Farewell domino

Although by now this has been covered by just about every design blog known to mankind, I wanted to voice my sorrow that such an incredible publication has come to an end.

To so many people, domino was much more than just a magazine. It was a resource that rekindled an interest, excitement and passion for interior design. It challenged the way people looked at current design trends, products and publications, and brought together a community of like-minded design-lovers from literally all around the globe. Best of all? It was delivered to the reader with a lack of pretension found in so many existing design publications.

During my first interview with domino my senior year of college, I stepped into Deborah Needleman’s office and sat down nervously with my portfolio. She asked me what I liked best about domino and I remember telling her that it was the first magazine in years that actually understood what people wanted to see, and how they wanted to be spoken to. I told her that I loved how they delivered high-style design while also choosing to highlight more down-to-earth details, pointing out Carolina Herrera Jr’s beloved chalkboard as an example, which she found outside in a neighbors trash pile. Instead of showing the reader an impossibly expensive home and offering resources that were exclusive to the trade, domino brought humility to the design process and taught the reader how to express their personalities and passions through the homes they designed. Deborah’s response? Right on lady! That’s what it’s all about. She spent twenty minutes looking through my portfolio with genuine interest, and soon hired me on as a market assistant upon graduation.

My time at domino showed me first hand that the editors and staff who created the magazine were some of the most innately talented and passionate people in the industry. While I’m sad to see such an iconic publication come to an end, I’m excited to see where this new move will take the domino team. When I had mentioned to Deborah that domino was the first magazine of its kind in years, I was specifically referring to its predecessor, Living Room, which was published in 2002 and folded after merely one issue. Deborah was shocked that I remembered the magazine, and was excited to tell me that domino’s creative director Sara Costello had founded it. No wonder I thought it was brilliant! So my point is that although we are currently in a time where shelter magazines are closing their doors, it won’t be long until new ones open. And in the meantime, domino, you will be sorely missed.

I've included some images that I scanned in from marketing material which you might not have seen! Click on each image to enlarge. In the next few weeks I'll be sure to post more ;)