ModernGear Home: Domino topples

I am so sad about the announcement last week that Domino magazine is closing its doors.


It strikes me, of course, that closures like these could well portend the demise of the title atop whose masthead I sit, but it's also more than that. What was initially painted as a dip in the market that we would recover from quickly, turned into (seemingly overnight) tough economic times that affect us all, each and every one of us.

It says that it's the end of an innocence - the good times, at least for now, are over. It says that when money is this tight, frivolous things go first.

Now, I was never one to spend inordinate amounts of money on my home, but I don't think it's all that frivolous to invest a little in things that give so much back. I was (and am) always striving to make my home my castle - my refuge, my escape, my oasis. I am saddened by Domino's demise because this magazine offered great inspiration in support of that quest.

Now don't get me wrong - clearly I love the internet. I've been loving sites like Remodelista, Apartment Therapy, and Design*Sponge since I laid eyes upon them, but a magazine is just perfect for pouring over with a cappuccino at a cafe, snuggling up on the couch with, toting around in my handbag for a week until I get a chance to thumb through it. It's also inordinately easier to save pictures from, to insert to a book or onto an inspiration board.

It's time to grow up, I guess. In this economy, something's got to give.

I'll miss Domino's style and panache, and I'm going to make sure to get my hands on a copy of their book before it's too late. Frivolous or not, their title says it all...and to me, making a happy home is more important now than ever before.

Get Domino: The Book of Decorating: A room-by-room guide to creating a home that makes you happy on Amazon starting at $21.12.