A Look at New York Mag's New Design Title, Out Next Week

Here's a look at the first issue of New York Design Hunting, the annual new standalone title from New York magazine that will hit newsstands on May 15. The advance copy that landed at Curbed HQ revealed that new magazine, edited by New York design editor Wendy Goodman, is neither precious nor solemn, and can even be downright service-y. And although her twice-yearly Home Design issues have ventured to far-flung places at times, this product—at least for its debut—stays within city limits.

This seems to be Goodman's philosophical bent: while some 8.3M people take the unified stance that New York City is home, there's no such thing as a unified type of home there. Other than the shared practicality that's required (as the editor's introduction says, "A person can dream—and then, sometimes you just need the shower to stop dripping") there is no sole aesthetic—see an apartment clad in 3,000 pieces of paper, a Lego staircase, the minimalist loft that FreshDirect built, and a downright proper flat on Fifth Avenue. It doesn't take much to figure out the Architectural Digest "look"—that's not the case here.

The 220-page issue (74 are ad pages), split between editorial and a directory entitled "The Resources" ("quite possibly the most useful guide to the city's best architects, interior designers, plumbers, painters, hardware stores, reupholsterers, knickknack shops, and furniture emporiums ever compiled"), covers a conversion of a 375-square-foot dentist's office into a studio; the "statement projects" of interior designers such as Steven Gambrel (the man who taught Courtney Love everything she knows about decorating); an interview with jewelry designer Waris Ahluwalia; designer Howard Slatkin's flowery, utterly ornate bedroom; chocolatier Jacques Torres' houseboat on the Hudson River; an extended market/product roundup (called "The Hunt" chez this mag); and a quartet of featured homes, one show-stopper in Annabelle Selldorf's much-talked-about 200 Eleventh Avenue building and another with a multi-colored striped staircase. Find a sampling below and head over here to order the issue.

· New York Magazine to Launch Standalone Design Title [Curbed National]
· All New York magazine coverage [Curbed National]