Antiques Charm

In addition to writing my book, I also styled many of its photos. Not such an easy job, let me tell you.  When envisioning what a shot might look like on paper, I had to run through a mental check-list of considerations.  Was there enough color or contrast to give a shot depth? Was there the right amount of visual interest so that a photo didn't die on the vine, so to speak? And did anything look out of scale or, worse, wonky? For the stylists out there who deal with such things on a daily basis, I express my admiration.

In one of the book's photos, my acrylic cocktail table appears with a cachepot of flowers, a red lacquered tray, and a tidy stack of magazines.  It was that stack of magazines that posed a bit of a problem. I did not want to place a magazine on top that looked too busy or that had too much verbiage floating around on its cover. On the other hand, the top magazine needed to have some kind of pizazz. Otherwise, it would just look boring.

The solution? My October 1933 issue of The Magazine Antiques. Now tell me, how fabulous is that blue and white Staffordshire plate cover? Not only did this magazine add an interesting note of pattern to my acrylic table, but it also spoke to my passion for vintage magazines. In fact, go to the magazine's website and you'll find an archive which shows all of the magazine's covers throughout the decades.  Prepare to fall in love with many of the charming covers, especially those from the 1930s and 40s. When you do, then head to eBay to find that particular issue.

And, because I really shouldn't value a book or magazine on its cover alone, I will add that the vintage issues of The Magazine Antiques are really very interesting. There are some terrific and informative articles, not to mention great old advertisements too.

*To pre-order my book, In with the Old: Classic Decor from A to Z, please visit one of the following websites: Amazon; Barnes & Noble; IndieBound.