Domino Magazine
Company: Domino Magazine, New York, NY
Company Description: Domino is a hugely popular decorating magazine produced by Condé Nast Publications. Launched in 2005, the magazine has a circulation of 625,000, with a young, dedicated style-savvy readership. Headed by editor-in-chief Deborah Needleman, domino’s staff of 60 produces 10 issues a year that inspire and empower readers to create a home that expresses their unique personal style.
Nomination Category: Company/Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Community Involvement Program of the Year
Nomination Title: Domino Design Project
during the eligibility period (up to 500 words):
Domino magazine, led by editor-in-chief Deborah Needleman, style director Dara
Caponigro and esteemed decorator Sara Bengur, took on a unique project: the
transformation of an eight-story, 40-unit apartment building in the South Bronx
into beautifully furnished homes for women and their families living with HIV/AIDS.
Many of the families that domino set out to help had lived for years in
shelters. The magazine’s goal was to create for them a haven—a space that was serene,
healing and life-affirming. To that end, Needleman, Caponigro and Bengur
galvanized a dream team of professional decorators (including Bengur, Celerie
Kemble, Katie Lydon, David Netto, Ruthie Sommers, Thomas O’Brien, The
Apartment and Timothy Whealon) and began the process of interviewing residents
about their personal wishes for their homes.
Domino reached out to major retailers and smaller boutique operations to help with
donations of furniture, bedding, appliances and decorative details. The response
was enormous, and the magazine was able to recruit a number of contributors.
Pier 1 Imports gave the domino team carte blanche to shop its wares; Jonathan
Adler donated all the bathroom accessories for all the homes involved; Dyson
offered up vacuum cleaners for each apartment; Benjamin Moore provided the paint
for both the units and the public spaces.
Ultimately domino, its team of decorators and its generous sponsors created 40
beautiful, well-thought-out homes, in eight different designs, plus cheery lobbies
and hallways to welcome residents before they even set foot in their own spaces.
When the families moved into the building, domino knew this project was a
success. The response of residents was overwhelming. As one mother expressed
her experience: “It’s different to live in a place where everything’s been
thought out. We’ve never had a dining-room table. Now we eat dinner together—we’d never
done that before.”
Because of the dedication, commitment and hard work of over 50 volunteers, the
Domino Design Project inspires people’s lives on a daily basis and serves as an
example of the power of interior decoration and style.
Domino’s goal, to give 40 families in need a fresh start through a fresh space,
seems to have been achieved. Residents talk of feeling cared for, inspired, hopeful
and optimistic. The magazine is so pleased to have had the opportunity to touch
these lives and bring together the love, concern and resources of the design
community to make things a bit better for these families.
Learn more about domino at http://www.dominomag.com
1. Read about the Domino Design Project in The New York Times:
“A Decorator Show House for More Than Show” – New York Times (11/2/06)
2. Domino readers and bloggers loved the Domino Design Project, as
demonstrated on the blog Design Milk:
“Domino Mag” – Design Milk (1/15/07)
http://design-milk.com/domino-mag/
3. View a video that takes you behind the scenes of the Domino Design Project:
http://access.gprovideo.com/gpro/ddp/DOMINO_WOODYCRESTFINAL.mov
(*Please be patient! The video takes approximately 5-7 minutes to load.)’
Deborah Needleman
Editor-in-Chief
domino
Recently ranked among the media industry's 15 top talents by Women’s Wear
Daily, Deborah Needleman is the founding Editor-in-Chief of domino.
Ms. Needleman first joined Condé Nast in 1996 as Photography Editor for the re-
launch of House & Garden and, shortly after, became Editor-at-Large, covering
garden design, landscape architecture, and interior design. Her writing has also
appeared in Slate, The New York Times, Horticulture and Lucky.
She launched her publishing career at The Washington Post, where she was its
Sunday Magazine Photography Editor.
Ms. Needleman lives in TriBeCa with her husband, Slate editor-in-chief Jacob
Weisberg and two children.
AWARDS:
Startup of the Year- AdWeek
Launch of the Year-Dr. Samir Husni (aka Mr. Magazine) and Chair of the
Journalism Department at the University of Mississippi
50 Best Magazines- Chicago Tribune
Dara Caponigro
Style Director
domino
Dara Caponigro is the style director at domino Magazine. Dara began her career
as the assistant to the director at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum doing photo
research for museum publications. Though she originally intended on pursuing a
career as a veterinarian (she even spent a year at the Bronx Zoo handling exotic
snakes, lizards and birds), Dara’s keen eye for the arts eventually led her to
House Beautiful where she worked for 14 years learning how to produce a
magazine. After leaving her decorating director post at House Beautiful, Dara
became the design and decoration director at Elle Décor.
In addition to her career in publishing, Dara has owned and operated an antiques
business, importing furniture from France. She has also decorated many houses
on the side, several of which have been published.
Dara graduated from Barnard College and lives in Manhattan with her husband and
two kids.