close

5520439590054_004_b

Now I don’t know if my magazine habit is a particularly bad one. I may, in fact, be no better or worse than you. I mean I have a large coffee table, which, although it is mainly used as a repository for coffee table books (part of the job description) and glasses of wine (an unwritten understanding between us) also has to hold a few magazines, usually on top of the books. Or at least to provide a roof for them while they nestle underneath on the floor.

But, like I say, I don’t know if I have a serious habit. I mean I am building a wall of floor to ceiling shelves in the loft to house the old magazines currently in boxes in the spare room, but I suspect there are many like me among you. I don’t know why I keep them. Why do you? We all pretend that we will use them for reference but have you ever been able to find the thing you were looking for when you went back to them? I mean ever? Even when the cover lines match up, the thing you were searching for probably didn’t rate a coverline anyway. And while I’m on the subject, thanks a bunch for the subscribers’ covers Elle Deco. Yes, yes a lovely photo. I can see trillions of those on Pinterest every day. But the lack of coverlines means I have no chance of finding that sofa I liked in a picture. Or that chair, which I swear was in that issue but doesn’t seem to be now.

I remember seeing the leather handles that I have now in the kitchen in a magazine many years ago. I kept that magazine. I know I did. Six years on and sporadic flicking through has still not located that original image. In fact, while I’m on (and on and on) does anyone remember a Living Etc where the owners of a house had recreated the original plaster mouldings on the top of the wall to represent their profiles? Remember that? I thought it was such a clever idea. Not that I’m going to recreate it but I’d sure as hell like to just look at that picture again. I’m pretty sure it was in the last year but let’s say two – time flies. I’m also pretty sure it was on a left hand page. Dark walls, possibly some teal. Any clues welcome.

So, like I say, not sure it’s worth keeping all those magazines but they’ll look pretty in the loft. More interesting than a blank wall anyway. And, in the meantime, for the magazines that are actually current, this rack. It would good next to a sofa, great next to a desk. In fact I might get one to have next to the desk. I’m juggling so many jobs at the moment that I could keep the relevant notebooks on different levels. And leave the magazines on the shelves. Looking pretty. Being useless.

magazine rack

This rack is from urban outfitters.

Tags : contemporarymagazine rackmagazine storagemetal magazine rackstorage
Kate Watson-Smyth

The author Kate Watson-Smyth

I’m a journalist who writes about interiors mainly for The Financial Times but I have also written regularly for The Independent and The Daily Mail. My house has been in Living Etc, HeartHome and featured in The Wall Street Journal & Corriere della Sera. I also run an interior styling consultancy Mad About Your House. Welcome to my Mad House.

1 Comment

  1. I don’t remember plaster mouldings of profiles, but I do remember this really cool house where the owners had their faces cleverly disguised in wood details. I’m sure it was wood. If that is the one you were thinking of then this is the link! https://www.dezeen.com/2014/03/23/aoc-architecture-bonhote-house-london-townhouse/

    I have now taken to photographing the relevant pages from magazines – so much easier to scroll through photos than hundreds of pages in magazines. Not so relevant for the back issues, I grant you, but useful going forwards!

Comments are closed.