A Farewell

I bought the last issue of Domino Magazine yesterday. This was a very sad moment for me. I love Domino Magazine. LOVE it. I've been reading it since the very first issue. In fact, I have a very distinct memory of snatching that first issue off of a newsstand in Logan Airport as if it was a rare, precious antique store find. I was instantly smitten. It was the first design magazine I had ever read that wasn't speaking to my mother. (No offense, Mom! I love your style, but it's just not me.) I have devoted an afternoon every month ever since to curling up with the latest issue. I've devoted many more afternoons to curling up with back issues and planning out my fantasy kitchen. It is my favorite source of design inspiration.

So, obviously, I was crushed when Conde Nast announced two weeks ago that Domino was folding--a direct result of the failing economy. This will sound crazy, but this was the first thing that really brought home the realities of the current economy for me. Something I love is going away. I've had a sick, nagging anxious feeling ever since. Not fun. I can only hope that this is the worst of it for me.

The Domino Manifesto (from the first issue of Domino Magazine, Spring 2005)

Home Should Make You Happy!
We swear by the 3 R's: repaint, repaper, reupholster
Steal ideas from other people's houses
Even the insides of the closets & cabinets can be beautiful
It's ok to NOT BE finished
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS—ALWAYS!
A chandelier is as timeless as a black dress
Renters need not be second class citizens
Sometimes your mistakes become your greatest inspirations
DON'T BE AFRAID TO MIX STYLES (Louis XIV and Eero Saarinen should hang out more often)
When traveling, skip the snapshot and buy something unique for the coffee table
HAVE FUN!

Back to Business

Now that January has passed, our much needed month-long break from house projects is over. We dove right in this week and had an electrician (we're still too nervous to tinker with anything electrical ourselves) install new lanterns on the front of the house and a new light fixture in the main bathroom.

I'm excited to finally have both of these projects completed. Changing out the lanterns on the front of the house was the very first thing I wanted to do when we moved in. Unfortunately, I knew exactly what I wanted, but finding it in our price range was not easy. I had the opposite problem with the bathroom fixture. I bought it online at 50% off in September, but felt silly hiring someone to install a single fixture, so it sat in a box in a corner until we had more lights to install.

With spring around the corner, I should have many more projects to report on. Upcoming projects include changing the faucet in the main bathroom, stripping wallpaper in the spare bedroom, painting the trim, painting the front door, gardening, and getting the shower in the second bathroom to work. Fun!