We're liking Blueprint these days. The new issue is laid-back, very un-hoity-toity and was simply a good, fun read. This could be because it IS the summer issue, meaning the editorial focus was a bit more relaxed, but we hope that's not the only reason - we like this direction and hope that it continues. It felt more like real life and real projects than the early issues. Case in point, we enjoyed every single one of the home-related main feature articles this time around....
Page 96: The Cutting Room, a wallpaper feature. We love that they came up with a range of realistic ways to use fantastic (and yes, sometimes expensive) wallpapers for projects that have a lot of impact but don't necessarily use tons of the priced-like-gold paper.
They include a template for the "Curvaceous Headboard" made from wallpaper and featured on the cover online. You can find the pdf here.
Page 82: Bungalow Great, a feature on Elena Columbo's beach cottage. We LOVED this place. Excellent photos of a colorful, vintage-y, getaway that was obviously put together with a serious eye for design. It's full of inspired combinations, good ideas and bargains - the items listed are, for the most part, very affordable. We've clipped out the photo of the living room: the powder blue walls, red tree stumps, patterned pillows, green sofa cover and rug AND a cubist print wouldn't seem to go together, but they look super.
Page 90: Special Deliveries, a modern baby shower party feature. Covered last week in a post on the Nursery, it's a clean, very unfussy, co-ed shower documented well with plenty of good ideas - we also liked that they included the "after" photos of the two babies on the editor's letter page.
Page 106: Modern Mex, a party/recipe feature. Pan fried olives with goat cheese and grilled fish tacos, yum.
Also in this issue:
Page 32: An outdoor shower set up. The shower surround how-to is online.
Page 36: A nice, white box-y workspace design.
What did you think? A thumbs up for Blueprint #5?
Images: Via blueprintmag.com
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
I'm liking Blueprint more and more with each issue. I liked the wallpaper article. I loved that cottage too! Oh my, those red lacquered stumps were to die for! So much fun!
view katie's profile
I have a subscription and am glad I do because they just have so many good ideas for things I can actually do.
view KristinaXI's profile
I *love* Blueprint, as does my boyfriend. But is it my imagination or is it slowly morphing into a woman's mag?
I hope not.
view MamaChilanga's profile
i have the same fear, MamaChilanga. i went to Borders to purchase the latest issue and couldn't find it with the other design/home mags. when i asked the clerk, she found it under "women's interest".
view zacman's profile
I thought it was always a woman's magazine. Just like all of Martha Stewart's other titles.
view LaDonnaNichole's profile
I also consider it a woman's magazine, well, slash decor. I like that it's everything. DIY, decor, life, and clothing. There is a ton of stuff in there that would also interest men, but I consider it a woman's title. It's more lifestyle than anything. Why the fear?
view Shannon in SF's profile
I could go anywhere else for fashion and make-up stuff. I'd prefer they leave that out and give us even more content on lifestyle, decor, projects and even food.
Paul and I both *love* Real Simple, Ready Made and Domino and consider them gender neutral even though most of the readership is probably female.
view MamaChilanga's profile
I think it's actually getting a little less women's magaziney and more decory with time. i really hope they don't drop the diy element tho. advertisers tend not to like those, but i heart them. bp does a particularly nice job on that front.
view ValerieNYC's profile