10 Design & Architecture Magazines You Should Read

When building and designing your dream home, it’s important to expose yourself to a wide range of architectural and design styles. It’ll help you decide what’s essential, show you aesthetics you never considered, and inspire you to think outside the box. Unfortunately, you can’t tour every house that piques your interest.

Thankfully, a whole library of architectural literature is out there just waiting to be perused. To point you in the right direction, Maleno, a leading custom home-building company, made a list of the ten best online interior design and architecture magazines you should follow for inspiration.

1. Architectural Digest (AD)

No list of architecture magazines would be complete without Architectural Digest. With its blend of high-end residential design and celebrity home features, it offers readers a glimpse into luxurious, aspirational living spaces, unlike any other publication in the industry.

While the homes of Hollywood’s A-List can be overwhelmingly opulent, they can provide a burst of inspiration. Whether it’s the coziness of Sienna Miller’s country cottage, the vintage look of Dakota Johnson’s Hollywood home, or the farmhouse style of Amanda Seyfried’s New York apartment, you’ll likely learn a little bit more about your own style with each AD tour you watch.

2. The Architect’s Newspaper/AN Interior

The Architect’s Newspaper (AN) is trusted by architects, builders, and design enthusiasts alike. If you’re looking for breaking industry news and insightful commentary, the “newspaper” side of their publication is where you want to be. But, if you’re looking for more design inspiration, head over to their sister publication, AN Interior.

AN Interior is a design magazine that focuses on the cutting-edge of interior design, furniture, and art. Their eye for experimental, one-of-a-kind spaces can be the perfect food for thought when designing your own home.

3. Azure Magazine

Azure focuses on contemporary architecture and design, which runs the gamut from landscape design and urbanism to interior design and product design. With international coverage, stunning pictures, and deep insights, it can be just the thing to get your creative juices flowing.

4. Dezeen

Dezeen differentiates itself with comprehensive coverage of cutting-edge architecture, design, and technology. We especially appreciate the Interior and Design sections of their publication. They spotlight avant-garde projects and industry trends that push the boundaries of contemporary aesthetics and functionality.

5. Dwell

Dwell magazine distinguishes itself with a modernist approach. It focuses on sustainable, innovative, and accessible home design, making contemporary architecture and lifestyle attainable for a wider audience.

With Maleno’s focus on personalization, community, and energy efficiency, we appreciate Dwell’s design principles. Every home design should be:

• Humanistic: responding to the needs of real people and framing new ways of living.
• Forward-looking: embracing new building methods and enhancing its social and ecological context.
• Optimistic: shaping a better world.

6. Gray

Gray’s coverage of modern design, architecture, and lifestyle can provide the inspiration you need to turn your home into a personal oasis. With a collection of articles, interviews, and photo essays that explore and blend urban sophistication with natural beauty, you’ll be able to see what’s possible in any residential space.

With major Pacific Northwest influences, the site regularly features profiles of regional designers, architects, and artists, offering readers an inside look at the people and processes behind some of the region’s most compelling designs.

7. Home & Design

Home & Design magazine threads the needle between functional and luxury interior design. Its digital publication also does a nice job directing readers to the specific inspiration they need, such as carpet and flooring ideas or lighting options.

Like all of the publications on this list, Home & Design has beautiful images in every article and resource, perfect for creating a mood board for your custom builder or interior designer.

8. House Beautiful

House Beautiful does an excellent job of featuring high-end designs in an approachable way. Each issue is filled with beautiful photography, expert insights, and detailed room-by-room guides that help readers translate design inspiration into real-life applications.

With their focus on creating stylish, functional homes, we think it’s one of the best sources of inspiration you can really implement without a massive budget and practical advice for everyday living. The magazine also features a wide range of homes, so no matter your taste, we’re confident you’ll find something you like.

9. Interior Design

Interior Design is one of the best magazines for aesthetic inspiration. Through exceptional articles and exquisite photography, it communicates the past, present, and future of interior design.

We appreciate that they feature such a diverse array of projects. It allows readers to explore a wealth of content that highlights the creativity and craftsmanship behind some of the most inspiring home interiors.

10. The World of Interiors

Looking to take a worldly approach to your home design? The World of Interiors weaves together the aesthetics of luxury, eclecticism, and timelessness. The cornerstone of their design sensibilities is high-quality craftsmanship.

The publication is brimming with beautiful photographs from historic and avant-garde homes. Their writers dive into the cultural, historical, and personal narratives that shape the interiors it features, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the design process and the elements that make each project special. The magazine's eclectic mix of content appeals to a discerning audience with a passion for beauty and design.

Let’s Build Your Dream Home

All of these online resources can be pivotal to starting the process of building your dream home. But there is no substitute for working with a professional designer. When you’re ready to start building your dream home, reach out to Maleno to take advantage of our custom home design center.

Our newly renovated Design Center offers a full-service showroom where you can work with our designer and state-of-the-art technology to select each component of your new home in one accessible location. Contact us today to get started.