Met Home:: from apartment dwelling beginnings to modern luxury living, ends

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

Comments

that's an amazing post - what great info!
susan said so said…
Very cool - some of the rooms in those old photos would still work today - truly timeless design!

xox,
Susan

confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com
Jennie Horn said…
As much as I liked that magazine, it never occurred to me that Metropolitan = Apartment. Probably because I always lived in NY when I read it and forgot there was anything else.

As far as the sheets, it's as if they put those down on the floor to cover even grosser carpet. I think I see furniture.
Karena said…
How interesting Megan, the things you discover!
Anonymous said…
Check out Style at Home (has a High/Low fature as well) and/or House and Home. Both will satisfy your mag craving.
krista said…
your gross ebay seller's sheets comment made me laugh so hard i just cried for a full five minutes.
i was thinking the same thing in the first picture and then it's like you read my mind!
and, seriously, this downward spiral of magazine publication is slowly killing my spirit.
I also loved the high/low feature. Met home did it really well. Thanks for the background on where it all began, I had no idea. ( also too young :)) Look forward to hearing more on the Skirted Table, back to back with Margaret Russell. Great!
Terry said…
This made me feel really old.
Clare said…
Wow, ok--Southern Living is ok, but I didn't choose it and I am not too happy about getting a 20 year subscription to it in lieu of the failed magazines I did choose.

RIP --Home, Cottage Living, Domino, House & Garden, Mary Engelbreit, and now Met Home.

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