4.15.2010

The Merry Month of May

The May issue of Martha Stewart Living is a burst of vibrant colour. It is the fourth annual special colour issue for the month of May, filled with bright and useful tips by the editors at Living on how to effectively colour your world in a way that is courageous, enabling you to achieve tremendous results.

May has become the spring edition of a decorating issue, in many ways. It plays little sister to the the bigger, more in-depth special decorating issue the editors release each September. For this, I'm grateful, since it gives readers the chance to explore more vibrant palettes, as showcased this year in this issue.
The cover is a delightful depiction of a neutral sofa layered with colourful cushions. Mounted on the wall is an abstract spectrum design made of Martha Stewart Living paint chips. Inside, on the splash page, there is a rainbow of Martha Stewart Living coloured pencils, which I'm now desperately seeking for my collection. This issue also marks the first letter from the new editor-in-chief, Vanessa Holden, who did a fabulous job on her debut issue.
There is so much going on in this issue. My favourites include a story on using "superneutrals" - a new term to define those neutral colours that go with anything and can be multiplied, layered and combined to create a space that feels calm without being static. An article on my favourite flower, the tulip, is a welcome spring read and several Mother's Day crafts will get you inspired to make mom something special this year.
Learning something new is one of the main reasons why I read the magazine. This issue I learned all about collecting Spritzdekor, a bright, modern German dinnerware that reflected a resolute sense of optimism between two devastating World Wars in the 1920s and 1930s.

8 comments:

50sgal said...

Martha Stewart Paint, which was once at Kmart, had a color "Drabware" that I really would love to use again. Do you know what a similiar color in her new Home Depot line might be?

ANDREW RITCHIE said...

Hi there! Try "Natural Twine," "Heath" or "Ash Bark" which is a little darker.

Kenn said...

I compared the drabware paint chip to the current line of paint.. "cappuccino" is a close match.
I must be a bit odd to keep all these paint chips around!

Tania McCartney said...

How stunning. Can't wait for it to reach Down Under, as usual. Thanks for the wonderful preview. x

Nadine C said...

Andrew - if you find out where to get those pencils, will you let us know? I thought the same thing - I have to have those pencils! Also, I do keep past MS Paint chips. In fact, my husband just went to the store to get an older color "color matched" to touch up our living room. I also loved the paint chip artwork! Thanks.

Will said...

I ADORE THE COVER!

Anonymous said...

Andrew, I love my Martha mag, and look forward to seeing it in my mailbox each month... but this one blew me away! I love the cover especially and was so happy to see something different after a few months of "great", but in my opinion, not spectacular covers.

I also love looking at several years of the same month's magazine. This is what I do for fun sometimes. Strange?, I don't care.

-Renee

ANDREW RITCHIE said...

Renee, I do the same with my old magazines. I'll often take three or four past issues of the month in question and keep them on my coffee table to peruse. God, we're obsessed! :-)