A new look for Southern Living

These days in the magazine world it's survival of the fittest, and wisely, most magazines that are still standing are taking a thorough look at their strengths and weaknesses and adjusting accordingly. One such  magazine to get the makeover treatment is Southern Living, which has been totally revamped to connect more with modern readers. The new and improved Southern Living hits newsstands this week, and we got a sneak peak at a few features.

We forgot to eat breakfast this morning and those pumkin cakes are looking REALLY good...

We were particularly interested in a piece about a bungalow in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Since one of the MoS girls lived in Chattanooga for a bit, we were dying to see what's going on in the 'Noog, as we affectionally call it.

This home is located in the St. Elmo neighborhood, which is south of downtown right next to the Georgia border at the base of Lookout Mountain. As with many areas near downtown Chattanooga, it's an area in transition- there are a number of architchturally stunning homes that have fallen into disrepair over the years, and a great deal of interest in snapping them up and restoring them to their former glory. Case in point- we are just stunned at what this Chattanoogan has done with his St. Elmo bungalow, beginning with painting his front door a cheerful yellow!

[click on the picture to enlarge so you can read the text!]

What an amazing outdoor space he's created on the large front porch. We love love love his moroccan tile inspired rug!

I think my favorite tip from the whole article is the way the homeowner blew up and framed the front of a vintage postcard that had been addressed to his grandmother. The result is visually stunning, meaningful, and inexpensive artwork. Why do I feel like Anthropologie might copy this? I love vintage postcards, but have never really figured out how to make use of them since they are so small. Blowing up the address line if it is significant to you, or even a whimsical image, seems like a fanstastic solution!

I've never before seen wine corks used as cabinet pulls. Great idea!

We also love the tip about using maps as wallpaper. I love antique maps and have a number of them framed in my apartment, but layering several large, unframed maps on a wall creates a whole different type of look. Not to mention the gorgeous yellow collor it brings to the room!

I have to say it was refreshing reading this article because though the decorating is meticulously executed and special, it still comes across as accessible. As much as I LOVE poring through Elle Decor, for example, some of the homes are just so over the top, that while I am inspired, I know that it's impossible for 99% of people (myself included) to achieve that kind of fabulousness in their own home absent winning the lottery. Not to mention if I painted my walls hot pink lacquer my husband would probably have a thing or two to say about it! Thus, I loved how this bungalow and its contents seemed like a home real people could aspire to having, while still hitting an upscale note.

Check out the October issue of the new and improved Southern Living when it hits newsstands this week- we're definitely interested in checking out the rest of the magazine.