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Interior decoration communism
Design | What I like
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09 Mei 2008 | 00:31:50
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Only God knows how much I've spent on interior decoration magazines these last five years, and I guess I prefer to keep it that way. Flipping through interior decoration magazines simply is a favorite way to relax and find inspiration to me, so most of the time those expensive magazines are worth their money, especially beacause I keep reading and re-reading my favorite ones. I 'm the proud owner of quite some volumes of my favorite magazines, Elle Wonen (the dutch edition of Elle Decoration) and 101 Woonideeen, and a lot of issues of VT Wonen, Ariadne at Home, Eigen huis & Interieur and international magazines as well.
I love the great use of color accents, the beautiful wooden floor, the chairs... everything in Elsie Marley's home!
If I'm honest, there's only one main reason why I buy those magazines. I mean, I like seeing some new products, I love do it yourself ideas and I can always use some tips on the arrangement of my furniture... but in the end, all I'm actually interested in is looking inside real people's homes! Though I can enjoy looking at those overly styled decor-pictures the stylists of the magazines make themselves, nothing beats a good real people's home. I always like to see design combined with personality, to see beautiful shapes and colors and personal objects and visions go together, and where do you see those things better than in a real home? Besides, I like to see mix and match combinations: of different style periods, of budget versus expensive design and of different tastes in style.
Somehow I have the feeling that I'm not the only person who prefers viewing real people's homes over the more commercial features of interior decoration magazines, that are mainly encouraging people to buy new stuff. Well-designed real people's homes often offer much more creative, inventive and budget solutions than money can ever buy. So why not create a magazine that's mainly about real people's homes tours?
I suppose it's all a commercial thing, not enough advertising and other nasty commercial stuff like that, but wouldn't it be great to have a magazine filled with photos of lively, personal, well-designed real homes? A bit like the jeu de paume books, or the design for mankind e-zines, but then as a magazine? Maybe, to keep costs down, with non-or semi-professional photographers, all getting a share of the profit? I can easily find a whole lot of great photographers of their own homes on flickr and in the design blogging community. Why not form some sort of international indie interior & design cooperation, not virtual but on paper? Man, I'm like an interior decoration communist! I guess I've been reading too much in my Naomi Klein books these last few weeks...
I've illustrated this post with some options of real people's interiors that would definitely be in my desired magazine. Anyone like to join my cooperation? (Mao suits will look nice, but are not obligatory! ;))
great colors and quilts in the home of flickr member/blogger needle book |
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Zo'n magazine zou ik meteen kopen!
Jaren geleden kocht ik me blauw aan woonbladen maar ik ergerde me zo aan de trends (hup, iedereen aan de paarse muur) en aan de perfectie in die gestylede interieurs. Ook miste ik in die tijd de vintage inbreng (dat was nog voor het hip werd), dus kon ik er uberhaupt niet veel mee. (ik weet niet of er tegenwoordig wel genoeg aandacht besteed wordt in die bladen aan jaren 50/60 spul, kringloop ed.)
Net als jij kijk ik liever in echte huizen. Voor ik Flickr voor dat doeleinde ontdekte surfde ik uren op funda. Of het mijn smaak nou is of niet, echte huizen zijn veel leuker om te zien. Op sommige blogs (zoals Apartment Therapy) heb je ook van die housetours, fantastisch is dat :)
Hoe dan ook, zou ik een ECHT woonmagazine tegenkomen, dan zou ik 'm direct kopen (of abonnee worden!).
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@ Esther: 101 woonideeen is op dit moment mijn absolute favoriet qua tijdschriften. Was altijd zo'n muf en degelijk doe het zelf blaadje, maar sinds de restyling iets meer dan een jaar geleden doen ze enorm veel met vintage, mix and match en handgemaakte producten en hebben ze hele leuke creatieve 'crafty' zelfmaakideeen en opknaptips voor midcentury meubeltjes. Dat is dus wel een aanrader!
En surfen op Funda doe ik ook! Al zie ik daar vooral vaak wat ik niet wil!
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hey nina... just another amaazing post from you!
i am in there with you 100%... and i mean it.. it really is a perfect! i have thought and written about thie concept many many times now and there is a definate need/want for it. It is nice to just enjoy an article and photos and not feel like you are trying to be sold something... so inspiring!! well.. hm.. im in!
i am totally addicted to magazines as well.. but i dont have the moula and lucky for me SCAD's library is AMAZING! i feel like all my daily blog visits really help with my cravings!
in any event.. i think we could be onto something... there is nothing better than seeing where someone creates your fav product.. erin and design for mankind has her dailes which i just LOVE.. showing a day in the life of.. what they are eating... everything!! haha.. anyway.. you can feel the interest!
take care and keep doing what you do so very well!
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ps- i think the little white curved back chair is so beauiful!!!
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Great idea! I was thinking the same many times, too.In our country there are not enough good magazines, but
people still buy a lot of those bad ones. I don´t,
because the net is better source of real homes photos,
and it´s free. When I read the most popular living magazine
here, I feel as if they want me to feel stupid. It would maybe
not be too hard to make a better one.
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I agree!!!! I love to see real peoples homes, I ve put 2 in my blog and I am always nagging people to let me put their homes in my blog.
Id love to contribute to that project!!!!
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Well, I was reading your post with an enormous interest, thinking to myself that you are absolutely right and then I see a red &aqua lamp that looks just like mine... it's MY home!! I'm honoured that you have included some of my photos, Nina, thanks! :) Have you read this post by decor8 and the comments to it? http://decor8.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-would-perfect-magazine-look-like.html#links They also talk about real people and real lives... I guess we all want the same: a real magazine.
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love your blog!
decorating my rental apartment has been an addiction even though I might have to move out anytime if i get a job in a different city, but it's soooooo fun!!
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Gosh! I'm completely addicted to magazines. Just like you, I don't even dare calculating the money I spend on them. I make my friends to bring them for me from abroad (I usually travel to Denmark for work and I always try to have connecting flights in Amsterdam Airport to buy Ariadne at Home and 101 Wohnideen). I thought I was mad about this but now I feel better knowing that I'm not alone!
Congratulations on your blog - it is great!
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I'm with you too, Nina. So tired of looking at images of
overstyled homes. Those photos you posted are possibly the most
inspiring I have seen all week ~ and they are REAL!
REAL rooms that REAL people have put together on a REAL salary! (what a thought)
I'll
watch with interest to see if the new magazine idea takes off ~ I for
one am already writing a cheque for the subscription...
Keep up your excellent work, and sending love from New Zealand
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Ken je de franse MarieClaire Idees? Een must have!(nu is de baby isssue uit maar normaal is het DIY home dingen met de franse elegantie) en Maison et travaux. Ik vind franse woonbladen verfrissend omdat de fransen niet bang zijn voor hun eigen romantische tijdloze stijl, er zijn wel superdesgin bladen maar ook veel bladen met creatieve huizen en woonoplossingen, ik kijk in Frankrijk tijdens het boodschappen doen altijd even een kwartiertje in de bladen. Bij ons moet alles verbieuwend en 'modern' zijn. Bij hen gaat het meer om elegantie en stijl. Tijd om weer even de grens over te gaan!
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Puntje van kritiek; de bovenstaande interieurs lijken allemaal wel erg op ekaar. Houten vloer, 1 gekleurde muur(blauw),kuipstoeltjes, midcentury design, blikjes, prulletjes. Natuurlijk allemaal erg leuk(daar hou ik ook van) maar weinig gevarieerd. Confronterend dat mensen van de westerse wereld allemaal zo precies dezelfde smaak hebben. Dit is uiteindelijk net zo creatief en persoonlijk (lees: niet!)als de VTWonen interieurs. En maar denken dat ik zo eigenzinnig bezig ben! Het is verdorie net als interieurs van de hedendaagse Libelle. Nogmaals ik vind de stijl helemaal leuk, maar meer variatie in interieurs ( kleuren, structuren, meubels,etc)zou welkom zijn.
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@ Lisa: ik heb natuurlijk ook vooral de interieurs die aansluiten bij mijn eigen stijl gekozen... ;)
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hi! I just wanted to let you know that i ADORE your site and check it daily to see what new cute stuff you have on here. its so interesting and creative! i've never seen a blog like it. keep it up! :)
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Hi Nina ,i wanted to wish you a happy new yera ,and to say that you are always an inspirational visit to me!I agree with you on the magazines ,with me is the same ,i have thousends!
From Portugal a kiss
Graça
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http://www.realestatesky.net
http://www.realestatesky.net/vb
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