Skip to content
Lifestyle
What Magazines Do You Love?
Growing up, I was obsessed with magazines. I was especially loyal to New Moon, a magazine for girls written by girls. At the time (the early 2000s), it was published in black and white — honestly, more like cream and sepia, if my memory serves me correctly — and it had no photographs, only illustrations, but I would sit down and devour it from cover to cover. I was a weird kid and had trouble making friends at school and New Moon was a lifeline for me. (To be fair, I’ve recently reviewed some photos of myself from that time, and ah, yes, I get it. Not gonna say it was deserved, but…)
ANYWAY. This is not a post about my embarrassing childhood photos. (Should it be, though?) Sitting down with this magazine every month was one of the few things that helped me feel less weird and less alone. I even flew down to Florida one year for New Moon’s summer camp, where I met a ton of other cool and smart girls who went on to do incredible things in adulthood. (If you’re a parent with a girl 8-12, I can’t recommend New Moon enough!!!)
The other thing that brought me solace every week? The People magazine crossword puzzle. I don’t know what it was about the crossword, but I loved doing it — even after I moved out, my mom kept back issues in a basket near the dining table so I could fill them out when I’d come home for the holidays.
I think these magazines both provided a bit of a safety net — structured leisure time, where I could disconnect from the world and my seemingly-insurmountable tween problems — and BOY. Looking back, I WANT THAT AGAIN. (Except for, you know, turns out that my tween problems were surmountable and now I have adult problems.) So in the throes of 2020, I found myself re-engaging with an old love: I started re-subscribing to magazines.
AND Y’ALL, I LOVE IT. After spending 6 months straight sitting in my dining room and staring at my desktop 7 days a week, the reprieve I get from getting into my comfy chair, grabbing some wine, opening a magazine, and reading it cover-to-cover — including the articles I wouldn’t have clicked on if I had seen them in the wild on the internet — has been downright luxurious. What was once relegated to an a la carte purchase in the checkout aisle or at the airport has been upgraded to a mainstay in my life…and I enjoy it so much that I’m making the time for *a few* more reads in my weekly schedule.
The bonus kicker: I also literally just discovered that you could subscribe to magazines from Amazon and manage everything from your prime account, which was the final nail in my coffin — a year of Real Simple for $5! A year of Better Homes & Gardens for $5! A year of Martha Stewart Living for, you guessed it, $5! — and now I need to know which ones are worth subscribing to. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES? Here are mine so far…
Elle Decor ($10 Per Year)
I thiiiiink this may be my favorite design magazine that I’ve looked at because it’s a little more forward-thinking and bold. It feels a little bit quirky and kind of like a blog come to life, which is exactly what I love. (“Is Your Child a Decorating Dictator” is THE BEST HEADLINE OF ALL TIME.) I’m a pretty new subscriber but from what I can tell, I think it comes 9 times a year. They also just announced their new Editor in Chief, Asad Syrkett (formerly of Curbed), so I’m REALLY excited to see where they’re going.
Dwell ($49.99 Per Year)
Not through Amazon (sorry) buuuuut I originally subscribed to Dwell to get access to Dwell+ — it’s the only place I’ve found that’s published detailed renovation budgets in their Budget Breakdown series. This intel, to me, is absolutely worth the price of admission PLUS the print copy is beautiful and it only comes 6 times a year, so it doesn’t take up too much space.
The New Yorker ($99.99 Per Year)
MY OG. This is my longest-running subscription on the list. I know The New Yorker gets some flack for being dry, but I firmly disagree! It’s the only place where I can find actual news mixed with profiles and humor writing — there’s something for everyone in here. It comes weekly (occasionally biweekly) so this is the only one that’s really starting to pile up in my house. (Are y’all instant recyclers, or do you have a magazine rack set up? How do you wrangle these?)
House Beautiful ($15 Per Year)
House Beautiful was traditionally my airport magazine of choice — I used to fly monthly and I basically have the whole 2019 backlog in a still-zipped portion of my carry-on — but since that’s off the table, I had to subscribe. The photography is stunning, the content is actually timely, and 8 issues a year is an ideal amount.
Architectural Digest ($29.99 per year)
So extravagant and stunning!!! This one takes me the longest to get through because I spend a ton of time staring at the photos, then finding everything online, then pinning everything, THEN reading the actual copy. The homes are definitely all architecturally interesting — the whole magazine definitely leans more towards “rich and famous” than “making it work” — but WOW, it’s nice to dream about what my future home would look like if I were loaded and able to buy a beautiful fancy house.
BUT OK. I think I have the time to dedicate to 4 or 5 more magazines on top of these, so what do you suggest???? WHAT’S GOOD?? I love news — I used to subscribe to The Economist, so I’m definitely considering that again — but what else is out there? Should I go for Em’s fav, The Atlantic? Grab 4 issues a year of my go-to inspo site, Domino? Is Reader’s Digest fun? Is Vanity Fair worth it? Bon Appetit? Wired? National Geographic? HGTV Magazine? What other home publications should I add to my reading list? WHAT SAY YOU???
PS. If you wanna triple down on your good work (since, ya know, you’re already supporting print journalists AND supporting the USPS), you can grab a carbon offset credit here for less than $5, which should offset the impacts of nearly 500 magazines :) NOW let’s talk about your favorites!!
I love The NY Times (not a magazine but such good content)! Southern Living is one that while quality has gone down, they have pretty houses, AD is awesome, and then Nat Geo is a fun one too! I’ve also been trying to buy books from historical houses or museums to support them too as more reading material! I’ve also really gotten into reading poetry as additional reading ideas (there’s so many kinds there really is something for everyone)
We get the New Yorker at my house as well and it’s definitely an effort to keep up with it all! We have an inbox where we put unread copies and once my husband and I are done reading one it goes straight to the recycling – otherwise they would be taking over my house!
I’m in Canada and most magazines are SO expensive to subscribe to here – any fellow Canadians have tips for me?
ah, i definitely need to start recycling mine right away and i like this system – i just looooove some of the covers!!
KP, I’m in Canada, too, and luckily my library has many magazines available for free (digitally – I read on my iPad) through the RBdigital app.
Ooo, the library is such a great idea! I think someone told me the libraries where I am in California have them, too. Thanks for the tip. Going to my library app now!
I love InStyle (I have been reading it since…1997? and subscribing most of that time. We broke up for a little while in the mid ’10s but at some point they got a new editor and now it’s great again), Martha Stewart Living, and The English Home. They’re all fairly aspirational rather than real life, which is I think is what I like about them – it’s like a mental vacation. My sister-in-law is big into mid-century modern design, so I got her an Atomic Ranch subscription, which she enjoys. And then I every few months I treat myself and buy the expensive imported British magazines at the bookstore – British Country Living, Country Homes and Interiors, Period Living…can you tell in my head I live in a stately home in the English countryside instead of a 1980s condo in the midwest?
oh my gosh i just looked up atomic ranch and that looks AWESOME. i LOOOOOVE some classic mcm architecture.
Thanks for mentioning Atomic Ranch. I subscribed for years after I bought my MCM home but let my subscription lapse a few years ago when I was cutting back. It was a great resource for me as was the 2012 book Atomic Ranch Midcentury Interiors. I should take another look to see if I can afford it.
Also used to love InStyle but lost interest when it became 95% celebrity-focused. I used to love the styling articles (4 ways to style a suede skirt, something like that). What made it different/great again for you? Might need to re-visit.
I second UK Country Living–my absolute fave!
TEXAS MONTHLY. Despite never living in Texas myself, I live for their long reads.
As a Texan, I agree with this recommendation. It really is a great periodical.
Yes! Their long articles are fantastic reads!
I live in Australia and TM is my fave mag. Have never been to Texas but love the long reads. Gives me hope that good journalism is not dead!
Appealing selections. Love them all, but I stopped subscriptions a while ago due to cost. I’m tempted to renew my AD subscription. The New Yorker seems enticing, the cost not so much affordable. Elle and Dwell are also inspiring
You can get tons of free magazines through coupon sites. I get People, Martha Stewart’s Living, Southern Living, Midwest Living, Eating Well, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Better Homes and Gardens, etc. All for free! I read them, then recycle them at the library or at a nursing home. I would recommend hip2save.com.
ooooh nice tip on libraries and nursing homes! i also forgot to mention in the post, but one of my best friends is a social worker for a women’s prison and she’s ALWAYS on the hunt for more magazines to bring in to work – it’s definitely case by case as some facilities won’t let them enter, but definitely worth checking!!
I just found out Traditional Home is printing again! I was so excited and subscribed immediately. I happen to love decor magazines, and Subscribe to almost all you list above. I also like Sunset Magazine, and Veranda is one of my favorites. I’m thinking of subscribing to Domino, but it’s very expensive!
ooh i forgot about sunset … good one!
Sunset is so nostalgic for me. My mom had a subscription & I remember just sitting & absorbing the gorgeous photography.
Thanks for the info on Traditional Home!
A lot of public libraries offer digital magazines that you can get free and download to an iPad. It’s a great resource for those magazines you’d like to read, but don’t want to have a hard copy to keep. And it is free! It’s how I read Dwell, HGTV, and others.
I get In Her Studio because it’s so inspiring to see how different women create and their surroundings. Illustoria is excellent for children (and adults enjoy too).
in her studio looks so fun! i LOVE these smaller publications that i’m finding through y’all!!
I’ve been a Vanity Fair subscriber for over a decade. I read every word of every page of every issue, and love everything about it. I miss it under Graydon Carter (his “feud” with Trump was hilarious), but am learning to appreciate the new point of view offered by Radhika Jones. Also like Mother Jones for the in-depth investigative pieces they do and The Atlantic.
HOW COULD I FORGET MOTHER JONES???? that’s added to the list for sure – i was IN LOVE with that in college. and the new republic! i’m starting to remember ALL the things i used to read in my past life :)
Oh wow this is a trait that my parents have passed to me. I’m 24 and I think I’m the only one of my friends that still reads print media! You’ll notice that I go for design and culinary publications. Two years running I have gotten Bon Appetit and Cook’s Illustrated subscriptions for Christmas and I love both of them. I enjoy Martha Stewart Living, Southern Living, RealSimple, House Beautiful, and while it’s not the most elevated, I like flipping through Food Network Magazine.
I actually prefer New York magazine to the New Yorker (still a great mix of topics – news, fashion, food, etc–but slightly more playful and fun – you’re trading the fun cartoons of the New Yorker for great photography).
I’m still devastated by the demise of Lucky Peach which I definitely think was one of the best magazines around.
In terms of less mainstream mags, I LOVE Garden & Gun (great articles about a diversity of topics, from artisans to cooking to travel all centered around the South), Cherry Bombe (female-centric food magazine that supported POC before it was cool). Gentlewoman, Bust and Milk are all great design eye candy.
ah i have heard that about new york magazine! i think i need to give it a go.
also SUCH GOOD NAMES. lucky peach! cherry bombe! i gotta check these all out.
Caitlin I forgot to tell you!!! its like the only magazine i’ve subscribed to without stopping for 15 years. its AMAZING.
Sunset is a great magazine focused on the West. European home mags are the best! Living, Etc., British Elle Decor are both awesome. Also Canadian House + Home. Another Canadian magazine that comes out rarely and is hard to find but oh-so-good is HoBo. It’s a large format mag with long interviews.
YES House + Home! I forgot that one in my earlier comment because my mother actually gets it and I just steal her copies when I visit.
Yes I LOVE Living, Etc. ($$ though at $10 each at the store) and British Elle Decor! My favorites!!!
House + Home is the best! I subscribe to it so I receive it monthly, and I’m in Chicago! I highly recommend it.
This is so timely, was just thinking about an abo from a German magazine named Veto (about volunteers, civil courage, projects…). I also would like to indulge Darling Magazine as a printed copy.
My Ex-Almost-Sister-In-Law always brought her read copies of Living ETC from the UK for me. I loved it!
And just today I flipped through a AD at the docs waiting room.
What happend to Kinfolk Magazine everyone seemed to read a few years ago?
just had to google kinfolk because i was only vaguely familiar with the name and WOW, it’s beautifully designed! still exists but with 4 issues a year. i kinda wanna scoop the recent one now!
Kinfolk: it unraveled. Nathan & Katie, cofounders, moved office from Portland to Copenhagen. Katie lost a baby at 6 pregnant. A few months later when she was pregnant with her second child, Nathan came out as gay and they split soon thereafter. Other cofounders split at some point and although they all were friends originally from BYU, they no longer speak. Katie moved on. The mag, which had a huge, particular, avid audience tanked. Why do I know all this? Why a great spread in Vanity Fair, of course!
I read the article on Kinfolk in VF too. Didn’t know anything about them until the article. What a story ?
i read it, too. yah. its a doozy.
Kinfolk is the epitome of white privilege, but in print.
Not to mention it was incredibly boring….lol
I look forward to the Domino magazine like it’s Christmas 4x/year. I check their website every day after coming to this site first. There’s just something about seeing these gorgeous homes in print, and I think Domino’s home tours are still aspirational for sure but way more accessible than say, AD or Elle Decor.
I was obsessed with fashion magazines as teenager and spent ALL my money on them. I’d love to see an update on what new magazines you subscribe to and how you’re enjoying them (or not)! I’m going to go check out Dwell now.
I get that you’re trying to be funny, but the comment “(To be fair, I’ve recently reviewed some photos of myself from that time, and ah, yes, I get it. Not gonna say it was deserved, but…)” is fairly cruel. You think you’re just making fun of yourself, but any young readers who are self-conscious about their image will feel especially stung by that comment.
i *almost* included this picture in the post but then didn’t — i think this will probably clear things up.
![comment image]()
(i was the one in the hat, who got bullied for — you guessed it! — wearing weird stuff. ha. was REALLY into doing my own thing and could not be talked out of it! bullying is obviously never justified and it broke my heart at the time, but looking back at that photo…i just gotta laugh.)
Are we really raising such weak, self-absorbed children that they are going to be “stung” by a stranger on the internet making a comment about herself? Seriously?
Get a grip, people!
Some adults sure have strange ideas about how kids think. People assume all tweens/teens are deeply insecure and fragile, but when I compare myself at their age to their behavior now, I see that they are often leaps and bounds ahead of where I was. Not only are they more mature (forced to grow up by global chaos, I guess) but they are also more authentic and generally more compassionate. Of the teens I know, most of them would see that comment and find it funny or just tell Caitlin how much they love her “weird” hat. Teen insecurity is universal and perennial so it’s pretty relatable content for all of us :)
Not a home design but I love getting Vogue. All the pictures and ads are so colorful and trends come through into interior designs as well!! There is also often a home feature. The articles are hit or miss but there’s usually at least a few I want to read start to finish!
The Sun is a good literary magazine- essays, poetry, short stories. Garden and Gun has well written variety, worth checking out. Milk Street has interesting international culinary tips and recipes.
I have such a hard time reading magazines in a timely manner. I love to read books, so I’m not sure why it’s difficult for me to sit down with a magazine! The one print mag I subscribe to is Yankee Magazine. My grandma grew up in Vermont and lived in Wisconsin for her entire adult life and subscribed because she loved reading about New England. I live in Connecticut and I love subscribing because I think people in my state love to put CT down, but Yankee celebrates the beauty of New England – restaurants, towns to visit for a weekend, seasonal recipes, local makers, etc. I got the fall foliage issue a few weeks ago and gasped with excitement when I saw it in my mailbox!
Ahh, Yankee! I grew up in northern NY with a view across the lake to VT and my family was from western MA so Yankee was always in the house and my mom gave me a subscription for years. I always loved the house for sale article. Thanks for that mention, I should check it out again for old times sake.
They still have that section! A recent fun one was a building from a Norman Rockwell painting.
I buy House Beautiful, Canadian House & Home, Traditional Home and Veranda. I agree that Garden & Gun is a great magazine, when I can find it! I so miss Southern Accents…
I miss Southern Accents, too. I bookmark “Southern Accents-ish” interiors on Pinterest. Take a look at Mileau, published by Pam Pierce, who also missed Southern Accents. It is a great magazine.
Big fan of glossy magazines here. I love some of the ones here and am a long time New Yorker subscriber. (I’m kind of tired of Architectural Digest’s celebrity obsession tho so I’m a NO on AD these days).
My favorites that were not listed here include:
1. World of Interiors Magazine. Gorgeous, glossy British magazine. I regularly find it in Barnes and Noble. It’s filled with a wide array of design styles from super high end to rustic. They do great features in every issue on fabric and wallpaper and books.
2. Cabana Magazine. Also British. Comes out quarterly. Stunning magazine that is mostly inspiration and not how-to design (like not at all!). But so beautiful and they show homes from all over the world.
I love the print versions of shelter mags and subscribe to AD, Elle Decor, Dwell, and House Beautiful. I also get Vogue, Vanity Fair and Martha Stewart. To me, most print subscriptions seem reasonable these days, esp. compared to newsstand prices, and I feel good about supporting their work. Many issues are good enough to file and re-read later on.
Two other, lesser-known titles I sometimes read are Milieu and Canadian House & Home. (I also buy Magnolia Journal but find it increasingly dull and short on substance.)
I live in a remote part of northern California with no home delivery of the NYT, so we take the Sunday paper by mail (usually arrives Monday). It costs $10 a week, more than the newsstand, but that includes an online subscription.
I literally just re-subscribed to a few that I had let lapse because I miss this same exact non-computer time!! I always think Bon Appetit is worth it (even given their recent video team drama). Food & Wine is good and not as pretentious as it seems like it would be, and YES Real Simple is evergreen in my book.
I canceled my BA subscription – what a poor and ineffectual response from Condé Nast.
Huge +1. I’m not giving a dime to Bon Appetit after the way they’ve treated their Black employees.
House & Home is my all time favorite since the end of Met Home. Hands down. And I have had subscriptions to them all. I keep the issues forever just like my Met Home and pull them out sometimes 3-5 years later and find it’s timeless design.
Me too!!
100% agree! I keep them, too. Great resource…
I was obsessed with my magazine subscriptions in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s + (yes, I’m that old). Everyone’s mentioned most of my favorites, except one outlier, Victoria Magazine from 1990-early 2000’s. The magazine still exists, but it has a bit of a different focus now. I still have every copy and haul them out monthly to reread for the incredibly beautiful photography, art direction, and writing on subjects such as beauty, fashion, cooking, decorating, theatre, literature, women-owned businesses and creatives, gardening, travel, and celebrations of the seasons. And for the most part, the editorials have held up against trends (ads- not so much, ha!). Of course, I think they resonate with my aesthetic – may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Lest you think I am a hoarder, I recycled or donated the rest of my print media and now only peruse online. Oh, but I miss the excitement of opening the mailbox to find a brand new crispy issue scented with printer’s ink to read cover to cover.
And Caitlin, I may have been a bit eccentric in my younger days, too. Don’t disparage, it’s a gift later in life, as you are probably realizing now.
I loved my Victoria subscription in the late 80s and early 90s! I wish I still had my copies. I moved to a studio apartment, and my best friend helped me deliver them all to the local hospital.
Hi, Go on ebay…you can find old copies of most magazines there:) It is so much fun to sit with a stack and look through the old issues.
Hi,
I’ve spent my entire career working for Martha Stewart Living and some of the other magazines mentioned here and it is GREATLY appreciated when you subscribe to the print version as that is, in many cases, one of the major revenue streams. I was on the team when MSL launched the digital version and were all pretty nervous that “no one would want to read this magazine on a computer” – seems funny now. I do think that while the digital versions are convenient, there is nothing like holding the magazine in your hands and being able to see the visuals full size. A friend of mine currently works for Meredith (publishes BHG, People, MSL, Real Simple, etc) and she tells me that over the last 6 months subscriptions are WAY up, which to quote Martha “is a good thing.”
Forgot to add this….just scrolled down and read more comments and saw Blueprint mentioned. That was published by MSL as a way to appeal to a younger audience and and was more “real life” vs. aspirational like Martha. When we stopped publishing it, we actually got hate mail…people were so unhappy. That’s one that I’d love to see resurrected and think it would resonate now in addition to the designs still being highly covetable. Also, Everyday Food!! (If you were a fan of this, search Sarah Carey online. She was the editor and still does a series of recipe videos that are fantastic!!) Thanks for the opp to go down memory lane:)
My faves are Domino, HGtv, Do It Yourself, and Dwell! I also occasionally order Darling magazine, which is beauutifully made by women for women. (They used to make it with really thick creamy paper, filled with illustrations and poems, but they’ve really cut down in recent years so now it’s just regular magazine-style paper. Still good, but used to be amazing!)
I love Bookmarks Magazine! Their tagline is “For everyone who hasn’t read everything.” A great choice for anyone who loves books.
I like Domino and House Beautiful!
I think I might try Elle decor.
Apartamento for the ~*coolest*~ home tours
National Geographic is an old favorite and Dwell for design, but the last few years I’ve been loving Popular Science. No, I am not a scientist, in fact science was my least favorite topic in school. However, the magazine has fascinating articles that anyone can understand, along and great puzzles/brain teasers in the back. It only comes out four times a year now which is completely manageable.
I have been a long time subscriber of most of the Shelter magazines. My favorite monthly magazine in the 80’s was Country Living and then as my taste evolved, I have been receiving Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Veranda and AD among others. My current favorite monthly mag is Interior Design. It features corporate offices like Google and Facebook. It shows you the coolest boutique hotels, restaurants, gyms and plenty of private homes too. It’s my favorite because the photography is so vibrant. The paper quality of the magazine is so much sturdier then most. It features fabrics, new products and the current super stars who are creating everything necessary to be on the cutting edge of design.
My daughter is 11, and New Moon looks so perfect for her! How fun! Thanks for the rec!
I enjoy. Yoga Journal and Clean Eating since they are inspiring to mind and body!
Check out Womankind from Australia. It kind of has a grown woman New Moon vibe.
Oh my goodness, thank you for calling attention to all the great print mags still around! I have been an editorial art director my entire career and can attest, print is not dead. It might be holding on by a thread, but those of us that create it, are still busting our tiny budgets to make beautiful pages. Anyone else remember ReadyMade and Blueprint? Two of my all time favorites. I hope you all read your local magazines (Texas Monthly IS amazing!) because they need you. I’m out here in the middle making Minnesota Monthly and Midwest Home.
I loved ReadyMade and Blueprint!!
I like Taproot and Bon Appetit. Every time they come I feel like I’m getting a present in the mail.
I came to the comments hoping someone would recommend Taproot! It’s a beautiful, well written ad-free independent publication. It will appeal especially to Emily with her homesteading and more rural up coming adventures in OR.
I definitely feel guilty still ordering magazines, but I love reading and looking at images in print(not on a screen)! I save favorite images for my inspiration binder, and I pass on magazines to my sister, so they get really good use.
I love everything on your list and I would add: 91 magazine and Sunset.
I am a super, super late to the party Sheila Bridges fan and just subscribed to Martha Stewart Living solely because Sheila described her as an early champion of her career. Also subscribed to Elle Decor specifically because they featured her home. I live for her Instagram feed.
VT Wonen is a Dutch interiors magazine and it’s so great, even if you can’t read the copy.
I love magazines! But I also get a little too emotionally attached to them, so I don’t part with them, sometimes for decades. As a result, I don’t subscribe, but treat myself on occasion or enjoy the time in my dentist’s waiting room, because they have the best collection of magazines (a little harder to enjoy now due to the pandemic). I do get Martha Stewart’s Living, because it was a free subscription that I couldn’t pass up. I get The Atlantic online, as well, but digital feels different than print. I think it’d be fun to have a magazine group where each person subscribes to one magazine, then the magazines rotate through the group. I’d hope I wouldn’t feel the urge to hoard the magazines in that situation.
Oh, I also wanted to say when I was a teacher in the 90s, I subscribed to New Moon for my 7th grade students. So wonderful!
Also, my favorite magazines over the years have been Martha Stewart Living, Sunset, Architectual Digest, and Scientific American, although I’ve subscribed to so many others, and love to pick up many more when I’m treating myself.
This is a GREAT idea!! A wonderful way to share a magazine and help the planet!
When the house is quiet after everyone’s in bed, there’s nothing better than curling up on the couch to read my favorite magazines like House Beautiful, AD and Coastal Living (when it was subscription). I love to study the design and elements in each photo and get inspiration. I dog-ear pages I like then stack the magazines in a basket. When the pile gets too big, I quickly flip through old issues and recycle the ones without dog-eared pages.
I come from a family of magazine junkies. My parents get me The New Yorker every year and when I say I feel guilty that I’m not keeping up with it, they tell me that if I just skim for the cartoons it is worth it! I live overseas, but am able to get mail from the US and it makes me feel a little more connected. I try to pass them along to other people– when I lived in Africa I used to give them to the salon I got pedicures at and every few months they would give me a free massage. I subscribe to New York (mainly to get access to The Cut online), Domino, Martha Stewart Living, Bon Appetit (which has been pretty good lately), Elle (great book recs), Vogue, Monocle (I should cancel this because I don’t keep up with it, but I appreciate their travel guides), Design Anthology (I live in Asia and this has gorgeous home and travel inspiration for Asia/Australia). I used to have subscriptions to Cooks Illustrated and Suitcase, but both of those seem to have lapsed. I’ve been trying to set up a subscription to Frankie, an Australian magazine, but… Read more »
I was obsessed with magazines as a teenager, then when I got married, House Beautiful-I still have some from the 70’s. I have all the holiday Martha Stewart magazines from the last 10 years. Ok I’m a magazine hoarder but I love looking at them. I even have some Betsy McCall paper dolls. But I only do Real Simple and an occasional Martha Stewart & now I throw them away! This is progress people. Still holding onto my vintage ones!!
I used to cut off the covers & keep recipes in a 3 ring notebook, but since we had a flood a few months ago, I started purging & I got rid of them! It was time!
Monocle Magazine is hands down my favorite generalist magazine once I let go of the strong reaction I have to the elitist or know-it-all tone that editor Tyler Brûlé imbues in its pages periodically. Its issues are somewhat timeless, topically broad, and very global in perspective.
I think of it as a hybrid of The Economist, The New Yorker, and pages from your favorite food and beverage, home design, and travel magazines. It also is sort of like the Wall Street Journal or The New York Times weekend magazine editions in a much expanded form. Plus it is printed on this amazing matte stock that produces vivid imagery without the glossy sheen of so many other publications.
It’s pricey ($120/year for monthly issues), but each issue is 60-100 pages and can last an entire month. Subscribe to their free The Monocle Minute & Weekend Editions email newsletter to get a taste of what the magazine might be like, particularly The Weekend Edition emails.
Apple News is a great way to gain virtual access to lots of great magazines and newspapers for only $9.99 a month. I’d imagine other similar services exist, but it is the one I use.
I have a love/hate relationship both with AD and Elle Decor as I find so much of their content to focus on ridiculously overpriced items and out-of-touch profiles.
My recommendations are HGTV magazine which can be devoured in a single evening (I love how they tend to show interiors with bright colors), and Cooks Illustrated which explains the why as well as the how of cooking. Sunset magazine is great too – it was one of my go-to airport reads.
I love Canadian House + Home, and am a big fan of the videos on their website. I just re-subscribed to the magazine after a hiatus. I regularly read HGTV, Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful (although I don’t love it as much as I used to). Really like Prevention, especially from my iPad since it’s perfectly scaled for that medium.
House and Home is the best decor mag because it has tons of gorgeous pictures, and it’s a little different because it originates in Canada!
I have long been a subscriber to Food & Wine, as well as Bon Appetit (although they’re going through a reckoning right now.) Martha Stewart Living has made frequent appearances in my life, as well as Domino (duh, love it!) Elle Decor, and for something totally different I really enjoy Fast Company!
Vanity Fair is so worth it!!! I’m always excited when my new edition is delivered ?. I also have been subscribing to Sunset Magazine for years, over 30 now…. makes me feel old ?. Great for West Coast Living type articles, as well as the gardening…. which is my fav ?. Now and then I also pick up Instyle…. love all the fashion!