Do you subscribe to any of the home interiors and decorating magazines, or pick a random bunch off the shelf every month?
Do you lean towards Elle Decor with its emphasis on stylish living and following the seasonal trends closely? Or do you prefer Good Homes for its easily adaptable decorating and gardening ideas?Or you inspired by the exquisite homes showcased in Society Interiors?
I have a monthly subscription for BBC Good Homes, but read the others such as Society Interiors, Ideal Home and Gardens, Better Interiors and Elle Decor on a regular basis from the library or buying recent issues at cheaper prices.
I’m slightly biased towards Good Homes because it has a glossy feel to it and has the right mix of advertorials and features. Except the home tours which are quite lengthy, the other features are a quick read. I absolutely love their multi-part design series spread over many issues. Good Home is currently running a Decor Lifecycle series.
Society Interiors reads like a architecture book and puts me to sleep.
What I don’t like in the home decor magazines?
Know your audience. Home decorating on a budget sells like hot chips. Seriously. If one has the capacity to blow, let’s say, Rs.10 L on soft furnishings, then one also has the ability hire a really expensive interiors consultant. So why present only accessories and products from high-end stores such as FCML, Atmosphere, which are eye-candy but out of reach for a normal household. For someone looking for doing up their home with limited resources, there are far and few ideas.
Sample this, for instance. A sofa chair by Pinakin Patel from Pinakin for Rs. 52,000 (Elle Decor, August 2009). The Mtouche range of porcelain tiles from FCML Home at Rs.1,300 a sq.ft (Ideal Home and Gardens, September 2009). That way I think Good Homes strikes a good balance of expensive and affordable products such as Snapshot Coasters at Rs.995 a piece from Apartment 9, and Glass Funk Coasters at Rs.600 for four from Silk Road and Beyond or Star Coasters at Rs.1,200 for six from Good Earth.
The home tours are again a drab. They make you drool, no doubt about that. But with the amount of styling that goes in for a shoot to present the image of a picture perfect home, we all know it wouldn’t work in a practical setting.
What works for you and what’s on your reading list every month?
6 Comments
I subscribe to better homes and garden and have found it to be pretty decent in terms of the items and the price range they feature. The garden section in this mag isn’t great though.
My sister subscribes to good homes and I always thought it featured high end stuff. Maybe I haven’t seen enough magz.
I love BBC Good homes…it’s very do-able decor…I subscribe to this one mag now – cancelled all my other subscriptions cos I was tired of the pricey stuff they show!
Sharon
Thanks a tonne for your feedback… I will ensure the home tours are more interesting! :)
Tara*
Editor, BBC Good Homes
Thank you, Tara :)
I Love the BBC Good Homes cover this month. By Far the Best i have seen .
I dont subscribe as of now.. Just buy it occasionally from stands. would like to subscribe as soon as i find the best one!!
At first I was smitten by “Better Interiors”. The first copy was that of ecoliving. And it had most of the cheaper items on showcase. The later issues were not much worth.
Of the lot, I ve now cornered Ideal Homes and Garden, Better Homes and Garden and BBC good homes.. Confusion is only among this three! :)