The Design Magazines I Always Come Back To

I love Instagram for its immediacy and endless stream of inspiration, but there is something very different about sitting down with a beautifully printed magazine, turning the pages slowly and allowing yourself to really look.

All of these have an online platform as well and equally great IG accounts to feast over, but ultimately, these five design magazines should be consumed once in a while in printed version - to inspire, challenge the eye and, occasionally, make you want to redecorate your entire house.

01. Architectural Digest

Of course, AD had to be first. Perhaps I am slightly biased by the initials, but Architectural Digest and AD Design were always going to make a rather good pairing.

AD has an incredible ability to move between architecture, interiors, art, culture and the people behind the spaces. It is one of those publications where I can look at a room for five seconds and then spend another twenty minutes studying the architecture, the artwork, the lighting or one tiny detail in the corner. What I particularly love is that AD doesn't only show you beautiful rooms. It gives you access to the thinking, personalities and stories behind them. And for a designer, that matters. I am really interested in the process, decision making and intentionality behind every design and thus learning more about why it works. AD continues to be one of the great references for that.

02. LUXE Interiors + Design

LUXE is one I turn to when I want to immerse myself in beautifully executed residential design. The photography is sublime, but what I particularly appreciate is the breadth of projects and designers it features. It has a very strong understanding of the luxury residential market while still making the homes feel individual and personal.

For me, LUXE is a wonderful reminder that luxury isn't one particular aesthetic. It can be traditional, contemporary, colourful, restrained, architectural or wildly eclectic. The common denominator is quality craftsmanship.

And, of course, exceptional photography, which makes all the difference when you are looking at interiors. LUXE has been covering residential architecture and design for more than 20 years and now publishes numerous regional and seasonal editions across the US also.

03. Cabana

If I had to choose the magazine that feels most like a world of its own, it would be Cabana. Cabana is an absolute icon. It feels less like a design magazine and more like being invited into someone's extraordinarily beautiful world.

The interiors, textiles, antiques, architecture, travel and decorative arts all seem to exist within the same universe. There is history, patina, craftsmanship and an appreciation for things that become more beautiful with age.

And I am currently enjoying the Cabana books just as much as the magazine itself. They are the kind of books you leave lying around not because they are decorative hero pieces in their own right, but because you genuinely want to pick them up again and get lost in it.

Cabana describes itself as an ethos and a way of seeing the world, which I think is exactly right. It celebrates discovery, beauty and the preservation of craft, and its magazine explores the personal relationship we have with the objects and interiors around us. That is very close to how I think about interiors.

04. Wallpaper*

Wallpaper* is always a source of inspiration.

It is where I go to (online in particular) when I want something a little more unexpected, contemporary or outside the traditional interior-design bubble.

Architecture, interiors, furniture, art, fashion, technology, travel - it is all the overlaps that make me appreciate it most. Interior inspiration doesn't always come from another interior. It may be a building or an artist or a colour combination in fashion. Or you are inspired through a single material and how this is used in a hotel in another part of the world.

Wallpaper* has always had that broader creative perspective, positioning itself at the intersection of architecture, design, art and culture. It is a steady push to look outside the obvious places for inspiration.

05. House Beautiful

There is something wonderfully accessible about House Beautiful. While some design publications are very much about the world of the designer, House Beautiful is equally interested in the world of the home; how people actually live, decorate, collect and make a space their own.

I love it for the colour, the fabrics, the kitchens, the clever decorating ideas and, most importantly, the sheer variety of homes it showcases. Good design doesn't always have to be serious or precious. It can be joyful, personal, practical and beautiful at the same time.

House Beautiful has been publishing since 1896 and describes itself as a resource for both design inspiration and education - a combination I particularly appreciate.

Why magazines still matter

We live in an incredibly visual world. Inspiration is everywhere, and Instagram has made discovering beautiful design easier than ever. But I still believe there is value in slowing down.

I want to look at an entire room rather than a single image and reading the story behind a project. I want to notice the architecture before the furniture and look at how a photographer frames a space. How do I understand the designer's intention best? If we could create more time to simply sit down with either design book or design magazine and allow yourself to be inspired without immediately thinking about how you can recreate it, I am convinced this is another form of design education and further develops the eye.

Ultimately, training the design eye is what I want from the things I surround myself with, at home and in my work. Copies or following trends would not achieve this. But immersing myself into these five magazines at times is another part of how I continue to develop my eyes. Even though there are plenty more design rabbit holes to go down.