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THINK what you see, not BUY what you see
Dwell's mission is to introduce modern architecture and living style to the mass population. The Editor-in-Chief, Allison Arieff, believes in this vision. She is a fervor proponent of modern prefabricated houses. The goal of prefab houses is to provide low-cost modern architectural design to more ordinary people. In order to disseminate this promising future to more people, she published a book "Prefab", and also delivered several speaches on this subject. Dwell is Allison's another channel to tout the prefab idea. Up to now, the magazine has published two special issues on prefab houses and has held two modern home design competitions.
Based on the mission, Dwell wants to tell people that modern, cool, and sleek home is not so far away from us, and you don't have to be a millionnaire to realize this dream. The tone of the magazine is also very down-to-earth, approachable, and really friendly to ordinary people with limited budget.
Quite a few reviewers said that you need to have money to appreciate this magazine. I totally disagree with this notion. Those readers treat Dwell (maybe other design magazines) as a shopping catalogue. To really appreciate Dwell (and other similar magazines), you need to THINK what you see, not BUY what you see. What Dwell provides you is a life style. You can create your own version of this life style based on whatever budget you have (IKEA, Design within Reach, or Linge Roset; prefab or commissioning an architect). What's matter is your HEART, not your WALLET.
Of course, Dwell is not for everyone. Not all people embrace modernism. That's totally fine. But if you want to try something new, Dwell is a really good start for you. The editors are thinking about publishing a special issue about mixing traditional exterior with modern interior. So there are possibilities to create harmony between traditionalism and modernism. Don't treat them as two bipolar extremes.
Dwell triggered my interest of modern architecture and design. It not only presents the results of the projects, but unfolds the process (i.e., What are the difficulties they faced during the construction process? How did they handle those tough problems?). Enlightened by Dwell, I started reading some books on more advanced and bolder modern and minimalist architecture (see my other book reviews). Though the houses featured in Dwell are not always cutting edge, but the core modern ideologies are always there. By the way, Dwell just won the award of General Excellence 2005 (National Magazine Award).
Dwell is more than a magazine, a good mentor.
Nice magazine for ideas- but high budget
I bought this magazine at the airport and found myself enjoying it throughout my flight to Chicago.I love new home ideas and this magazine has ideas that anyone can incorporate in his/her home...if you have an unlimited budget.There are beautiful layouts, but some of the ideas were too costly for me to even consider.
Great references for design students and home owners!
Yes, Dwell's homes may be uber-expensive, but what's the fun in trying the replicate the houses? Besides, the most important thing about decorating or building a house is the feeling you get from looking at it and being inside it, not whether your lounge chair was $3000 or $300. The ideas that you can draw from the furniture, the decorations, or even the wallpaper designs that you find in Dweel are simply endless. I've looked through most architecture magazines, and Dwell is most consistently refreshing. There are tons of magazines that tell you how to make your house more "comfortable" and "homey" through more traditional methods, so if Dwell did that, it'd just be more of the same. Granted, Dwell caters more to the "young at heart", but many, if not most of Dwell's homes convey the same levels of comfort, privacy, and intimacy, except through modern designs. In fact, a great idea that I got from the December issue is to provide a child with his/her own sliding (or simply detachable) canvas "wall" as to not only personalize his/her room but also avoid the rest of the house being artistically "marked." If there are two children sharing one room, the wall can double as a divider! Another great thing about Dwell is that it often features very small residences that efficiently use its limited space--a plus for people like me who live in apartments or studios. If you're open to new and exciting ideas, Dwell's a great place to look.
Dwell's homes are very modern but very varied, too. They're not all hard, edgy, or cold, as some people say. As an industrial design student, I love being able to say what I like and dislike and WHY. The magazine is filled with great ideas that spark my creativity. Many bookstores carry this magazine, so you can start by taking a look at Dwell there. But more than likely, you'll just regret not subscribing to it in the first place.
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Quick tip: go with Surface Magazine
Don't bother... ZERO (0) Stars!
