Farewell, my sweet Domino

I think the best way to illustrate how I felt the minute I found out that Domino magazine was to cease publication in March was to share with you an email I received first thing that morning from my pal Ana which simply read ‘NOoooooooooooooooOOOOOooooo!!!!!!!!!!’

When I first mentioned the rumors of a shutdown back in the fall to Ana ( a self professed magazine junkie like myself ) she desperately proclaimed ‘not my Domino!’…. and now it was coming to pass…. one of our ultimate favorites- a monthly package of glossy eye candy that brought us so much joy over the past four years- Gone in a New York minute!!!!!

Honestly I have yet to adjust to the fact that House and Garden is gone….I’m grasping to the fact that it’s last 6 issues escaped my recycling bin….now to be housed with all of my back issues of Domino- artifacts of great inspirational design in a better economical time.

Why was Domino so important to me?  Let’s just say where the fantasy of House and Garden -with it’s profiles of hip Hampton’s seaside mansions and English Estates ended Domino pickup with 800 sq.ft. cottages and cozy city pied a terres  equally fabulous, but let’s be honest much more attainable to us readers.

They also brought my fantasy project to life in their ‘Can this outfit be turned into a room?” – an idea that I had been toying with for years in my own home.  I was thrilled that they had the means and creativity to actual bring the merging of fashion and home to life.

We can thank Domino for many things….introducing us to great designers, hip independent labels, unique shops, eco everything and most of all great color ideas…they really helped shape so many trends over the past few years ( who knew orange, deep purple, yellow, powder blue, tomato red and kelly green could be so stylish!)  and introduced readers to some truly fresh combos (I  will never forget their pairing of apple green and aqua in a small guest room ) and new ways of bringing color and patterns into our homes, I skimmed their website and here are a few( I could spend hours of this if I don’t stop myself now) images that I remember having an impact on my own ideas about color and design.

I’ll never forget my first memories of Domino are of this Super bright red chandelier and this oasis tented backyard party setup- I knew right away they were onto something new…I read it cover to cover!

I had seen other ceilings painted blue, but I remember this room really influencing me when I was painting my basement playroom…. people still comment on it’s dreamy blue ceiling when they come over.

I am a gardening fanatic and nothing lights my fire quite the way a ‘box’ garden does… while most magazines show you showplace backyards… Domino managed to present gardens and outdoor space that made you say to yourself “hey, I could do that!”

Again rooms that you can do yourself… in colors you may have never been confident in using .  I’m not a big fan of painted white furniture, but with this deep rich purple- I would do it in a heart beat.  These red leather chairs would scream out on their own, but using them to inspire the paint color of the entire room is an instant ‘designer’ trick we could all use.

Again Domino spaces that we can all relate to.  No need to spend a ton of money -using great colors we can all take what we already have and make our homes special and unique.

They did more for zebra print, suzanni, sheep skin ( seashells, coral, antler horns, white pottery, graphic wall paper etc. for that matter)  and the ‘new’ neutral shades of gray and green more then any one else.

All that’s left to say is best wishes to all those involved…. thanks for four wonderful years of reading!!!!!!!

Just have to add this morning ….After I finished my post yesterday I took the time to do something I have not been doing as of late- surfing the web to discover what other bloggers are writing about.  Wow, there are some talented bloggers out there!!!!!

Now that we are one more beloved magazine down, it’s more important than ever to seek out inspiration elsewhere…. and with so many awesome blogs to read… it’s all just a click away.

Here’s a few of my faves… Each with their own unique take on what I like to call ‘ the Domino effect’…

*Visual*Vamp*

The Paris Apartment

Tree Hugger

Apartment Therapy ( for the comments by readers )

images from Dominomag.com