A couple of mainstays among the home design and lifestyle magazines have recently launched redesigned websites.
Real Simple
Real Simple remains one of the strongest titles in Time Inc's stable and their commitment to keeping things "real simple" has literally extended to their new website. Our initial impression is one of openness and they make great use of white space, especially in the drop down menus which don't seem crowded or stuffed with too much content. They've presented their videos, online calculators, and handy checklists in an easy to use tabbed format and their blogs are summarized and have prominence on the homepage.
We don't often touch on the latest trends in decor but if you've got to be up on what's hot for 2009 then check out the following lists from Home Accents Today.
According to PointClickHome these designs will be tres chic.
+Caravan
The bold patterns of the former Soviet Union and rural Russia were embroidered across all genres of decor. Suzani patterns and Uzbek folk art inspire striking patterns in circular motifs with bold colorations. Themes of Russian nesting dolls resurface in more modern ways.
+Glacier
The complex dimensions of snowflakes and crystal quality of ice is one of the freshest themes in home design. Frosty finishes, metallic accents, and cube shapes redefine the fine line between hot and cool.
+Mustard and Plum Palette
Last seasons' two most prominent colors pair up as this year's dominant palette. Plum and gold tones stand out while deep purple, rosy lavenders, and bold yellows with a hint of green gain momentum.
We came across this article from the New York Times that delves into the phenomena of the Roll-n-Glow, a space heater built by the Amish. We've know the Amish are known for their craftsmanship and the rise of Amish contractors hasn't abated, but the Amish as mainstream product manufacturers is something new.
Once you get past the somewhat cheesy opening intro, this virtual lighting application from GE is really cool. Like most virtual applications, they serve as fancy window dressing to a manufacturers product but in the case of GE which totally dominates market share, its likely we'd be purchasing a GE bulb anyway so if this lighting style app helps us choose the right bulbs for our mood, taste, or room, then we are all for it.
