House, homes and interiors and shelter magazines

Homes and interiors is a vibrant sector with a continuous stream of launches, as well as closures. (In the US, the term 'shelter' magazines is used for homes and interiors magazines.) News International tried to shake the sector up with the launch of Inside Out in March 2006, backed by promotion in the Sunday Times and Sunday Times Travel, but this closed in 2007. Most homes titles are classified as women's interest, but News International had tried to attract male readers. In May 2007, IPC launched a homes portal, even though three of its big homes and interiors magazines already had websites. There is some overlap with property magazines and gardening magazines. The ABC classifies homes and interiors magazines as 'Women's interests: home interests'.


4Homes

Monthly launched in April 2006 by 10 Media with Channel 4. 'The homes mag that makes cheek chic' is the magazine's maxim. 10 Media already works with TV station on Grand Designs. Contact: Media 10 Limited, National House, High Street, Epping, Essex, CM16 4BD, Tel: 01992 570030
Media 10 profile

25 Beautiful Homes

Photography and the stories behind 25 homes each month. Aims to be a sourcebook as well as an entertaining read.
IPC Media profile

Beautiful Kitchens

Kitchens magazine that started with a similar strategy to its 25 Beautiful Homes stablemate, but dropped the '25' from the title. IPC describes the readers as 'affluent, family-focused women who are real home enthusiasts with a strong sense of personal style' who want to change their kitchens. Redesigned for the April 2011 issue with 'more step-by-step advice and styling ideas to help plan the perfect kitchen'. Sales had increased 11.7% year-on-year, giving a circulation of 22,985. 
IPC Media profile

BBC Good Homes

BBC Worldwide profile

BBC Homes & Antiques

BBC Worldwide profile

Coast

Quarterly aimed at owners, or would-be owners, of houses near the sea. The National Magazine Co
Natmags profile

Country Homes and Interiors

Inspires readers to buy, decorate and enjoy their dream country home.’
IPC Media profile

Country Life

Sees itself as the quintessential English magazine. It offers ‘a unique core mix of contemporary country-related editorial and top end property advertising’. Coverage includes architecture, the arts, gardens and gardening, the countryside, field-sports and wildlife.
IPC Media profile

Country Living

The National Magazine Co
Natmags profile

Elle Decoration

Hachette Filipacchi (UK)
HFUK profile

English Home

Archant Specialist
Archant profile

Essential Kitchen Bedroom Bathroom

Monthly with a focus on upmarket homes. Launched by Colchester-based Essential in 1995 and taken over by Burda in April 2006. Redesign in 2011 under editor Ronnie Whelan,a former Editor of Hello! Burda sees it as a 'luxurious and extra indulgent magazine, from the paper quality to the quality of photography, which makes EKBB a wonderful bijou for the coffee table'.
Burda profile

Essential Kitchen & Bathroom Business

Monthly magazine for kitchen and bathroom retailers, manufacturers, designers and new-build specifiers. Launched by Colchester-based Essential and taken over by Burda in April 2006.
Burda profile

Grand Designs

Monthly launched in 2004 by Media 10 based on the TV series from Channel 4. In each issue, 'The show’s host, Kevin McCloud, takes you to some of his favourite buildings, and every issue features innovative, sustainable (and occasionally wacky) architecture from around the world.' Essex-based Media 10 also works with TV station on Grand Designs.
Media 10 profile

Home Style [closed]

Monthly makeover title that trades on competitions and giveaways. Founded by Colchester-based Esssential and taken over by Burda in April 2006. Later closed.
Essential profile

Homebase Ideas

Contract title for Homebase DIY chain.
Publicis Blueprint profile

Homes & Gardens

Lays claim to being ‘The world's most beautiful interiors magazine.’
IPC Media profile

Homes & Inspirations

Launched by Highbury in 2005, but closed later that year as the company folded.
Highbury profile

Homes & Interiors Scotland

International magazines title has won Magazine of the Year award from the Periodical Publishers Association for Homes & Interiors Scotland. Also publishes The Best Scottish Weddings, London Weddings and several contract titles.

House & Garden

Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast profile

House & Home

Dyflin Publications, Dublin

House Beautiful

Contact: The National Magazine Co, London
Natmags profile

House to Home (now Ideal Home)

Homes portal launched in May 2007 by IPC Southbank, which has since been folded into Ideal Home's website. It included:
  • a gallery of rooms with 2,000 images;
  • decorating toolkits for colour, gardens and rooms;
  • a product finder;
  • a personal notebook section to save site research and plans.
The portal aimed to draw on the expertise of six IPC titles: Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, Country Homes & Interiors, Livingetc, 25 Beautiful Homes and 25 Beautiful Kitchens. Three of these had websites already.

Media Week reported that the site had set up an exclusive advertising partnership with Unilever brands Cif and Domestos and that Yvonne Ramsden, homes group publishing director, had set 150,000 unique users a month as the target audience by the end of 2007. A paid-search campaign run by Steak Media and house ads in IPC titles were used to support the launch.
IPC profile


Ideal Home

The UK's best-selling home title, which ‘has been the voice of the British homeowner for over 80 years’. Founded by artist, poet and designer William Morris and Captain G.C. Clark, who was the first editor. The magazine's mission was to reach the middle class and 'to strive against the erection of hideous houses'.
IPC Media profile

Image Interiors

Spin-off from Irish women's monthly, Image.

Inside Out (closed)

April 2006 launch from new magazines division of News International. Aspirational monthly title branded with the Sunday Times logo (as is the company's Travel magazine, which is a contract title by River). Closed in early 2007.

Marked the company's second launch of the year after weekly Love It! Backed by a £6 million marketing campaign to meet a target circulation of 100,000. The first issue had a focus on bathrooms and included:

  • how to add £250,000 to your home's value;
  • the ultimate bathroom;
  • choosing a colour palette;
  • a 32-page 'foundations' section covering properties and projects.
In its 12 March edition, the Sunday Times, which sells 1.4 million copies each week, carried a 28-page preview of Inside Out (six of the pages were adverts). The sample carried money-off vouchers for the first three issue (£1, 50p, 50p). More copies of the sample went out with London Property News and The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, bringing the total to 1.8 million.
News International profile

Ireland's Homes Interiors & Living

Monthly founded in 1994 that claims the title of Ireland's largest-selling monthly interiors and lifestyle title. Sister titles: All Ireland Kitchen Guide (twice a year: April and September) and Beautiful Irish Homes (annual of the best readers' homes in IHIL).

Living etc

Monthly with a focus on modern homes.
IPC Media profile

Living & Gardens

Monthly launched in March 2006 by Hubert Burda Media UK. Adopted a twee look with pink, pale tones, italic type and swirling background patterns abounding. First issue came in a double-pouch, plastic folder, the second pouch holding Food for Friends, a cookery book. The launch marked another attempt by Burda to establish itself in the UK. Title based on Continental offerings Wohnen & Garten in Germany, Vivere La Casa in Italy and Maison & Jardin Passion in France. Launch print run 200,000 copies.
Burda profile

Period Home [closed]

Monthly that traded on competitions, expert advice and readers' homes. Colchester-based Essential taken over by Burda in April 2006 and title closd.
Burda profile

Period Living and Traditional Homes

Emap Elan Network.
IPC Media profile

Real Homes

Bought from failing publisher Highbury in 2005 for £500,000, having been launched in April that year. Contact: Hachette Filipacchi (UK) , 64 North Row, London W1K 7LL
HFUK profile

Wallpaper*

Regards itself as ‘The authority on international design and essential guide to modern living,’ Wallpaper aims to 'search the globe for emerging trends and presenting the world’s best new designers and their extraordinary creations in a luxurious format'. Has a broader brief than other titles in this sector, covering fashion, entertaining, travel, grooming and beauty. Publishes 10 issues a year. Wallpaper appeared in London in 1996 (first issue was Sep/Oct) and was the brainchild of Canadian journalist Tyler Brûlé. After just four issues, he sold it to Time Inc for £1 million and stayed on as editor. He left after Wallpaper was put under the control of IPC, which AOL-Time Warner had bought in 2001, to concentrate on his consultancy, Wink Media, and freelance writing, including a column in the Saturday Financial Times. IPC licensed the title to Axel Springer to publish in Moscow in March 2005.
IPC Media profile

WI Home & Country

Describes itself as 'a unique mix of hard-hitting features, creative craft and cookery, top competitions and giveaways, informative articles, fiction, quirky stories and ... news of an extraordinary range of [Women's Institute] activities across the country'. Has about 36,000 subscribers. WI Enterprises
www.womensinstitute.org.uk


World of Interiors

Very high production values. Focuses on upmarket homes. Founded 1981. Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast profile

Your Home

Monthly bought from by Colchester-based Esssential from NatMags in August 2003. Publisher taken over by Burda in April 2006. Focus on home decorating and improvements: 'Refreshing editorial brings out the decorator in everyone.'
Burda profile

Top five homes magazines (end 2005)

Title Publisher Frequency    Sales (ABC)*
Ideal Home IPC Media monthly 245,729
House Beautiful National Magazine Co    monthly 198,112
Country Living National Magazine Co    monthly 191,225
House & Garden
Condé Nast monthly 140,361
Homes & Gardens    IPC Media monthly 136,088

*Source: Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC)

Details of homes magazines (2005)

Title Publisher Launch date ABC sales
Jan-Jul-2005*
25 Beautiful Homes IPC Media 1998 113,281
25 Beautiful Kitchens IPC Media 34,648
BBC Good Homes BBC Worldwide 1998 135,690
BBC Homes & Antiques BBC Worldwide 1993 101,054
Coast The National Magazine Company 20,366
Country Homes and Interiors IPC Media 1986 77,677
Country Life IPC Media 1897  25,318
Country Living National Magazine Company 1985 116,010
Elle Decoration Hachette Filipacchi 191,225
English Homes Archant Specialist 73,324
Homebase Ideas Publicis Blueprint 2002 399,984
(free)
Homes & Gardens IPC Media 1919 136,088
Homes & Interiors Scotland International Magazines 14,873
House & Garden
(inc. Food & Wine magazine)
Condé Nast 140,361
House & Home Dyflin Publications 1996 25,615
House Beautiful The National Magazine Company 1989 198,112
Ideal Home IPC Media 245,729 1920 245,729
Image Interiors Image Publications 22,808
Inside Out News magazines 2006 closed (2007)
Ireland's Homes Interiors and Living Ireland Homes Interiors & Living Magazine 1994 23,364
Living etc IPC Media 1998 88,285
Period Living and Traditional Homes EMAP London Lifestyle 48,792
Real Homes Hachette Filipacchi 1998 56,554
Wallpaper* IPC Media 1996 110,246
WI Home & Country WI Enterprises 34,157
World of Interiors Condé Nast 1981 64,656
Your Home Burda/Essential 120,900

*Source: Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC)