I am often asked where I find my inspiration from and whilst travel is an obvious one magazines and the web are also fabulous resources. Not to sound negative but there seems at the moment an overload when it comes to online magazines, everyone and anyone is shoving one together and so many of them are so awful. I am sure I will get shot down from above for vocalising such a thought but they feel so amateur, the features, the photographs and the terrible homes I could go on but I have a head ache and little energy this morning to sound off. There are a few, just a few that are worth looking at listed in order of preference: Lonny (Lonnymag.com), Sweet Paul (www.sweetpaulmag-digital.com) and maybe Rue (www.ruemag.com )Fabulous photography, homes that are worthy of sharing and are in some way tantalising and inspiring, which is surely the point no?
I also always read on a Thursday the New York Times Home and Garden section (http://www.nytimes.com/pages/garden/index.html), as well as Rita Konig’s features for the Wall Street Journal . I dip in and out of US Elle Dec (more out than in) and subscribe to UK Elle Decoration, Livingetc, Inside Out, Vogue Living and Italian Elle Dec. I hoard magazines and have issues going back to 1995 can you believe which I reference with a post it note and plonk on shelves. Even if you’re not doing up your home but love an image mark it, tear it out, scan it whatever just reference it so when the time comes you have a capsule collection of images that you love. I also scan photographers websites to look at their inspiring work as well as buying heaps of interior books Decorate by Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick being one of my favourite buys this year , plus Sibella Court’s new tome and Martin Thompson’s latest are on my Christmas list!
An inspiring image below from photographer James Knowler – a perfectly designed open plan living space.
[...] On Shelterholic Food. Finding inspiration Abigail Ahern Fri, December 9, 2011 7:47 AM UTC Abigail Ahern Rate this story Share (function(){var [...]
You win … my interiors magazine collection only dates back to 1998!
1998 is retty cool x
Hi Abigail,
They are definitely not amateurs. When they are not giving up their time generously to us they work for publications such as Homes and Gardens. I bet you have scanned many of their websites.
I have to say I agree with almost everything you say. I also have a magazine collection going back years and they are the same titles you subscribe to. I love Rita Konigs writing style and I devour each new issue of Lonny, Rue and Sweet Paul….
When I say almost…I have to defend the photographers and stylists who have contributed to the latest issue of Heart Home magazine and indeed the one before that. Maybe you haven’t seen it yet
It was lovely to meet you at Holly’s booksigning event (another thing we agree on – Decorate is my favourite book this year!) and sorry for this long comment…I just had to say:-)
Carole
Hi Carole had totally forgotten about Heart magazine forgive me. I was referring to a whole host of Australian and American ones actually so apologises for not mentioning x