im flipping pages in an issue of house beautiful magazine. this magazine has been in circulation since 1896.

when it first came out, electricity wasn't really a thing yet, neither was indoor plumbing. (im curious to see how these innovations and related inventions impacted our life expectancy, but that's probably another post for another time. )

with this magazine being of interest to people before the economic and advertising boost of the 60's, i take comfort in knowing i'm not a total consumer minion to care about the look, feel and design of my home. that maybe my interest is pure, natural and even feminine. but i'm also curious how the magazine managed to survive during the harsh times like the great depression.

i recall once a conversation with my boyfriend, who's 20 years senior, where I was frustrated at his dismissal of organic importance. his reasoning was that there are trends in everything, food, clothing, design, etc., and that he just hung out through each wave, knowing the next one would be here soon to wipe out the old one.

i remember thinking "he's right, but this is important. This is our food and our health!"

well as I sit here looking at the magazines celebration of their 120 year history im deeply interested and effected by the images and design ideas of the past. Like the one that says to place all your small appliances on the table. This advice strikes me for 2 reasons: one being how boastful and showy this display seems, and secondly that the appliances and the thinking are so outdated!

this is really like a time warp for me. it's blowing my mind!

im seeing all these images of kitchens that were deemed, at the time, to be the epitome of beauty and design!

if this is what the future will be for the kitchen i just put in. If this is to be old fashion and outdated so quickly, why do it?

what about the resources it took? What about the discards of the old materials? Where does our stuff go? (i kind of know the answer to that by way of the "story of stuff" YouTube it.)

have people been just spinning their wheels to make money, to buy goods, to upgrade to newer better products in an effort to be happy? Only to have to start the cycle over again even sooner than the last upgrade??

dont worry, this isn't making me halt and throw out the magazine. it's not even making me want to give up the idea of renovating my kitchen. but it is making me question what is "good enough" is and what makes a design classic and timeless.