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Old lady hair salon, doctor's waiting room, car repair waiting room magazine as BEST MAG OF THE YEAR? If there's a new president I'll look at it again but I can't believe it won out over all those great shelter magazines out there. I mean, Elle Decor? It beat E. D. ? Shocking!

Um, didn't Budget Living (RIP) also win this award? Not necessarily a great precedent.

My Mom was just saying that BH&G is still her favorite after all these years. Their success likely has at least something to do with this aging population of ours.

Congrats are still in order, even though my favorites didn't win!

Well, the November issue of Domino includes 2 pages of beauty product descriptions in the "Home/Body, Holiday Survival Guide" (p. 60). This section smacks of the fashion magazines like Glamour. In fact, didn't Domino have a fashion issue? So, so not all shelter magazines are pure-play publications.

I think hwtm has a good point about Better Homes & Garden readers. The magazine has been around for so long and tends to hold its readership. Also, it's more of an overall homemaking magazine, known for its recipe sections and home renovation features and contests.

BH&G is hugely profitable in terms of ad dollars and I think that's what the award is based on... it is coming from Ad Age, after all, not a design organization or journalism group.
BTW, don't read BHG if you're easily depressed... you don't want to know the current state of middle-America housewives.

I wonder how many people who've commented have looked at a recent issue?

For years, this mag was a prime example of what I'll call personal waiting room material at the parents'.

I didn't pick one up until a few months ago while I was, yes, at my mom's house. Cutting edge? Far from it. But I was really impressed with how current/fresh/non-Grandma it was. What I also liked was the emphasis on diy ideas (I just checked the website and there are a lot of interesting slideshows that I will probably go back to) and fairly affordable purchases. Elle Decor and the like are stunning, but I found myself oohing and aahing at a lot in bhg (I remember a spread on contemporary patchwork ideas in particular) because there was an element of "I could do that" (vs. "I wish I could do that").

Since then I may have actually purchased one issue, but it's become a regular for the browse-while-waiting on the checkout.

On the other hand, my problem with mags like Blueprint and Living is that they are overwhelmingly bland and uptight. One year everything's sage, the next year everything's pale aqua, etc. i like the looks in Domino, but it teeters on the ridiculous (I remember the special decorator issue featuring a controversy over how much a curtain should puddle: 1 inch or 2?).

Ok enough

Maybe they meant to give it to House and Garden and got confused.

I agree with Renata - this magazine is definitely different now, so don't judge it without taking a look. Almost every issue has a feature from a fairly modern looking home and they've featured several great homes that mix antiques and modern furnishings, which I love. Shelly Klein of K studio had a feature on her home in the mag. I love Domino, Blueprint, etc. but also look forward to BHG each month.