Sleek and sophisticated advice from professional designers.

Buying a new home means starting fresh with decorations. Decorating is one thing that I prefer to get right the first time because it can be very expensive. I had no idea how to decorate so started looking for magazine subscriptions to offset my poor creativity.

There were many magazines to choose from. I didn't want a county theme and I wanted to stay clear of magazines that focused on remodeling or limited to particular rooms. I chose House Beautiful because the subscription was inexpensive and seemed like it focused on modern decorating for all rooms.

Recreating
One thing that I love about this magazine is it's not packed full of do-it-yourself projects. I have no skill or patients. Painting is the extent to my makeover efforts. Even then, I've sworn to out source the task next time.

These designs are so upscale that I simply could not recreate them myself. The furniture and accent pieces look as expensive as they are and certainly not things that I could find in stores where I live even if I had the budget for it. For instance, a chandelier from the 1920's. The rooms don't look “old”, but many of the items in the photographs feature “antiques”. They present a variety of looks such as rustic, romantic, modern, etc.

There will be a fill page photo of the room and there will be just one paragraph in small white font to describe the room from the designers perspective. The designer will mention what “works” about the room like choosing a certain color, which pieces were inspiration points and where to find certain pieces.

I generally like all of the designs that I see in the magazine, but rarely do I mark one in hopes of making it my own.

Price
If you pick the subscription card from the inside of the magazine you'll be paying $24 for 12 issues. If you visit their website you can sign up for the subscription rate of only $12 for 12 monthly issues. I do think the magazine is worth $1 a month and haven't regretted purchasing it.

I store these magazines and occasionally I will revisit past issues for ideas.

Appearance of magazine
The price in no way reflects the quality of the magazine. The magazine is printed on thick glossy paper with more photos than words.

Style
These styles are not practical for a family with kids. The photos are gorgeous and look like a showroom but aren't the types of rooms that I could “live” in.

The magazine goes into detail about choosing textures and colors. For the most part, the colors are neutrals. The decorating is refined and sophisticated. It is obvious by looking at the photos that a professional designer created the room. No matchy-matchy. And certainly, no budget limitations.

Reading
Some magazines I read once and then recycle, but not this one. Some magazines get stacked to the side until I have time to read it. I always browse this magazine the day I get it. I just look at the pictures the first time and sit the magazine down. I will then come back to it later in the week and read through the feature stories. There is very little reading to do. There's definitely more pictures than words.

In every issue

Cover Story
Story listed on the cover such as 𣺝 Makeovers” or “Make it Cozy”. This article features lots of photos. This section, mostly photos, is about 10 pages.

The Best
A list of fabulous items that are unique. There's a picture of each item and a paragraph description with where to find them and how much they cost.

Color
This is my favorite section. There are color blocks to see the colors that are being discussed. The designers express their opinion on wall colors. They give advice on which colors compliment each other, how natural or bulb lighting effects the colors. They tell what kind of experience they've had with the color with other clients. One article focused on white and how different shades of white can be.

Instant Room
Each month a different designer is featured. The designer will give a sample of 4 items such as curtains, chair, ottoman, and sofa and in a sentence or two say what the item will do such as pop of color, or create a cozy feeling, hide something, etc. This information fits on one page.

Other
A feature like “Our Favorite Book”, “Our Favorite Store”, or specific topic like light bulbs.

The Makeover
Follows a home make over (extending several magazines). Questions are asked and answered. There are some photos.

Furniture
One item is featured, like a chair. There will be 10 photos of different style chairs and a tiny paragraph about each listing price, website, and phone number. This fits on one page.

Tablescape
A photo of a beautiful table setting. Some quotes by the designer about their thoughts. And a break down of 5 items that were featured in the design so the reader can recreate the look at home with price, website and phone number.

Ask the Barefoot Contessa
Ina Garten makes a suggestion on a topic such as a Valentines day treat, or something to serve to guests based on questions sent in by readers. There is a recipe and some pictures.

Cookbook
An author of a cookbook is featured. The author gives a summary about the cookbook and the events that inspired them to write it. There is a recipe and some pictures. This article is generally 2-4 pages.

Ask The Dog Shrink
Kathy Stano, a trainer and behaviorist, answers questions about a dog's personality based on questions sent in by readers.

Resources
Phone number for all the items in the room designs.

The Last Word
A question is asked and 10 designers give their answer. Such as, “How do you get people to live in their living room?” or “What is the one piece of furniture you will never, ever, part with?”

The Kitchen of the Month
An interview with the creator asking questions such as why did you choose things, where did you find certain items, and how hard was it to do. There are plenty of photos as well. It usually is a 4-6 page article. The kitchens are magnificent but again, not something you can recreate on your own without major money and major remodeling. The cabinets are usually custom made, marble tabletops, 6-burner ranges, unusual flooring such as terra-cotta tiles imported from France. Gorgeous, but not practical for the majority of people.

Advertising
This is one of the few magazines that I would actually appreciate advertising related to decorating like appliances, paint, furniture and stores that sell supplies. Unfortunately the magazine is stuffed full of off topic ads like medicines, cars and bath and beauty supplies. Healthy glowing skin is really the least of my concerns when decorating. I have no problem with advertising in inexpensive magazines, but I do want the advertising to be for home related products.

For instance, in the March 2008 issue the first article doesn't appear until page 21. About 48 of the 148 pages were advertising. Nearly all of the advertising was packed in the front of the magazine. I subscribe to a lot of magazines and it's pretty standard to find a large amount of advertising. They generally all still have 100 pages of content.

Overall
Although I enjoyed receiving this magazine this year, there will be no need for my to continue with the subscription every year. This is really a dream magazine for me because we only have a few rooms to work with and once they're decorated, we're done. I've found some really great advice in this magazine. I like how it's more upscale. I absolutely love the designs and enjoy looking at them but know that antiques and white sofas wouldn't be practical for our family. There are still plenty of ideas that I can pull from the magazine that would work. The magazine is really good about informing the reader where to get items so they can recreate the looks.