I was at the airport yesterday, which for some reason, is the only place I think to buy magazines. So I picked up the June/July issue of Domino. Let me first say that I do like this magazine and I certainly don't want to ruin my chances of appearing in it as their "most awesome person ever" or even as their "person of mediocre interest" or even their "designer don'ts". So, hopefully, no one from Domino reads my blog. Which, I believe, is a safe bet. Anyway, here's what I found:
This is a two-page article proclaiming "democratic decorating". The subtitle reads "Welcome to the revolution: The freshest idea in design springs from a new crop of fabrics and wallpapers intended for all of us--not just the pros." Let's review the fabrics shown: The red-and-white chair fabric is Erica Wakerly's Teepee fabric at $90/yard. Available at printpattern.com The green and white fabric shown on the yellow chair is "lattice" in grass at $80/yard and the Slate blue solid on the mattress is $62/yard, both from Seacloth.
The second page features such designers as Kyra and Robertson Hartnett of twenty2. They offer hand-printed fabric for $135/yard.
First, let me say I love these graphic fabrics and kudos to those designers for getting out there and not only designing them, but producing them! And they certainly deserve to charge whatever they would like for their creations. I hope they sell it by the ton, become incredibly wealthy, and fulfill their wildest design dreams.
My confusion is with Domino announcing that this is now available to the "rest of us". Huh? I'm clearly not in that "us". What do you do with $135/yard fabric? Buy 15 yards and reupholster your $300 Ikea couch? That's a $2,025 redo, sans labor. I sure would not allow anyone to sit on it and I'm afraid my vinyl slipcover would detract from the design aesthetic.
I appreciate that these fabrics are available retail and not just "to the trade". But to really be for the "rest of us", they also need to be affordable.
Okay, to get myself back in the running for Domino's "most awesome person ever", let me say Domino's website is really trying to be more "rest of us". Today, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge shares her outdoor accessory finds for under $100. (I believe her under $100 finds is a weekly feature on their website). Holly Becker of Decor8 features interesting furniture finds on Etsy. Some are a little pricey, but these one-of-a-kind, hand-made items compare favorably to a $5,280 couch featured in the print version.
So, Domino, keep showing me cool stuff. Let's just not pretend it's available to everybody. And I'm available for your feature on reasonably-priced fabrics anytime!
I thought the same thing when I read that article. I tried really hard to give them the benefit of the doubt on the "they're not to-the-trade only" point. But then they call the designers "revolutionaries," and I stopped trying. Incredibly talented, yes. Radical, paradigm-shifting? Ummm? No.
Posted by: Kim | June 25, 2008 at 11:14 PM
Caroline, I love your remake of Goodwill pieces!! In my humble opinion the "creative" part is way ahead of the price when redoing furniture for fun. What makes those pillows and chairs anymore beautiful or functional at $135.00 a yard?
Posted by: Judy | June 26, 2008 at 12:45 PM
HA...so true are the words that you wrote! $135 a yard...who are they kidding...and with kids...no way!
Posted by: Stacey | June 26, 2008 at 01:39 PM
That is a great post! I laughed all the way through it:) I had just made a tote out of Anna Maria's fabric that I bought from you, when someone asked me what the fabric sells for. I think she was shocked at the $14 but she also buys all of her fabric from
w--mart...ewww:)
Posted by: Heather from MoreyGirl | June 26, 2008 at 06:31 PM
Yeah...Domino is trying to stretch...a bit too much. I'm all for "aspirational" but give me a dose of obtainable too. I liked it when they would show really expensively done rooms and then show you how they "remade" them on the cheap. I miss that feature.
Posted by: Renovation Therapy | June 26, 2008 at 09:05 PM
Thank you. Well said.
Posted by: amy | June 29, 2008 at 04:56 PM
Holy cow...you could redo an entire room for the cost of one bolt of fabric!
Posted by: mom2fur | June 29, 2008 at 07:46 PM
I'll never complain about 15.00 yd fabric again. This is such a funny post!
Posted by: Jona | July 01, 2008 at 01:49 AM
I'm so happy you wrote this -- I read that piece and thought exactly the same!! rrggg...
Posted by: Concha | July 01, 2008 at 06:17 PM
I too read this article and thought the EXACT same thing! Not only do most of those fabrics remind me of those that you can buy at IKEA for probably $3-10/ yard, but where's the fun? I work for a magazine that features artists and designers, Anna Maria and Heather Bailey to name a few who pertain to this issue, and our readers can gain a whole lot more from businesses like theirs.... Namely, fabrics that they can afford. Secondly, there's a story and a person behind the fabrics they sell, and I think that is much more important and intriguing than some ritzy overpriced fabric. Perhaps my magazine targets a different demographic; or perhaps Domino should reevaluate what "all of us" really means in the larger scope of things.
Posted by: Lauren | July 02, 2008 at 02:08 PM
I find the same thing with indie designers who charge so much for totes etc they make out of reclaimed fabric and trhen charge upwards of $150....who is the intended average market? does the average income earner earn $1500 a week cause that is what we are looking at for them to afford these things.
But it is the person on $400 a week who ponies up the prices because they fall for the hype that these type of magazines are spinning. You know support the gifted textile designer ands the young indie designer trying to make a buiness in the cutthroat marketplace! I did a blog entry on a similar thing and sparked a lot of debate
http://magikquilter.com/2008/06/05/buy-handmade-the-new-mass-produced/
and it spun off to another post discussing it with an indie designer that I think I offended that I know....oops!!!!
http://magikquilter.com/2008/06/07/open-response-to-a-comment-on-my-last-post/
i agree with one of your commenters that the only way we can afford these fabrics is as a tiny accent piece. Maybe the only good thing about these fabrics is that at that price we will not see them everywhere. I run several groups on flickr and it is frightening how many people have made things out of the designers who have gone mass produced so that is a problem too I think. But that is probably another post for me!
Posted by: magikquilter | July 03, 2008 at 02:29 AM
you are so right. this is what frustrates me about so many design mags. readymade used to be a good answer, but i find they've really changed since they were bought by a big company. the rest of us don't have movie star budgets!
Posted by: jess | July 07, 2008 at 10:26 AM
uhhh, I just HATE that, and yet, sometimes it breeds the BEST inspiration...
and since my living room already looks like Maria's booth from Portland, I HAVE been toying with the idea of recovering my IKEA sofa (yes, REALLY!) with HER fabrics...much more reasonably priced too ;)
Posted by: Myrinda | July 20, 2008 at 01:12 PM
Amen!! Thank you for pointing out what "the rest of us" have been thinking for years! I don't subscribe to Domino (and several others) because they say they have tips for everyone on the cover and then use ridiculously priced items...not for "the rest of us." If I was going to spend $100 per yard of fabric, I would certainly be afraid to cut or sew it!!
Posted by: Kris | July 21, 2008 at 10:38 PM