I'm looking for new ways to declutter my home life. An obvious step is to cut back on the magazine subscriptions. While Vanity Fair used to rule my living room in tall sleek and glossy piles I now pick-up only cover stories that interest me. I faithfully buy the annual Hollywood Portfolio issue and five-finger discount any others from my gym. I've started my own library swap system actually. Last month's Jane for their US Weekly, for example. Pretty much everywhere there are magazines to be perused I'll leave another in its place then return the initial borrowed one. My coffee table as well as my recycle bin rejoice as the clutter keeps walking out the door with me. What is harder to get away from are the beautiful design and decorating magazines I keep on my shelf for years. Thank goodness for two sites which are my daily landing pad for inspirations. Desiretoinspire.blogspot.com & decor8.blogspot.com. I never have to cut a single page ever again. One question: How long should I hang onto my Lucky Magazines? One year? One month?


Desire to Inspire
Can now check Domino and Elle Decor off the list - they've done the work for me. The two-person staff trolls the web for sumptuous modern design images and then places them on their site in one cohesive collage. It feels so right. Loose categories for trends and specific designers are giving me quite the education each time I stop by. The house tours are especially inspiring. They usually showcase London's Living Etc. - a beautiful gallery for decorating solutions. Now I can get back to work and not have to hit up two sites in one day.





Decor8
Another blogger favorite. Holly Becker, a freelance writer outta Boston, posts gorgeous things all day long. Her aesthetic ranges from cool modern to handmade treasures. A store directory by city doesn't hurt either. Remove catalogues from the list. Her list is my shopping destination now. Everything on Decor8 would just look perfect in my apartment (see above couch & rug). And boy, is Holly thorough. Every subject she tackles she finds pages and pages worth of ideas. Her post on new doormats about a month back blew every other design blog away. Becker keeps price, proportions, and trendiness all as factors. Her personality delightfully shines through in every sentence. She's a blogger's inspiration too.

Labels: design, www.internet.com