Is Domino going to go down like, um, a pile of dominoes? Hopefully not! Despite the fact I can't buy anything from its pages (sometimes due to price; mostly due to geography), I love flicking through it and stealing ideas. Image from Habitually Chic
It would seem so in the States where, like everything else in the world, they're in a little trouble. According to the
Observer, when times are tough, people usually look to making their own homes that bit nicer - hence the need for magazines full of ideas and inspiring images. After all, they'll be eating and hanging out there much more than usual seeing as movies and entertaining luxuries are usually the first things to be scrapped from the budget. But the feeling out there (especially in the comments section of the Observer article!) is that the magazines on the stands aren't catering for those who need them the most. That the overcrowded "shelter" market is fillings its pages with items so expensive, it'd be a good few months wages for some households. And yet, the magazines that
did encourage stylish, budget living (
Blueprint;
Budget Living) have - poof! - vanished from the stands. I wonder if people were snubbing the mags more suited to them for the more aspirational images and glossier lifestyle. And because they didn't want to be reminded of their situation. Or is the internet to blame? Why fork over cash for inspiration and ideas when you can get it for free on a blog, design website or Flickr? I, of course, am guilty of all of the above, but there is still nothing quite like flicking through a brand-new magazine.
I'd like to think that
Real Living is a magazine for this era - from the start we've challenged ourselves to fill our pages with items that are both stylish and inexpensive. Occasionally, we slip up, and boy do we hear it when we do! But it's a good thing to be kept on our toes by our readers who want us to live up to our title. So we should! (And for the record, everyone has been briefed again recently to "keep it real") It's more of a challenge to create a stylish room on a budget - as I'm sure real homeowners are aware - so are we doing the trick? Why do you buy our mag (and others for that matter) - for the pretty pics? The info? The ideas? The shopping? The recipes? The projects? The articles? The fact the prices are (usually!) in your price range? And what would be your ultimate interiors mag? I'd love to hear. Call it a little market research!
