Just stumbled across Dezeen, not only does it feature a nice article on our Chips scheme at New Islington but I think this will be a real classic magazine.
Magazines for me are symbolic of different periods of my life. As a teen in the mid 1970s NME was the one I’d look through for punk gigs, or for buying stay-press trousers from the classifieds at the back or eagerly picking up what was happening with my pop star heroes. Every Thursday I couldn’t wait to get my hands on its dirty newsprint.
As I got older into my late teens, The Face took over as the magazine of choice; filled with its glossy pictures, snaps of Paul Weller’s latest hairstyles or reviews of new bars and clubs which I aspired to visit.
The next iconic magazine was probably Wallpaper. When it first came out there was a real freshness for beautiful buildings, shops or objects to buy and a reverence for lost and forgotten towns and cities. Not just trendy places like London, Paris and New York but obscure Icelandic airports, Scandinavian hotels and Latin American shops.
Perhaps now Dezeen is the magazine for today. Its free(!), clean, easy to get in your inbox and there are images of wonderfully designed objects, buildings and things from right across the world – most of which I haven’t seen before.
If I had to make a criticism of it, it’s a lack of critical comment – or indeed any comment – but I can live with that. It’s a bit like the old Smash hits, great pictures, simply laid out and easy to consume.
Thanks to Marcus Fairs and his team. I hope that this magazine might have the same impact on me as NME, The Face or Wallpaper did many years ago. I love people who try new things.
Thanks for your comments Amanda.
We’ve recently amended the font on our website so it’s darker and easier to read (we’d had similar feedback from a couple of other people too). Hope it helps!
Kate Amin
Brand Director, US
until we stop believing that property is a good investment you won’t be able to change the rental resi market. ten per cent of all mortgages are held by buy to let lanlords - a decade ago it was only 1per cent, much of this property is empty or under occupied. it ’s not just fragmented, as you say, it’s a mess, and the Gov should never have allowed the market in second homes to grow unchallanged and allow crap flats ( not yours I hasten to add) to be built simply because of greed, and the easy availability of cheap credit.
Amanda Baillieu
Editor, BD
ps this is a very un-user friendly blog. does the type have to be quite so pale ?