I'm sure at this point, we're all aware of the sad news that yet another shelter publication has called it quits. Metropolitan Home the harbinger of great modern luxury design announced it's closure on Monday. What's a girl to do. There just aren't that many great magazines left for those of us with a ridiculous 10+ magazine a month habit. One of my favorite features of Met Home was the HIGH/LOW room.
This presented the readers with a room done using a large budget, then duplicated using less expensive products- a smaller budget. Sometimes it was just a stylish piece of furniture or a great product, priced from the high to the low, flirting with us to spot the 'steal'. I believe this was one of the reasons for Met Home's success, it offered something for all of us. The rooms seemed achievable.
Did you know that Met Home actually evolved from a, one issue, big page magazine called 'Apartment Ideas'?
The issue was a special feature created by Better Homes and Gardens. So successful, was A.I., that over the next 10 years {'69- '79} it was renamed 'Apartment Life' and garnered huge growth in readership and advertisers.
The magazine focused on, of course, apartment living and DIY. Really sort of the Domino of its time. For once I can actually say I was too young to remember this, but I know I would have saved every copy. I found some copies for sale on ebay with a few shots of the magazine's innards
{unfortunately you're forced to look at some ebay sellers, rumpled faded sheets while you're at it- gross. have some people no shame? }
To hear more about this facinating evolution listen in this week as we discuss it on The Skirted Round Table.
There's a great background interview with magazine veteran Tom Troland over at Ready Made on A.L.
The high/low feature can still be found at pointclickhome.com
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