Telum Media spoke to Clare Chapman, the Editor of HOME, about the magazine's most memorable stories and how to pitch to its editorial team.

How has HOME evolved since the acquisition by Nook Publishing?
When the opportunity arose to acquire HOME, we were thrilled to be able to take the brand forward. I had been editing the title for a few years, and Sophie came from a global sales and marketing background, so it seemed like the perfect fit for our combined skillset.

HOME was first published 88 years ago and has captured New Zealand’s attention ever since. Our vision has always centred around how we can create and deliver excellent, engaging content and drive value for our partners in an evolving cross-channel environment, while continuing the incredible legacy of the title with a contemporary lens.

How have you continued honouring and building upon the legacy while infusing fresh ideas and innovation?
HOME has always focused on recording New Zealand’s best residential architecture and our local design community's incredible skill and creativity. That remains the ethos of our brand, and one we are evolving with contemporary ways of telling the design stories of New Zealand. The print publication is now one part of an ecosystem that incorporates many different channels and meets our audience on a wide variety of platforms. 

Can you share some of the most memorable stories you covered?
Oh gosh, there are so many, and that’s the beauty of this job! Some of the most memorable in the past few months include the 2024 Home of the Year winners. For the first time in the history of the awards, a multi-unit development, Boathouse Bay by Crosson Architects, took out the top award. It is an inspiring take on medium-density design that embodies the ideas we should consider going forward as higher-density living becomes the norm.

The 2024 Small Home of the Year was awarded to a tiny home, Brooklyn Mini FAB by Bonnifait + Associates, that floats in the trees on a Wellington hillside and covers a footprint of just 37 square metres yet feels voluminous and comfortable. In Christchurch, an abstract, sculptural home, Textured Bach by Nic Owen Architects, is wrapped in charred timber and delivers three separate spaces: a family home, an architecture studio, and a ceramics workshop. All of these homes and the stories behind them offer such an interesting take on the notion of "home", what it means now, and what it could mean in the future.

How has the home and design scene in Aotearoa, along with the journalism industry covering it, changed?
It has changed considerably over the past few years and continues to, which is what makes it so exciting to be involved in! I see the future of print publishing as part of something much wider. Looking forward, it’s about embracing change and using it as an opportunity to evolve creatively. 

How do you describe your audience and readers?
Our audience is engaged, interested, and curious. They’re passionate about the topics that interest them and delve into stories about creative solutions, clever thinking, innovation, and the art of design. They want to know about the people behind products, pieces, designs, and the creative process that brought those things to life.

What advice would you give to PRs hoping to be featured in HOME magazine?
We’re always interested in hearing about a great story. If it’s design-centric, engaging, and speaks to excellence or innovation in interior design, architecture, product / furniture design, or landscape architecture, we want to hear about it!  We also love covering the stories of the people behind products and projects - we want to hear about craftspeople, innovators, artists, and makers. Our audience is also highly engaged in art and culture, gastronomy, travel, and technology, so if you want to pique our interest, get in touch with the latest openings, exhibitions, events, and destination stories.