It seems like there are fifteen million home shows on cable, but only one design aesthetic: a middle-of-the-road McMansion mishmosh with identical country kitchens, frilly window treatments, gaudy "great rooms" and chintzy throw pillows. Enter this offspring of the sleek modernist design magazine by the same name. Handsomely produced and knowledgeable, it reveals a world of innovative furniture and cool, contemporary architecture — from urban lofts to reclaimed barns to stunning glass jewel boxes — that you'd never know existed from watching Trading Spaces. And not an overstuffed Ikea couch in sight.
Come fly with us, and Leo, through the best (and worst) of 2004. Tops in the cinema this year include Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator. Elsewhere, Deadwood was good TV, and a Strange tale fascinated readers.