apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I chose Real Simple. I've never seen Blueprint, and I do also get Domino--but I have actually gotten good info from Real Simple. I wouldn't say "Real Simple" is the best name for it. I feel like Domino is more a "shelter" magazine than RS is. And, by design, Domino is mostly about shopping, while RS does feature a lot of products, but is more about general "life upkeep." They're 2 different animals, really. I wonder if those 2 mags would compare themselves, even.

As you said this isn't a comprehensive list but nobody mentioned Dwell or ReadyMade which both sell a lifestyle and are great at reaching their audience.

I haven't seen Blueprint, so I won't vote, but I think both Domino and Real Simple are pretty unexciting, although I'll always pick either one up if I'm in line waiting to check out. Esp. Real Simple--I'm a sucker for all those closet organizing articles.

Do Real Simple and Domino really aspire to the same thing? Domino strikes me as pure consumerism (ain't nothing wrong with that, if they could just do it less "girlie"), while Real Simple, even evidenced by its lower case masthead, seems the antithesis...

I reserve judgment on Blueprint since I've not yet picked it up. A lunchtime mission!

Whoops, um, not lowercase...

i chose Blueprint, hesatatingly, because there's only been one issue, but, I read it cover to cover, put it down, turned to my boyfriend and said "dear god, it's like they've been living inside my head for the last 12 months"
he picked it up, thumbed through it and said "yeah, that's pretty spooky"
i'm not talking about the main editorials here, b/c i live in a wicked tiny apt and couldn't aspire to half the stuff they do, mainly, i'm talking about the quirky little stuff peppered throughout
the one that REALLY got me was the urban etiquette story, god, i wish every. last. person. in nyc would read that and take it to heart (esp the backpacks on the subway.... grrrr. they really get my goat)

I agree with Patrick too, I like Domino but just wish it was less girly (and I'm a girl). I don't mind that it is all about consumerism, it's essentially the Lucky of the home decor world, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Someone mentioned that real simple did not provide anything that simplified their lives but one issue did for me. The one where they had a grilling cheat sheet.

I now make perfect burgers, steaks, and shrimp every time thanks to real simple making it so simple. That's good enough for me for a few issues.

As to the urban etiquette article, was it anything like the one NY mag produced recently?
http://nymag.com/guides/etiquette/17332/index.html

Domino has some great articles also. More so than Real Simple.

Their curtain hanging guide (the different lengths and what look they achieved) was clear, concise, and well illustrated.

I love (can’t get enough of, hoard, won’t share, can’t wait for next issue of) Domino Magazine. In fact I’m carrying the latest issue in my bag right now. . . Maybe because I am a girl. But I love the layout and especially the featured homes in each issue. They also sprinkle in great DIY ideas throughout. The majority of the items they feature are a (way) bit out of my price range, but I find the designs inspiring nonetheless.

Blueprint is. . okay. I am willing to read another issue.
I occasionally read Real Simple although it just doesn’t perk my interest like Domino does.

Maybe I'll take another look at Domino - I always fail to see the excitement about it.

My preference for Domino is because they say right up front that they're about SHOPPING -- no claim that I'll be a better person if I follow their advice! (Then I read my mother's copy and don't actually buy anything. But the pictures are pretty.)

Following Real Simple's advice would complicate my life immensely. And Blueprint is just plain too young for me -- it strikes me as what would happen if Seventeen merged with Good Housekeeping.

I don't think that these magazines are comparable. Maybe Domino and Blueprint but Real Simple feels like something else entirely. Real Simple is aimed more for women (and yes, it really is a women's magazine) who are a bit older and established than the other two and who are looking for advice on making their lives easier and more meaningful. And I'm not embarassed to admit (ok a little embarassed) that I've cried while reading some of the profiles of a marriage or parent/child relationships. I hope to G-d I never cry reading an issue of Domino. So while I love Domino, I treasure Real Simple.

Oh and I learned that if you don't have steel wool on hand, you can crumple up a piece of tin foil instead. And it works! Love Real Simple.

I really like Real Simple and Domino magazine. I think Blueprint is unapprochable and so serious. But my all time favorite was Budget Living. We miss you guys!!!

The Brits do a much, much better version of Domino called Living Etc. It is less girlie in its approach, and is a much more sophisticated and better edited shopping mag than Domino.
They generally sell it at large bookstores in the magazine section. Most months it is worth more than the price, which is saying more than most magazines.

I like the RS re-purpose-ing (how do you spell this?) of common items. Other than that, I wasn't too impressed. Have you noticed all the SUV ads in the issues? Exactly who are they marketing to?

I think Budget Living kicked all their asses. (I know it's gone; I'm having a hard time letting it go.) That said, at least Real Simple sometimes has some cheapo ideas. Domino is apartment porn, which I enjoy, but I can't afford much of what's in there. Blueprint seems to lack a real direction. Perhaps it'll pick up next issue.

I just read over the mushroom stool thread (almost no comments about the stool itself BTW)and I thought Shoshana made an interesting observation about how the only people commenting about feeling stressed about Real Simple's advice on cleaning were women. Part of that may be that that's the audience for Real Simple. But there was an article in the NYT a month or two ago about the continuing inequity between men and women re housekeeping. One of the points made was that women feel a societal pressure to clean which men just don't, a sense that the state of the house is a reflection of them. Which I definitely feel. So I don't feel stressed by Real Simple, I feel somewhat assisted by that magazine. What stresses me is the dirty bathroom and the fear that one day, my elderly father (who I live with) is going to require an emergency visit and the EMTs are going to report that he's living in a pigsty. I know that this is far from the truth but trust me, a magazine can't come close to causing the kind of stress that imaginary societal judgment does.

Wende, I'm with you on Domino. My mom subscribes too so I just thumb through hers when I visit her house. I enjoy the pretty pictures but don't love it enough to buy the magazine myself.
Austin John, I'm definitely going to check out Living Etc., thanks for the suggestion.

Deborah, America. Sad, but true. I think that point is interesting, though, because it is less about home design than the other two, whose ads definitely lean in that direction.

I think the trick to enjoying real simple is to not think it's an instruction manual for how you have to live your life. This is also the trick to enjoying things coming out of the Martha Stewart empire. Take what you can use here and there, and it's a gem. Try to do everything, and it's overwhelming and stifling.

I am addicted to DOMINO and anticipate each arrival of the issues. I have kept all the issues since their first and have made my own DOMINO library. I refer to them often for ideas!
I love the eclectic style themes and love when they show other people's houses/apartments.

I haven't read Blueprint yet but if I had a house instead of an apartment I'd be so tempted to paint my front door that delicious apple green!

For those that miss Budget Living, did you know that some of the editorial team (including the editor-in-chief Angela Matusik) are now running a design and shelter blog?
http://www.shelterrific.com/

I just found out from there that Domino also has some blogs and the kitchen restoration one looks like a good one.

I requested the free trial issue of Blueprint, spent a long afternoon with it, then called and cancelled. When asked why by the nice customer service rep, replied that I don't think I'm the intended audience. By all rights I should be -- I'm 35, the overall aesthetic of the magazine appeals to me -- but, as Wende mentioned, the tone seems far younger. There's a Gidget-does-Lifestyle quality to it that feels like it was developed in a lab, designed to appeal to advertisers more than readers. That said, of course it was beautiful to look at, and there is always a place for that; for me that place is the magazine section of my public library.

Also, was it just me or was there very little in Blueprint that can't be found in the AT book or here on the blog? Products, design ideas, hmmmm... makes me all the more aware of how much AT has trickled into daily living, and how glad I am that it's a free site.

I read every home magazine out there. I thought Blueprint was just a high end shopping list. It's more about what they think is cool to buy. It's layout looks like a a high-price scrapbook. Don't bother, you can come up with better ideas on your own.

hey jamie pup!
yeah, it was kind of like that NY Mag piece, but less ny-centric and a little simpler, little everyday things that A LOT of people forget about b/c they're so tied up in themselves
i can't remember anything specific outside of the backpack thing, but i'll look again when i get home

I hate Real Simple, because it pretends to be about simplifying your life, when it is really about buying more things. Even if it wasn't, I don't find it useful at all. It's really boring. I'd much rather read ML Living for tips on how to have the perfect life.

I really like Domino and Blueprint a lot for the looks they feature. Yes, they are also about buying more things, but they don't pretend to be otherwise.

Domino is the prettiest to look at, but I don't read it. Real Simple is the first magazine I've saved articles from, implemented tips and made recipes. I adore that magazine.

Blueprint looks like it has potential but I've only seen one issue thus far.

I have had my fill of US magazines - every cover looks the same. Thank you for the list of european magazines list on the last thread yesterday. I picked up Livingetc and stood in awe.

I picked up a french magazine from FIFA. I spotten a japanese magazine on the way home.
Let's see what is that going to do my psyche.

The day I got the free trial on Blueprint - I decluttered it from my home after going from cover to cover. It's too early to give any judgement.

Real Simple - Oh boy, that magazine makes me stressfull just looking at its size. Yes there are some nice tips. I would rather organize my life the way they portray it in the magazine - I would become a A ++ achiever.

Domino - I still have its first issue. I still leaf through it when I stand out at the check out counter.

I don't buy design magazines because I would constantly be thinking what to renovate and what to buy. Leafing through such magazines is like lusting after the pictures that very elegantly make the covers. Its furniture O...... I would rather have it the other way

I like Domino a lot, and I'm interested to see where Blueprint goes. Real Simple I enjoy as well. I concur with most of you that the three are all different beasts. My heart truly belongs, though, to the British design mags, namely Elle Decor and Living Etc.

Two homes I've seen in Domino I recognized from having seen them in British ED first. For some reason, American ED just isn't as cool. Not sure why.

I really don't know how we can fairly include Blueprint in a contest against much more established magazines. I mean they have only had one issue and now they're already getting a new editor so the next few issues will no doubt continue to be a work in progress. Maybe in a year you could include them in a question like this.

Let's do both!

I rate Domino first because I frequently buy it. There are lots of neat ideas, especially if you are going for something more personal and bohemian. And they are very into the How-To which is what most people need help with.

Blueprint has a pretty design and layout. Some of the little projects are neat. But the cover image itself seems to be angled firmly away from me: middle class, african-american, single, professional woman. The image says... trustfarian, early 20s with too much time on her hands. Why would a rugby shirt, mini skirt and galoshes come together? Especially on a sunny day? The picture looks like a fairytale cover. She might as well wear a tiara and glass slippers.

Domino's covers are a little more down to earth. How come Shop, Etc. wasn't compared? It's more directly competitive.

Real Simple is an occasional read, but I have found some interesting things in it over the years.

Livingetc is the best! I have loved it for years. It is a fabulous presentation in and of itself. The tendency is toward modern which I like but can't function with. It's far more accessible than Elle Decor. Livingetc's pages (photos) make you want to crawl in and curl up. The aesthetic comes right off the page.

Brit mags rock in their concepts, but sometimes I think British style sucks. Especially in those monochromatic, casual cookie cutter layouts. Tan couch, purple curtains and pillows, stripped art. No, I appreciate a real expression of possibility. Domino had a design asst's 1BR done over by her boss. Bang up job! He hung floor to ceiling drapes that enhanced her windows and ceiling. Accented a focal point with old mirrors, loaded the space with prints and textures. Posh and amazing.

Oh Lady J, I clipped that one! It was one of my favorites! I even wrote to Domino to see where they got the end tables--Housing Works, unfortunately, so I couldn't snap them up!

I never seen Living, etc. on the newstands before. I just checked out their website and don't ever recall seeing it. Is it here in the US?

Martine - You can find Living etc. at Barnes&Noble and the likes... I LOVE that magazine, and also agree with people that it has a European posh to it that the US magazines sort of lack.
But then I also love how I can relate to the apartments featured in Domino - I also keep every single copy, and often refer to the pages I mark. I have taken so many ideas to life from there...
They also have an online forum that I like for decorating ideas...
Blueprint has yet to prove itself, but graphic design-wise, I have liked it the most!

I said Domino, even though Real Simple is my overall favorite magazine. However, Real Simple's focus, if anything, is more on food, because of their great menus and quick meals features. As a shelter magazine, Domino is the winner, as it's focus is clearly on the home and decor.

Real Simple is Real Boring, imho.

It lacks spice.

definitely domino and i agree with the comment about british mag, living, etc... i make a special trip each month to the bookstore to get it... it is wonderful... you guys left out dwell which is better than all of them...

i used to be a big domino fan until i realized that a large portion of their sources are trade only. i've called several times for objects to find they've listed a trade source as retail so you're left with a price that's at least twice the listed price. so annoying.

d*s

I have been a long-time subscriber to Real Simple, so that got my vote. I now subscribe to Domino and picked up Blueprint's first issue. While I enjoyed reading Blueprint, the issue seemed (to me) incredibly disorganized. A spread on jewelry followed by recipes followed by interior design tips followed by beauty recommendations? It felt like it lacked focus, and was jumping all of the place. But I'm curious about their next issue.

They are all excellent publications in very different ways.

Real Simple reminds me of how much beauty is in the mundane with their beautiful photos. Real Simple staffers are also very nice people, friendly, open, and most of all, if you write to them they take the time to reply to you. I find that having contact with the magazine directly is very important with all the design blogs out there who have the ability to reply to readers immediately. Like AT for instance.

Domino is a fun catalog type of magazine. I don't shop from it since I'm a design blogger - most of what I find in magazines already made it through the blog circuit three times over already. Since I'm familiar with most of the products I see, I depend on the creative inspiration and use of these products more than anything else. And for that, Domino delivers.

Blueprint is still very young. They only have one issue under their belt, so it's too soon to rank them up against the longer running magazines. I see great potential though and look forward to reading the next issue. I think they came in at a time of fierce competition -- they have a lot of critics looking at them with very high expectations. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

This is a great thread!

Holly