The Best Home Design Magazines: Inspiration and Ideas

Home design is everywhere and its not just for professionals anymore. It seems that a person can't turn on cable without flipping past countless home improvement, decor and renovation shows. Several shows allow you to watch professionals tackle redesign projects from simple furniture refinishing to demolishing or gut renovating entire houses. There are also books by interior designers and guides for "dummies" that offer simple step-by-step instructions. Many sources attempt to inspire us and teach us "do-it-yourself" techniques that we can use to update our own home's style. In my own home, whether it involves creative brainstorming and inspiration or actual practical tips and tricks, my favorite sources are my subscriptions to design magazines.

This is part one - my favorite magazines for home design and decor, purely for inspiration. In part two, I will go into the best publications to aid you in your own home improvement projects, from the simple organization to the adventurous construction of your very own furniture. Be sure to check out their websites for subscription information, but also be aware that some of the websites offer bonus content such as special online-exclusive articles, membership with the ability to save your favorite ideas, contests to enter and email newsletters.

The Top Three Home Design Magazines for Inspiration!

These magazines are a treasure trove of great ideas. Every issue packs in pictorial tours of meticulously created spaces and articles to keep you informed about the themes, styles, and trends happening all over the world of interior design. Sometimes I like to just flip through the pictures and analyze color schemes and themes involving fabric, era in style and furniture design or efficiency and use. Sometimes the articles, in which a designer speaks about what inspires him or her and what kind of environments they are trying to create in their own homes can help me shape my own "design manifesto" and themes for the rooms of my house. Each of these magazines are useful and unique.

1. Elle Decor

Taking a page out of the stylebook of fashion magazine Elle, this publication is all about what is fresh and current. It highlights new and upcoming designers, boutiques and sources to get great pieces for your home, and what vintage or antique styles are being revisited. I appreciate that Elle Decor displays many different kinds of spaces, not just urban or country like niche publications and not limited to large expensive homes, but sometimes lofts, apartments, cottages, mansions or even restaurants and shops. Its a little bit of everything and therefore, allows the reader to relate to many elements and borrow ideas that help shape personal style.

http://www.pointclickhome.com/elledecor

2. In Style Home

In Style Home appears on newstands a few times a year, as a special supplementary publication to In Style. Narrower in focus than Elle Decor, but still just as much fun, it highlights the style of famous people, often musicians, film and tv stars, authors or other celebrity personalities behind the scenes. Surprisingly, it does not read like a magazine version of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, its much more interesting than just looking at Hollywood mansion after mansion. You see smaller properties like someone's special beach house or favorite escape cottage in the woods. You see the studio apartment that a writer uses just for writing, offices or whimsically designed children's bedrooms. You really get to see what personal and intimate spaces that people can create if they have the kind of fame or money that you only dream about. Its not all glitz and glamor, after all, even celebrities who travel around in luxury still want to come home and curl up with a good book or watch TV. InStyle Home is the fascinating magazine that shows you how and where they do that.

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/

3. Dwell

Dwell is the only design publication that I read that limits itself to a particular niche - it is all Modern, all the time. Now, in your everyday home life, you might not be into Modern decor. Don't overlook this one, just because the cover or some of the pictures don't seem to fit "you", this magazine really does a fantastic job covering some of the most exciting artistic endeavors happening all over the world in the field of interior design. Environmental enthusiasts can also appreciate how special stories about "green", environmentally friendly designs, materials and technology have also been consistently and fairly covered by Dwell. People pushing the limits and challenging traditional ideas of what home spaces should look and feel like are a fascinating highlight. If its new, if its happening on the cutting edge and if its modern, it will be in Dwell. Aside from my personal taste that is a bit more about old antiques and warm fuzzy spaces- I've learned from looking at the pictorials and reading the articles, that sometimes the clean lines and functionality of Modern furniture and themes can be beautiful, interesting and fun to me. Even if I don't necessarily think I want it in my home, I enjoy seeing it in public and understanding the technology and artistry involved . It has informed my own ideas of what appeals to me. Dwell dares me to think outside my comfort box, and I am more likely to have one piece of modern furniture in my house now, or one room that is inspired by it. Isn't challenge that what inspiration is all about?

http://www.dwell.com/

Speaking of challenges, stay tuned for the second part of this article, which will review what I think are the best magazines to give you applicable ideas and help you to make actual changes and projects in your own home!