apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Which Magazines Do You Save AND Go Back To?

100308-magazines.jpg Many of us at AT are big-time magazine readers. At the end of the month, there is always the struggle to determine which ones you will keep and which ones hit the recycling bin on the way out the door. But when all is said and done, how many of those saved magazines do you end up revisiting and using again? Tell us after the jump.

 
 

For years, we kept pile upon pile of magazines. In the back of our head, we always thought, "Gee, I'll need this someday to look at kitchen tables, or ceilings, or something!"
But with the advent of the internet, we don't find ourselves keeping as many magazines for quite the same period of time we once did.
We do however, sometimes love reading something that we are holding, instead of staring at a computer screen, so we do still keep several different types of publications. They span everything from art and design to architecture and food. So we ask you, what magazines do you keep and re-read.


Photos via: Wired, Metropolitan Home, Martha Stewart Living, atomic ranch, Readymade & Dwell.

Tags

best products, organization, storage, magazines

Related Links

Share

Comments (63)

Elle Decor *out*, Canadian House & Home *in*.

posted by bclynn on 2008-10-03 17:46:07
view bclynn's profile

Domino!

posted by BigPoppa on 2008-10-03 17:46:30
view BigPoppa's profile

I save all of my Readymades, re-use and diy are always "in" regardless of the trends!

posted by ashbadger on 2008-10-03 17:48:14
view ashbadger's profile

Real Simple and Living

posted by Tabitha (From Single to Married) on 2008-10-03 17:49:20
view Tabitha (From Single to Married)'s profile

Domino and LivingETC. They remain useful because I tag the interesting pages with those tiny post-its. Or the stickers that come with the mag.

And I don't toss my mags, I put them on the curb with a "Free"-note.

posted by Lilli K. on 2008-10-03 17:52:17
view Lilli K.'s profile

I keep them all, for the most part. But I've cut back drastically on the amounth I buy/subscribe to. So now, I need to go through all the old stacks and cut out pages I want to save. One day...

posted by miked on 2008-10-03 17:52:38
view miked's profile

Elle Decor UK version and Living Etc.

posted by riye on 2008-10-03 17:52:55
view riye's profile

British Elle Decor. Over and Over and Over.

posted by kristian on 2008-10-03 17:53:20
view kristian's profile

Dwell, Modernism, Metropolitan Home, and though I am embarrassed to admit it, Martha Stewart's Living.

posted by wendi_c on 2008-10-03 17:53:41
view wendi_c's profile

Domino, Blueprint, Metropolitan Home, Elle Decor, Real Simple, Readymade.

I read each edition, fold down the pages I like, then go back again a few months later. I then tear out those pages that I like - things I'd like to do or something that inspires me, and I put it in my big huge "home inspiration" binder. I have sections for everything - kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, stairways, fences, fireplaces, furniture, decor, etc. It makes it easier for me to reference the things I liked later...and then I recycle the rest.

posted by natalie1215 on 2008-10-03 17:54:09
view natalie1215's profile

domino. i have every issue since i started getting it over two years ago. love them.

posted by Signe on 2008-10-03 17:54:44
view Signe's profile

I can't bear to throw away my growing pile of Domino.

posted by Amymj on 2008-10-03 17:56:36
view Amymj's profile

I have every issue of the now-defunct Blueprint in a magazine box on my desk. That mag really spoke to me and I was sad to see it go so soon :(

posted by tarynevelyn on 2008-10-03 17:58:49
view tarynevelyn's profile

none. i stopped my subscription to Architectural Digest (the last holdout) as an effort to be more green. most magazines have pretty good websites. it's impossible not to find inspiring images online.

posted by *heather leaf* on 2008-10-03 18:01:39
view *heather leaf*'s profile

Atomic Ranch, and Oxford American.

posted by L1bby on 2008-10-03 18:02:36
view L1bby's profile

Domino for sure- we just moved into a new place and I have gone over the issues a million times looking for different things...

Dwell- Can't bear to junk these, even though 95% of the ideas ad products we can't afford!

Other magazines I keep- Real Simple, Sunset, Self. 2 months before we moved I cut out all the pages I wanted from over 4 years of Self ad filed them in a 3-ring binder.
I also have a few issues of now-defunct Weekend and Blueprint.

posted by yukirei on 2008-10-03 18:06:03
view yukirei's profile

HOW, Print, Communication Arts.

Real Simple, Readymade, Martha Stewart Living, the now-defunct Martha Stewart Kids, and Details (I love the modern page design).

posted by sweet_susie on 2008-10-03 18:11:56
view sweet_susie's profile

Dwell. Kitchen & Bath Desin.

posted by ammanda on 2008-10-03 18:17:22
view ammanda's profile

i keep my domino's. if theres a page i think i will want to reference later from other mags i save it in my huge decorating binder.

posted by erinpearce on 2008-10-03 18:17:30
view erinpearce's profile

FYI for anyone interested

A free 2 year subscrip to ReadyMade can be found here:

http://www.valuemags.com/freeoffer/ReadyMade-BBS.asp

posted by ashy on 2008-10-03 18:44:05
view ashy's profile

real simple.

posted by animalhouze on 2008-10-03 18:44:07
view animalhouze's profile

Atomic Ranch and Dwell.

posted by modernmecca on 2008-10-03 18:51:31
view modernmecca's profile

Buttman

posted by tylerdurden on 2008-10-03 18:56:31
view tylerdurden's profile

Domino, Real Simple, British Elle Decor

posted by thenewmrsw on 2008-10-03 18:58:54
view thenewmrsw's profile

I generally find my inspiration on different magazines' websites, and then save the images to be printed out and stuck into my inspiration binder. When I'm out and in need of a treat, I'll help myself to a home magazine (they're all from Spain, so I won't even mention their names) for fun. I cut them out, too, usually within a week of purchase, and then hand them down to my neighbors, who go through them and then take them for recycling.

posted by Erin in CR on 2008-10-03 19:06:17
view Erin in CR's profile

style at home (canadian), house and home (canadian), metroplitan home, dwell, la cote de sud (french)

posted by formosagirl on 2008-10-03 19:09:21
view formosagirl's profile

I have a soft spot in my design heart for southern design and can't bear to part with my Southern Accents or Veranda magazines. Especially Veranda - their photo spreads are almost frame-worthy.

posted by LilyC on 2008-10-03 19:19:40
view LilyC's profile

hahahahaha I couldn't get past Buttman.

posted by Kimber on 2008-10-03 19:27:38
view Kimber's profile

Cooks Illustrated, Cooks Country, Cooking Light.

posted by ohjodi on 2008-10-03 19:51:20
view ohjodi's profile

Ready Made and Bluelines

posted by noah* on 2008-10-03 19:52:49
view noah*'s profile

Canadian House & Home

posted by capegirardeau on 2008-10-03 19:56:03
view capegirardeau's profile

Canadian House & Home, Style at Home, Cooks Illustrated

posted by seajenny on 2008-10-03 19:57:51
view seajenny's profile

i am such a magaholic that i keep a lot of them..domino, elle decor, living etc (british version) and so many more..its an issue at times..literally..

posted by Goody on 2008-10-03 20:00:16
view Goody's profile

I don't usually keep the entire magazine, but tear out whatever interests me and keep it in a file. I have so many pages now that I'm having to divide them into rooms or areas.

posted by madampince on 2008-10-03 20:10:55
view madampince's profile

Kimber - me neither :D

posted by Maryam M. on 2008-10-03 20:12:46
view Maryam M.'s profile

I keep every issue of selvedge because it's beautiful but also terribly expensive and only comes out every other month.

posted by sissy on 2008-10-03 20:15:21
view sissy's profile

Domino

posted by LaDonnaNichole on 2008-10-03 20:33:00
view LaDonnaNichole's profile

I seem to gravitate toward Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and sometimes Metro Home and Domino. I mostly look online now, though.

posted by jacasi on 2008-10-03 20:44:53
view jacasi's profile

I keep Domino, Blueprint, Bon Appetite, Gourmet and Real Simple.

posted by emily! on 2008-10-03 22:10:55
view emily!'s profile

domino!

posted by 335ktt on 2008-10-03 22:45:38
view 335ktt's profile

I keep Atomic Ranch and Modernism forevery.(thay only come out 4 times a year so thay dont add up to fast) Dwell and Domino for a few weeks then out the door.

posted by moddog on 2008-10-03 23:33:00
view moddog's profile

The only magazine that I keep forever (I have almost all the issues from #1to the current #139) is Threads, the Taunton Press magazine about sewing and textile arts techniques. I keep them as a reference for technique; there are many articles that are useful for home decor DIY as well as garment sewing. (If I get brave and try to make slipcovers for the two new/old livingroom chairs I was recently gifted with, there is a great three part series in their back issues on just that process)

Design magazines here are read and savored, then my favorite pictures get cut out and put into my inspiration files, and the magazines are donated or recycled.

posted by fjorlief on 2008-10-04 01:43:02
view fjorlief's profile

Hell, I love my magazines so much I blogged about them.

http://thebitterfoodie.blogspot.com/2008/07/break-in-bitternesssort-of.html

I collect Cote Sud/Est/Ouest, Marie Claire Maison, Elle Decoration from various countries, Vogue Living Australia, Cottage Living, and Domino.

The shit's expensive!!

www.thebitterfoodie.blogspot.com

posted by thebitterfoodie on 2008-10-04 10:17:19
view thebitterfoodie's profile

oh yeah, and I'm constantly revisiting them. So inspiring to me.

posted by thebitterfoodie on 2008-10-04 10:18:24
view thebitterfoodie's profile

I don't save mags.

posted by gryt on 2008-10-04 11:41:51
view gryt's profile

I revisit magazine's like I do newspapers, for research, and preferably online. I can't stand the microfiche.

posted by Michael Dumas on 2008-10-04 12:34:33
view Michael Dumas's profile

None

I am trying to keep my life as paper free as possible

posted by La loca on 2008-10-04 15:30:49
view La loca's profile

unfortunately, i keep everything. Elle Decor, Metropolitan Home, Dwell, Architectural Digest, House & Garden (from '96 til they stopped), MOJO (music mag), Vanity Fair, and many more! I totally have a problem, that I'm trying to address! I've been thinking of going through some of them and saving the pages I like, but does anyone have any good ways to keep them. I did this awhile ago, but then I just ended up having a stack of random unorganized pages, that's hard to go through.

posted by megagamma on 2008-10-04 16:24:17
view megagamma's profile

LivingEtc, Cookie, Domino (and in the past Blueprint)

posted by atelier70design on 2008-10-04 19:17:19
view atelier70design's profile

I've given up all my magazine subscriptions, but I do have a collection of old issues of Domino, Ready Made, Blueprint and Real Simple.

posted by suzy8track on 2008-10-04 21:04:17
view suzy8track's profile

I usually keep them for awhile until they start to pile up, then I go through them and tear out the pages I want to keep for future reference and put them in a folder. Current favorites are domino, House Beautiful, and Elle Decor. I also have a special interest magazine called Country French Decorating that I keep and a couple of big Ethan Allen catalogs.

posted by becky12345 on 2008-10-04 23:18:17
view becky12345's profile

Just a thought... instead of recycling your magazines as waste, donate them to a local cafe.

I take my old issues to a coffee shop nearby and they're always happy to take them. With all the hard work that goes into preparing an issue (can you tell I work at a magazine? lol) it seems like a shame to just dispose of them.

Share the wealth! There should be a whole separate post just on this subject.

posted by Stylebites on 2008-10-05 13:46:05
view Stylebites's profile

Communication Arts, HOW, along with older Adbusters, Blueprint and soon to start GOOD will remain untouched and displayed.

Real Simple's in the past year are stacked, then I also save highlights in a binder with page protectors. I've been a subscriber since 2004 at least, and those issues are just too big after a few years!

Yoga Journal, and Backpacker will stay around also in binders for reference.

Wired and MacWorld will probably face the recycle bin... though the donating to cafe idea is a great one.

posted by kristinrose on 2008-10-05 14:49:05
view kristinrose's profile

My wife and I hold on to issues of Make and Craft. For all other magazines, we tear out pages that are good for inspiration and store them in our "home ideas" binder.

posted by scojo on 2008-10-05 15:19:10
view scojo's profile

Natalie has the best idea. I, too, tear, toss, recycle, and every time I have an appointment somewhere, I bring a stack to leave in the office. (I tear off my mailing labels.)

However, I have all my Spy magazines saved in archival boxes.

posted by Palmetto on 2008-10-05 15:23:48
view Palmetto's profile

Domino and Elle Decor stay. I had several issues of Jane when they went under, so I kept them. I have all of the Budget Livings and Blueprint. More magazines I thought were wonderful that went under.

I tear out things from Real Simple. I had about 3 years collected and it took a week to go through them! Then I gave them to friends who were still interested even with the pages torn out.

posted by salamander on 2008-10-05 20:23:51
view salamander's profile

I'll keep Vegetarian Times (or anything else with recipes - at least until I cut out the ones I want and put them in my recipe binder), and I keep Wired around for crafting - I find the illustrations and art are great, especially for small-scale projects.

But those get recycled eventually.... looking at my milk-crate of magazines (perfect size for them btw) I have a lot of Martha Stewart's, some InStyle's that I haven't read yet, and a looooooot of Body Soul's.

posted by lemonader on 2008-10-05 22:06:56
view lemonader's profile

Domino, I have every issue since I became a subscriber in spring 2006; Elle Decor, I keep issues for 6 months then I tear out things I like and throw the them out.

posted by Cheryl K on 2008-10-06 09:39:02
view Cheryl K's profile

The only magazines I keep intact are Christmas issues. They do not seem to "age" as quickly as most design issues do.

posted by whitexb on 2008-10-06 10:10:07
view whitexb's profile

Domino, Blueprint, Nest, Readymade

I do exactly what natalie1215 does. And ditto to tarynevelyn's comment about Blueprint!

posted by ilovecute on 2008-10-06 10:12:08
view ilovecute's profile

Domino, Elle Decor/ation (UK & US), Inside Out (Australia- not the travel mag)

posted by maggieann on 2008-10-06 11:03:55
view maggieann's profile

I clip design inspiration and toss the mags. I keep Saveur the longest.

I miss Blueprint.

posted by gquaker on 2008-10-06 11:29:36
view gquaker's profile

"Just a thought... instead of recycling your magazines as waste, donate them to a local cafe. "
Sometimes the greeners sound like Captain Planet.

posted by jakelegs on 2008-10-15 10:12:27
view jakelegs's profile