When we moved from NYC to California six years ago, a relative gave us a subscription to Sunset magazine, because we clearly needed to learn about "Life in the West," and quickly.
But with so many pages devoted to climate-zoned gardening and grand outdoor rooms, it didn't have much to offer us as urban dwellers. The target reader seemed to live on at least an acre in Palo Alto. We live in a small flat with a cemented-over backyard. Sunset quickly found a place on the bathroom reading pile.
But there we slowly discovered that it was full of great recipes and some pretty tasty home design. Yes, the home pages also could be re-named "Life in the 'Burbs," but the overriding modern organic asthetic has wide appeal. And the how-to reporting and source coverage is fantastic, so adaptations for smaller spaces or urban lifestyles are conceivable.
I loved the feature on Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic's Marin County home. Of course, their own Heath Ceramics tiles are found throughout the house. Gorgeous stuff.
Sunset's suburban slant (there DOES always seem to be a story on a Palo Alto dwelling in every issue!) can probably be attributed to the fact that they're headquartered in Menlo Park. But, based on the March issue, I agree -- they're moving in the right direction!
view anh-minh's profile
I've let my subscription lapse, and I do miss their home and food coverage. But reading about one more tropical paradise garden idea was going to drive me crazy. For some reason Nevada is in the same coverage zone as California, so instead of being with the mountain-y states and getting some good high desert gardening suggestions I kept seeing all the gorgeous tropicals and coastal stuff they love and it was finally just too much. However they did some Idea Houses in my parents' neighborhood a couple of years ago (in the Bay Area, of course) and it was totally entertaining to go peek in the windows.
view Anne (in Reno)'s profile
I love Sunset, but I've grown to accept it the way it is. Once in a while they will have articles that are relevent to my budget, lifestyle, and (small) dwelling size such as when they focus on garages that have been rehabbed into living quarters, prefab housing, etc and some DIY projects, etc.
Subscriptions are really cheap though, and I like having the magazine around for out of region guests when they come to visit.
Funny thing about Sunset: I found an old issue from the 1970s, and despite being a time capsule of A-frame ski lodges, and make-your-own danish modern furniture, the magazine has changed very little over the years. Obviously they have a formula that works for them.
view Lizzy C's profile
Ha ha ha! I thought the dining room doorway framed by bookshelves was actually a painting of a dining room leaned against bookshelves, and I anticipated something like, "Idea for creating illusion of space"!
Either more coffee needed or not so bad an idea. . . .
view Aulaire's profile
Hi Guys,
Thank you for posting the link to my article in Sunset Magazine.
Funny I didn't even know till Sunset told me!
So flipping sweet!
Vanessa
view Turquoise's profile