They say that 60 is the new 50 and 40 is the new 30. I hesitate to write that 30 is the new 20, as I appreciate the intellectual maturity and emotional intelligence I gained during that 10-year window in early adulthood. With the September/October issue, our biggest issue in over a decade, as VERANDA celebrates its 30th anniversary, it’s safe to say that the magazine, too, has earned a certain level of circumspection and discernment, but with an unjaded, spirited vigor that helps us see the best the world has to offer. It’s our hope to bring gravitas and authority to the subject of living well, while still approaching the topic with childlike wonder and bridging the two viewpoints. There’s nothing worse than a blasé, I’ve-seen-it-all editor.
An anniversary shouldn’t be about wallowing in the past. A healthy bit of reflection is good for anyone, but the occasion should be about taking stock and focusing on the future and new opportunities that await. This issue features a larger dynamic logo, Oprah’s private rose garden, as well as the very first person to appear on a VERANDA cover (and it’s actually three people: Atlanta homeowner Taylea Fowler and her two adorable twins). Fine jewelry coverage has been a hallmark of the magazine for 20 years, and we expanded it for this issue, featuring 17 pieces of the most beautiful pearl jewels in the marketplace. (Pearls are the symbolic gift for a 30th anniversary milestone.)
As our anniversary planning discussions continued, it was important to reinforce our authoritative voice in the marketplace as the leader in luxury design and stylish living, so we decided to share 30 of our favorite “home truths” for living a life filled with beauty, grace and elegance. They’re words of wisdom that will serve you now—and for the next 30 years and, hopefully, beyond. Some of the points are serious, but there is a thread of humor throughout most of them. After all, if you can’t have fun decorating and entertaining, why bother?
For this issue, we also wanted to tip our hat to Atlanta—where the magazine was founded in 1987 and where it was based for 25 years—and how we ended up doing what proved serendipitous. There was a Southern slant to the stories when the magazine launched, but the universal qualities founding editor Lisa Newsom pursued gained a huge following, and soon thereafter the magazine took on a national, then international, scope. In a happy coincidence that became something of an homage, all of the features in this issue have a Southern connection: Two of the projects, one by Carolyn Malone and D. Stanley Dixon, and another by Melanie Turner and Yong Pak, are actually in Atlanta; Oprah Winfrey was born in Mississippi; Thomas Pheasant is based in Washington, D.C. (which is or isn’t part of the region, depending on which camp you fall into); and Bobby McAlpine is a true son of the South. Even a New Jersey projecthas a connection: Designed by New York–based Miles Redd, who is Georgia-born and -raised, it feels infused with the South’s legendary hospitality. We love how this little homecoming reflects the current state of style across the country. Our globe is increasingly becoming a smaller place, and the boundaries of locality—even just in the States—are blurred more and more. There’s debate over whether regionality, accents and all, is worth saving. To me, it’s important to champion local cultures and communities, but more important to be open to other points of view. The world depends on it.
http://www.hearst.com/newsroom/veranda-celebrates-30-years-on-newsstands