House Beautiful: new look Harper: moved from Your Home
House Beautiful has relaunched under its new editor and team following a shake-up prompted by the closure of Your Home.
The move comes just three months after the National Magazine Company announced plans to restructure its home interest portfolio, closing Your Home and focusing all its efforts on House Beautiful.
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The news coincided with the sudden departure of House Beautiful editor Sarah Whelan and the appointment of Your Home acting editor Kerryn Harper as her replacement.
The 13-strong team on Your Home were told they could apply for alternative jobs on House Beautiful.
The new look, unveiled in the November issue, features 20 extra editorial pages, a new design and improved glossy paper. The magazine will champion green issues and home security and the current issue includes advice from a former burglar on how readers can make their homes as safe as possible from a potential thief.
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There is a 36-page makeover supplement and each issue will also contain “home facts” cards in a pull-out-andkeep collectable section.
Harper said the relaunch followed months of research and one of her main priorities was to feature a broad cross section of homes. “Home owners basically want the same things for their homes, wherever they live, they want to make it beautiful as well as practical.”
She added: “I have always felt that owning a home is much more than bricks and mortar so I wanted it to have a real warmth, energy and connection with the reader. We’ll cover everything from a leaky tap to big home improvements.”
Harper has also introduced “hot dinner party conversations” featuring topics relevant to home owners. And journalists who review a particular product will have a picture byline in the magazine so readers can see whose opinion they are reading.
“I think there is a danger that home magazines can be seen as fluffy. It’s not good enough for me to feature a lime green sofa just because it’s summer – there has to be a real reason and the team will assess products on their style quality,” Harper told Press Gazette.
The team has also seen changes, with “house doctor” Anne Maurice and television presenter Linda Barker moving across from Your Home.
Style editor Debbie Page, art editor Rachel Ramsay and acting chief sub Victoria Brookes have left. From Your Home, Phil Attaway has joined as art director and Clare Steel has taken over as style editor.
The subs desk has grown, with two new subs from Your Home – deputy chief sub Joanne Hooper and senior sub-editor Stephanie Thomson.
By Ruth Addicott
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