Home decor publications are both escapist and inspirational; they're full of impossible fantasies (multi-million dollar mansion) and practical possibilities (Ikea nightstand). But do the glossy pages of a printed magazine make a better interface than a computer screen?

Everything about the concept of Lonny — the digital shelter magazine — makes sense: It costs less to produce than a print mag; you can click on something you like and find out where to buy it; it's not about looking at houses which are perfectly "done," but about checking out how decor-enthusiasts live. (Hint: Well.)

The problem is that a shelter mag used to be a chance to lie back and relax — something not typically done in front of a computer. Dreamy bedrooms and well-appointed living rooms beg for large photographs printed on oversized, shiny, saturated pages. Unfortunately, this is becoming an outdated and old-fashioned concept. Lonny is cool — honestly, a really visually stimulating and ultimately satisfying experience — but it still seems sad that you can't rip out the pages and put them on your bulletin board or spread out a couple of issues for color inspiration like you could with Domino. Lonny may be iPad-friendly and fun, but magazines are still dying; as Claire Cain Miller notes in her piece in the New York Times, "No one in the industry is saying that Lonny-type magazines will save publishing." Boo.

For Interior Designers, D.I.Y. Philosophy Extends To Web Magazine [NY Times]
Lonny [Official Site]