It's Thursday, which means someone, somewhere out there, is trying to figure out how to keep Domino alive, even though the first iteration of the magazine folded, like, three-and-a-half years ago. Today WWD drops the bomb that the beloved decorating title will soon be revived as an e-commerce site with a quarterly print component, and that publisher Condé Nast will be joined by Project Décor—described by WWD as "a quasi-shoppable Pinterest that allows users to design rooms and also shop for furnishings"—as the major parties making Domino 3.0 a reality. Hey, third time's a charm, right?
When Domino Quick Fixes—a seasonal newsstand-only version of the mag—hit shelves in April of last year, it was met with "shrieks of excitement from design-obsessed shelter magazine readers everywhere," as the Washington Post's Terri Sapienza wryly put it. Yet it was also widely criticized for plainly regurgitating original Domino photos (many of which can still be viewed on The Domino Magazine Files Flickr account). Early this summer, after a few issues of Domino Quick Fixes and other special editions published, the brand's official site went down and its Twitter went dormant, suggesting a major retooling was afloat. (The Domino Twitter handle appears to be active again, as is its Facebook, but the site is just a teaser page with a sign-up box.)
In July, sources told Curbed that Michelle Adams, who had been a market editor at Domino 1.0 when it folded, launched Lonny in late 2009, and after running that grande dame of the PDF-powered magazines for three years, announced in March that she was leaving, had joined Domino as an editor (or the editor, perhaps). Beth Brenner, the Traditional Home publisher who worked with Adams to create the younger, hipper, digital-only Trad Home spinoff a couple of years ago, also appears to be involved in the new Domino.
In terms of editorial content, word is the magazine went to Paris to photograph Coco Chanel's flat in Paris, which means, blissfully for Domino superfans, that original photography will be part of the next iteration. And as far as e-commerce goes, WWD explains, "[Project Décor's investors'] plan, according to sources, is to redesign Décor under the Domino umbrella, while continuing as a social media and shoppable digital catalogue. The new venture would not be in the business of holding merchandise or processing transactions." WWD cites a debut date for this strange new Domino hybrid thing as fall—"possibly as early as September." Presumably Domino 4.0 and 5.0 will follow Apple's standard iPhone release schedule.
Intel? Send it along.
· Project Decor Reviving Domino Brand [WWD]
· All Domino coverage [Curbed National]