Despite my well-documented Lucy Ricardo-like ineptitude in the domestic sphere, I’ve long found myself captivated by home decorating and design magazines (or, as they might more accurately be described, “House Porn”). For being somewhat bumbling and twitchy in both the home and garden doesn’t keep me from falling into seisures of mouth-breathing ogling when pawing over these rags and their shimmering visages of The Home Ideal. Somehow, inexplicably, my hopes relative to homemaking betterment spring eternal: I have the will, so there has to be a way, right?

So I thought I’d briefly present a few of my personal house porn periodical faves, so that you too might fall under their spell and come to feel as thoroughly inadequate as I do. What can I say, I’m all about sharing and caring, people.

Blueprint: Or, as I’ve come to think of it, Martha Stewart Living Redux (apt, since its put out by Martha’s publishing group). Billed as “The fresh, fun guide to personal style,” Blueprint is a younger take on the buttoned-up middle-class white lady aesthetic of Martha’s elder mag, with just a smidgen more color and quirkiness added (Hey look! Everything in your home doesn’t have to be Creme, Beige, or muted Green!). Suitable for those interested in straying ever so slightly from the traditional while still staying solidly in the stylistic mainstream, and a great resource for finding gifts for that crazy elderly aunt of yours, or your conservative-yet-stylish friend.

Cookie: While not technically pure house porn — being something of a general women’s lifestyle magazine, seemingly targeted at young affluent families — Cookie is always chock full o’ nifty home design and decorating ideas, plus lots of helpful information if you’re looking to rent a family-friendly Chateau in the south of France for $6,000 a week. NOT JOKING. So yes, while the lion’s share of the magazine intrigues, amuses, and informs me, there are definitely great sections of it every month that sort of make me want to cry, because my meager means will likely never, ever support Cookie’s luxurious ends. (weeps)

Domino: My favorite of the lot by a mile. More eccentric and innovative than Blueprint, and more in line with the budgets of most normal humans than Cookie, Domino brings designers and their own living spaces to the fore, while keeping its feet firmly planted in the way real people live. I love their photo essays that peek inside the lives of fashion folk, showing the everyday messiness and everyday beauty of homes that are distinctly NOT set pieces. I also like that they often focus on use-what-you-have decorating, and incorporate unconventional and vintage items into their design toolbox. This one’s worth its rock-bottom $10 subscription price ten times over, folks.

So what have we learned here? That I’m a cheapskate with odd and expensive tastes? BINGO.

For more delicious house porn — and to find out more about each of these magazines — check out the following links: Blueprint; Cookie; Domino.