Magazine Review: Country Living

As is probably abundantly evident by my blog, I do not have what could be termed a "country" or even Shabby Chic aesthetic. Generally speaking, I dislike doilies, lace and calico and I think gingham is far better suited to fourth of July picnic tables than in my own home. And yet, after reading numerous bloggers like Erin at Elements of Style and Erika at Urban Grace raving over the "new" Country Living, I decided I had to give it a spin myself.

Fortunately for me, the newly revamped CL is not what I would generally describe as "country" -- there's a refreshing lack of barnyard decor (like the dreaded rooster-in-kitchen) and the aesthetic is far more chic than grandma. Instead, I would describe it as "modern cottage". For those of you sorely missing Cottage Living, it's really a great replacement. If, however, you dislike a more cluttered, vintage aesthetic in favor of a more streamlined, modern one, then you can probably guess that this magazine is not for you.

Overall, I really like how the magazine is laid out -- and I think the magazine industry could learn a lot from CL, with its focus on affordable style, a DIY-attitude and the use of accessible sources. Sound a lot like the old domino? Style aesthetic aside, it is. Of all the U.S. home decor publications today, this magazine comes the closest to replicating the spirit (though perhaps not the eye) of domino.

One of my favorite elements is that CL ends each house tour with a one-page spread on translating the look to your own home (which typically means highlighting key pieces and accessories and where you can purchase similar items). Each issue of CL also includes spreads on various trends and key pieces, both of which often appeared in our dearly departed domino on a regular basis. I wish more American magazines would pick up on both of these story-types. I find it odd that two major foreign publications -- Canadian House and Home and LivingEtc -- run these types of articles regularly, but no (current) U.S. publication featuring modern/contemporary decor does. Hopefully House Beautiful and Metropolitan Home will get with the program and start creating similar features. CL also includes regular recipe features as well as crafting and DIY projects and while the crafting/DIY skews a little too cutesy for my taste, their recipes definitely suit my Southern palette.

My major complaint -- and I recognize the absurdity in what I'm about to say here -- is that Country Living is just too country sometimes. For example, the May issue featured an entire spread devoted to gingham and included a story on the history of canning. These are not stories that a Houstonian can relate to. Having said that though, many of the homes featured are lovely. Page after page of old and beautifully restored cottages allow the escapist in me to long for the "simple life" complete with white picket fence and a crumbling barn out back. The magazine also features items that could easily translate to different types of decor, from contemporary to French provincial, and turned me on to some sources like Mothology, which sells these amazing storage totes, made from recycled Bordeaux sacks:

At $16 for a small and $24 for a large, these are priced at or below many other wicker or fabric storage baskets and have a lot more character to boot. I'd use the larger one to store towels (as pictured here) and the smaller one to store lots of gorgeous French olive oil soap.

Has anyone else picked up Country Living lately? If so, what did you think?

All photographs from Country Living.