Another popular shelter magazine is shutting down.
The disturbing trend started with House & Garden last November.
Since then, three more magazines — Home, O at Home, and now Cottage Living — have published their final issues.
This is the cover of Cottage Living’s November-December ’08 issue, which will sadly be its last.
According to the New York Post:
With a circulation of 1 million, Cottage Living started out a hot magazine. It had 141 ad pages in its debut issue in 2004, making it the largest launch in terms of pages in the history of Time Inc. It was named Adweek’s Startup of the Year in 2005 and that same year was Advertising Age’s “Launch Worth Watching.”
But its ad-page growth didn’t keep pace with the costly circulation growth, and by last fall its ad picture began deteriorating as the shelter market slumped.
In 2008, its ad page tally slumped by 5 percent to 514.3, down from 542 a year earlier.
I’m a magazine junkie. I always subscribe to more than I actually have time to read. So I’m always sad to hear when one is closing down. And as a writer, I hate to think of all the people who are losing their jobs.
Which magazine closure surprises you the most?
For me it was O at Home, since everything Oprah touches usually turns to gold. You know the economy is bad when even Oprah’s magazine can’t get enough advertisers! Which of the magazines will you miss the most?
I just love love love cottage living and was so sad to hear this earlier this week. It’s my little indulgence to sit at Barnes and Noble with a latte and flip through one. I have to say though that I am glad to have the blog world full of real people making real homes beautiful so that I can get my home style fix still.
I love Cottage Living and didn’t know it was ending. I’m sad!
I recently saw that this magazine was going to be no longer and it broke my heart. I only recently discovered this magazine and now all I have are the few issues that I own. Leave it to me to come to the party late. LOL.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dang it, dang it, dangit dangit dangit.
This is the first I had heard of this.
Clearly I’m upset. It was my favorite magazine aside from Country Home.
~Angela 🙂
Oh my goodness, I had not heard this. Are they refunding your money I wonder. I think my subscription was paid up for another year.
When I heard about Cottage Living I almost spit out my lunch (literally. I was out at lunch.). I love this magazine. Sadly, probably because it wasn’t filled with ads! But I did get some great ideas from this magazine…It was one of 4 shelter mags that I subscribed to.
Thank you SO much for your kind comment! Mom is getting better…with any luck this time tomorrow she’ll be out of the hospital. What a week.
Hoping to get back to my blog soon…’til then, I’m happy to be back visiting. 🙂
xo, Laura
Wow! I just finished up my two year subscription with Cottage Living! It was one of my fav’s! I didn’t get this last Chistmas edition though-darn! I am going to miss them-UUGGHH! Too many magazines are going under! I too am a mag junkie. But I must admitt I have cut my subscriptions way down recently. With websites like yours though who needs magazines-right? I may never have to buy another one with all of these terrific blogs out there!~ LOL!
Happy Thanksgiving~Tam 😀
Stuff like that is so sad, and today I woke up hearing that a lot of the Christmas gift charities in our state our out of funds and turning people away and giving a fraction of what they usually give. Makes me think I could be a little less stingy and be a LOT more giving–and show I’m grateful my husband still has a job and we still have our house, even if it is small and always smells like poopy diapers. I said too much. “TMI Aubrey!” my mom always says. And yet I don’t delete it.
Oh no, I LOVE cottage living!
Now i know why i can never find any good magazines anymore. I love my magazines. If RH Or RC ever go away that’s it.lol mishelle
I’d been trying to track this down here in the UK as I like their website. Shame I’ll never get to see a copy now. I hope there aren’t too many others about to go under.
Oh no! What the heck? I just got a year’s subscription with them (through a school fundraiser). I was sooo looking forward to reading that magazine. 🙁 Now what?
Oh, no! I love “Cottage Living”, and I did not know my most recent issue would be my last until I read your blog today! (But, hate the message, not the messenger … right?) 🙂
Thanksgiving Blessings!
Although I never subscribed to Cottage Living, I always admired the pictures that design bloggers would post from this magazine. It was one of the few magazines that showed ‘real’ and possibly attainable decorating, and it is a shame that it is closing down.
I’ve also heard Home Companion is on its way out, though I don’t know when the last issue will be. The internet has taken over for print media. Hopefully, the other decorating magazines will realize that before they fall by the wayside, too.
I am SO BUMMED as well! I have always loved the great down to earth decorating and gardening issues. I was talking with my mom about it this past weekend and we did both admit that it hasn’t seemed as great as it always was – but still, folding completely – we would have never guessed that!
Too bad I just renewed my subscription. Hopefully I’ll get my money back – but likely not!
this is so sad! it’s one of my top-favorite magazines! I wasn’t as surprised about O at Home, because I felt it was a little spendy for so few issues (wasn’t it only 6 a year or something?) but Cottage Living definitely surprises me. I’m going to go cry now.
It feels like a good friend is going away…I love this mag. I am a total magazine junkie…I have every and I mean every Martha mag since the beginning of time. If Home Companion is on it’s way out…then life will cease as I know it. These are hard acts to follow.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving…and bring on the glitter and tinsel…but first, here’s to enjoying every wonderful, peaceful, friend and family filled, cranberry stained, turkey leg roasting, joyful second of it.
Smiles ~ Ramona
P.S. I never read the book…I just went to the movie…so I am half there with ya sister!
I will miss Cottage Living and the others. I love shelter mags.
Oh no, I really love Cottage Living. I can’t believe that!
I’ll be honest I never got the whole cottage movement, most likely because it always started with painting perfectly good mahogany furniture and ended with gingham So the demise of one of the movements protagonists will not be mourned here.
I do miss Home though; it’s looks always seemed the most attainable.
I am sad about cottage living
but I still have not gotten over the loss of Blueprint mag…
*sob*
Hi, Julia, I didnt’ subscribe to any of those, but I liked Cottage Living. I think O at Home surprises me the most too. I subscribe to only 2 magazines, but I’m thinking about finding another one in a little different niche.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Julia, I loved this magazine….you know when a woman loves a magazine she will find a WAY TO BUY IT! I’m sorry that they won’t be published any more!
Blessings, and Happy Thanksgiving,
Debbie
I think there are just way too many magazines. I was at the book store this weekend and it was ridiculous the amount of home decor magazines. I can see why some are going away. I’m a Traditional Home fan, so hopefully it will stay in business! I really think younger people are more modern and these country magazines are not the trend. Maybe they will make a comeback in a few years when country is cool.
When I heard about Cottage Living’s demise, I was shocked! My very dear friend’s daughter was on staff with CL and she is still so very sad about it! She absolutely LOVED her job with Cottage and cannot imagine life without it. So sad!
Ummm I was thinking I’d be missing O at Home but obviously not cuz I didn’t realize they published their final publication.
Nice of them to notify me…I’ve had a subscription since the 1st. one!! First I’ve heard this. I’m glad I didn’t renew my gift subscriptions for the holiday….Oh, if everyone did that I guess that would explain why they’re going out of business…..Have a Happy Thanksgving.
Awwww, man. I don’t do well with change…apparently. Can’t we all just hold hands…and everything stay the same?
I LOVED cottage living (wasn’t going to marry it…but loved it)
Dayum.
I wore sackcloth the day I learned that House & Garden was over.
The one I’ll miss the most is Mary Englebreit’s Home Companion. It featured artists and homes and just was totally different from the rest. Sigh…
Linda
Oh I am so sad over this, I had no idea. It is my all time favorite magazine. I have kept every issue!!!
plus Cottage Living wasn’t something I considered country at all. They had a lot of funky, modern mixes too, that’s why I loved it. They had a good balance.
This makes me very sad! I hadn’t heard about this but found out here. I have loved Cottage Living from the get go and this is disappointing to see it go. Hoping that Country Living will stick around…if that leaves I’m in trouble!
I am saddest about Mary E’s Home Companion. I loved CL in the beginning, but not so much lately. Maybe a lot of others felt the same. I *do* remember years ago when a magazine went under they sent you another publication until your subscription ran out. Guess that was just another example of a kinder, gentler era. Makes me feel old!
Janet
I’m really sad to hear about Mary E’s Home Companion too. Cottage living was hit and miss for me but I will definitely miss Heather Chaddock’s pieces. She was the reason I bought it.
What a bummer! I think I have EVERY issue. Another magazine I really loved, but it didn’t last long was The Inspired House.
Cottage Living was a very inclusive magazine, embracing all kinds of house styles. It will be missed at my house.
I have the last issue of Cottage Living, I have been getting it for the past 2 years. I had no idea it was ending until I saw a post on it over at 19 Butternut. I loved it, I am so sorry to see it go.
I will miss Mary E.’s magazine more than any thing. I have kept every issue and refer to them often. She spoke at a luncheon I attended at Silver Bella and said the publisher sprung the news on them so quickly that in two weeks the entire thing was shut down. I like to look at magazines on line but there is nothing like sitting down with a book or magazine in your hands. I did enjoy Cottage Living as well. Boo Hoo, Pam
Oh no, say it ain’t so! I sub to this one and haven’t heard a thing about it! I love it and will miss it, oh no!!!!!
What?!? Cottage Living and MEHC are BOTH quitsville? Nooooooooo!
I think I wanna vomit.
Wow. Very sad. I thought this magazine was so good! I was trying to resubscribe for my wife and just found this out. She says this was the only magazine she wanted. Bummer.
I subscribe to this magazine, and I will miss it as well. I am rather concerned, however, that the publisher did not notify me that it has ceased publication and that I had to find out when I tried to renew my gift subscription. (My own subscription is paid through 2010.) I did cancel my subscription through their website and was able to get a refund.
One of my fav magazines. Women always lose the most in downturns like our magazines and gift shops.