Blueprint Magazine:
A Fresh and Stylish Take on Life

By Heather Murphy, 11.8.06

Ever wonder how to spice up your cardigan with some easy sew-on faux fur? Or what jazzy new tunes should dominate your workout play list?

If so, there’s a new resource for you. It’s created for all those design-savvy young women looking for inspiration for their homes, wardrobes, diets and favorites menu. It’s “Blueprint Magazine,” the latest addition to the Martha Stewart Living publication list.

While it comes from a family of high-brow magazines like “Martha Stewart Living” or “Martha Stewart Weddings,” “Blueprint” is different. Its editors seem to understand that the mention of expert homemaking grand dame Martha Stewart is enough to make some young women recoil in trepidation.

“Blueprint” is for those who don’t have time to whip up a gâteau Saint-Honoré with Francois from scratch. Actually, “Blueprint” is for those who have no idea what a gâteau Saint-Honoré with Francois is.

The magazine’s subtitle, “Design your Life,” fittingly summarizes what the magazine aims to accomplish. From party planning to luggage buying, “Blueprint” guides its readers through the finer points of infusing every corner of life with easy, modern and sophisticated yet young style.

As the title “Blueprint” suggests, the magazine is meant to be used more like a workbook than just reading material. Each issue comes with a handy pull-out shopping guide and grid paper to start your own design. Other project templates fill the pages waiting to be ripped out. The latest issue had a wine-tasting scorecard for party guests and an easily framed or copied decorative sign encouraging house guests to take off their shoes.

Though the magazine is a hands-on source for ideas, there is no lack of detail on each page’s layout and design. “Blueprint” maintains the same level of meticulous color coordination, font placement and interesting photography that graces the pages of other Martha Stewart publications. The articles are cohesive and efficient, a nod to the editing staff that make each page a work of art.

The marriage of function and beauty doesn’t detract from the quirky taste of the magazine’s demographic. Sauciness infuses the content of each issue. From the regularly-appearing “100 Reasons to…” list or featured “The Back Door,” a short essay offering a unique slice-of-life perspective, there are great tips and hidden bursts of joy buried on every page. Surprises keep readers engaged and devouring every word, hoping to catch another funny tidbit hidden like a treasure just waiting to be found.

With only two issues on the newsstands thus far, “Blueprint” is still in its infancy. If you like style, design, DIY projects and subtle humor, check out the latest issue; it’s a fresh alternative to the fashion, celebrity and homemaking magazines flooding the market for young women.