what's so great about domino magazine?

only EVeRy single THiNg! and conde nast has no clue.

hey guys, happy saturday!

i’m not sure why the domino mag closing really got to me. i spent an hour looking for the shot of the pink daybed, and ended up hypnotized by the sheer magnitude of such a beautiful body of work. (can you believe it was the absolute last photo i found)?

i went to their website, glad it’s still up, knowing it will all disappear at any moment. i’d actually never been before and was incredible to dive into so many layers from the galleries, before and after projects, their blog and columnists, approachable decorators and real people at home.

not to mention inspiration for as long as you can click. it’s hard to believe they only put out 28 issues and made such an impression but going through these images i really see why. having editor deborah needleman’s impeccable point of view obviously helped. these shots are of her apartment as featured in the ny times. but that was then. this is now. her own designs are classic monochromatic but luckily her alter ego went to work and let domino be bold and whimsical, playful and luscious.

what is it that made domino so inspiring (i think) is that each place is shot so beautifully, with the right angle and light, and a perfectionist stylist plumping the pillows perfectly. but they always have a sense of humor and aren’t stuffy like every single other magazine.

collecting these pics got me really studying the angles of the shot, the perspective and seeing that you don’t have to include everything at once. something about domino’s style is completely recognizable, and accessible. it’s definitely inspiring me to work on my photography eye.

so here are a bunch of my faves. i hope that the if mags are going we’re gonna see a lot more of each other’s homes. i know you have great stuff and can whip up curtains and pillows in an hour, not to mention thrift and flea…

so simple and sweet

the above is do die for gorgeous but you can break it down , most are simple looks to achieve is what i’m saying

and lots of this is easy to do with fleamarket finds

or stuff you may already have

well some are a little more involved

(our table)!

things can be even more simple if you get rid of some ahem, accessories you don’t need. and make your own headboard

or use vintage linens

or paint a door turquoise

kelly wearstler’s before and after kitchen is easy to do

and of course use color, color, color!

love the curtain

this was the reader’s choice winner (above)

thanks domino crew.

this had to be from the marie antoinette shoot they did at alder manor:

it’s really all about the domino people isn’t is? hopefully they’ll be out passing on their talents on blogs and other forums. one of the best parts about the collective was their philosophy:

Domino’s Manifesto

• Home Should Make You Happy!
• We swear by the 3 R’s: repaint, repaper, reupholster
• Steal ideas from other people’s houses
• Even the insides of the closets & cabinets can be beautiful
• It’s ok to NOT BE finished
• TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS—ALWAYS!
• A chandelier is as timeless as a black dress
• Renters need not be second class citizens
• Sometimes your mistakes become your greatest inspirations
• DON’T BE AFRAID TO MIX STYLES (Louis XIV and Eero Saarinen should hang out more often)

and this was their website’s mantra, when they believed in paper and ether:

‘Through multimedia and interactivity, the site does what the magazine can’t. It brings to life decorating ideas and personalities with top-notch video house tours. It provides a constant design feed for avid fans, via the Daily Dose, our product-oriented style blog. It reacts to user feedback immediately, and it takes a long view of trends and patterns, bringing a sense of humor and irreverence to our shared obsessions.’

come on conde nast, snap out of it!