As Design Magazines Fade Away...

It has been a sad year for the magazine industry, in particular home and design magazines. We have seen House & Garden, Domino, Southern Accents, O at Home, Cottage Living, Gourmet, and most recently Met Home disappear in the last 12 months. Every month my issue of AD gets thinner and thinner. I fear they are on the brink of closing....

Michelle Adams had worked at Domino for a year and half when they folded. She knew the struggles of producing a quality print magazine, so she decided to venture in a different direction. With the help of friend and photographer Patrick Cline they co-founded LonNy, a fantastic on-line magazine catering to the those interested in design.

They launched in October 2009 and are on their 3rd issue. It is so well done and reminds me of Domino and an edgy House Beautiful combined.

The houses are lived in. The shots of the rooms still contain the real life items that grace them 365 days a year; there are computers out, magazines stacked on tables, phones sit on nightstands, dogs, clothes, people. The spaces feel inviting, cozy, and real.

They are still glamorous and intriguing, but not museum like.

Michelle Adams, who serves as the Editor-in-Chief hales from NYC and her partner, Patrick Cline, who is the Director of Photography comes from London. The name, LonNy, combines their two hometowns.

In an interview before the first issue launched Michelle spoke of the budget concerns when she was at Domino in putting together a layout. She said many great shots and parts of the story were cut, because of page restrictions. They had printing and shipping costs to be concerned about.

She mentions with an on-line magazine you can make the magazine as long as you want. (Most end up about 200+pages) They can include as many shots of the room as they need. That is one thing I really enjoy about LonNy. They always have several angles of the same space, so you get a real sense of how it flows.

I honestly enjoy reading this e-magazine cover to cover. I thought I would be bothered by the format, but it is quite easy. You turn the pages just as you would a paper magazine. And the quality of the work is superb. There are ad pages just as you would find in a printed magazine as well.

I will have to say while my mailman is enjoying not having to deliver 15+magazines to my home monthly. And it is obviously kinder to the environment. I do miss being able to curl up with a magazine like LonNy on my sofa, under my blanket, and drool over each page. I guess it is a sign of the times.

But I am truly glad we have this magazine in whatever capacity it comes to us. Check it out; you won't be disappointed. http://www.lonnymag.com/

That said, please support the magazines you love (online or paper) and subscribe to them. Advertisers support magazines with large subscription lists and without ad dollars a magazine can not survive.

Cheers,

BBS




all images from LonNy magazine.