Thank God for Margaret Russell and Elle Decor!

 

 

No that beautiful, sexy woman isn’t Miss America – she’s Margaret Russell, the brains and creative force behind Elle Decor Magazine.   Margaret came to The Skirted Roundtable this week to talk with Linda, Megan, and me about magazines and blogging and her new wonderful book Style and Substance, a compilation of the best of Elle Decor from its heralded 20 year history.  

When it was announced today that Metropolitan Home was closing shop, yet another magazine failure in a long line, everyone said - “Thank God for Elle Decor.”  Thank God indeed, but really Thank God for Margaret Russell.  I wonder if there would  still be an Elle Decor if it wasn’t for her keen intellect and steady leadership as Editor-in-Chief.    It’s no coincidence that Elle Decor is the leading design magazine.   If only Margaret had been Editor-in-Chief at Cottage Living, House and Garden, Country Home, Western Interiors, Home, Vogue Living, and on and on – under Russell’s guidance they might still be publishing today. 

 

Russell’s newest book – it is quite beautiful and wonderfully edited.  Available at Amazon HERE.

 

If you have the new book Style and Substance – get it out before you listen to the podcast.  Margaret picked her three favorite rooms from the book and we discuss them in depth.   It’s a great interview, if I might say so myself!    Russell is strong, vibrant, sharp, and witty – so any interview of hers is great.    To listen, go HERE.

In other news today, Thank God for Elle Decor!  The December issue is now out with a spread by Miles Redd (who is always fabulous), another by Philip Gorrivan, and then there’s my favorite story – Miss Charlotte Moss’ new Aspen House.  We all remember the book The Winter House – the story of her house in Aspen which was sold soon after the book came out.   Now, after a few years of waiting, we finally have the first glimpse of her new Colorado vacation house.  Worth the price of the issue for sure.

 

The Winter House by Charlotte Moss (doesn’t she have the MOST beautiful name?) available at Amazon HERE.

 

 

OK, OK – here’s a sneak peak at Charlotte’s new Aspen house from the December issue of Elle Decor.  To Die For.   Lushly photographed by her favorite, Pieter Estersohn, of course and written by the best in the business, Mitchell Owens (who has his own new book out HERE.)

 

 

Mitchell Owens, resident scholar on everything design, shares credits with Derry Moore – one of the most talented photographers in the business.   My book is coming tomorrow and I can’t WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Lots of reading, lots of thanking God for Margaret Russell, lots of praying that Elle Decor and House Beautiful and Stephen Drucker are safe from the magazine zombies who keep killing off the best of best while leaving the worst design magazines standing – like, well, I won’t name it, but you can only guess who I mean!!

To listen to Margaret Russell on  The Skirted Roundtable, go HERE!  It’s a good one, I promise you!!!