I’ve seen that have this book prominently on display. There are many other variations that I’m sure I’ll draw someday, but this is the first.
(Note: The colors are coming in really funky on my screen, but I assure you the seafoam green and pink used in the drawing match the cover of the book.)
I got my copy of the October issue of Condé Nast Traveler in the mail yesterday, and as I was reading it I came upon this spread which blew me away.
The colors, the coolness and warmth, the movement, the mix of fonts, the overall composition and layout—simply everything about these two pages is spot on. It’s the ideal opening for the huge feature about Marrakech, which is definitely on my travel wish list. For more gorgeous images of Marrakech to enjoy from your desk or sofa (or wherever you may be), go here.
This anniversary issue of Lonny was easily one of their best issues yet, if not the best. Congrats to the entire editorial team on a stellar issue and also on a first year that helped redefine and expand magazine publishing. Here are my favorites:
1. The feature on J.K. Place’s two hotels in Florence and Capri was at the top of the list. I loved that Lonny took us to both locations with the Capri location being my hands-down favorite of the two. And the opening spread of the story—the fonts, layout, images chosen, the colors—is the best in the magazine.
2. Lulu de Kwiatkowski’s Los Angeles home (of the textile company LuluDK) was another favorite. They have some seriously amazing artwork.
3. “French Glamour” was my favorite story of the issue. The collaboration of two talented ladies, Lili Diallo and Lauren Goodman (former Domino staffers), to decorate Lauren’s apartment was the type of behind-the-scenes feature that I go nuts over. I love reading about all the hows and the whys of the evolution of a person’s home. I love her bookshelves and those violet chairs.
In an interview with Meg Mateo Ilasco, creative director for Anthology, she shared the reasons for the illustrated cover of the magazine’s yet-to-be released premiere issue (due out in October):
“As for the magazine cover, there’s definitely a throwback quality to it. There was a time when most magazine covers weren’t seducing you with catchy headlines or top 10 lists, rather they were pieces of art, something that could be framed. Vintage Harpers Bazaar and Vogue covers are so inspiring and a testament to how illustrations can be just as powerful and moving as photographs. It’s shame that we don’t see more illustrated magazine covers”
So true. I couldn’t agree more. I wish we saw a piece of art in place of catchy headlines more often like the New Yorker has done for decades. (New Yorker prints are available for purchase at the New Yorker store.)
Why yes I do. This past week, the much-anticipated Rue magazine launched online.
The 261-page premiere issue was gorgeous. The photography was beautiful, and the variety of homes that was featured offered something for every style and aesthetic. This editorial team certainly has a lot to be proud of. My favorites of the bunch were the homes of sfgirlbybay’s Victoria Smith (I love that brass dachshund!) and Rue’s editor-in-chief Crystal Gentilello. I’m definitely looking forward to the next issue!
