It's only been three months since Curbed National launched, but even still we decided to make up a bunch of awards as a way to recap the stuff we've covered. Over the next few days, we'll be feting the most deserving people, places, and things in the national design, decor, and real estate sphere. Herein, we unveil the first annual Curbed Awards!
'Twas a year for the books in terms of shelter media shakeups. It all started on April 6, when Hearst Magazines announced three new editorships: Newell Turner at House Beautiful, Dara Caponigro at Veranda and Stephen Drucker at Town & Country. Two months later, Paige Rense Noland announced she would retire from her helm at Conde Nast's Architectural Digest, a position she had held since 1975, explaining that she was ready for her "next chapter." In early August, Elle Decor editor Margaret Russell was announced as Rense Noland's replacement; after much speculation about Russell's ED successor, her former executive editor, Michael Boodro, was appointed her seat at the Hachette Filipacchi mag. Meanwhile, former Domino editor Deborah Needleman was tapped to run The Wall Street Journal's glossy lifestyle pub, WSJ. Magazine, along with the newspaper's weekend lifestyle section. Whew.
So what's happened since? All shall be revealed below.
The Powerful Poacher Award
3: Newell Turner/House Beautiful for pulling Shax Reigler as features editor. Reigler formerly contributed to the Elle Decor and T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and is also pursuing a Ph.D. in the decorative arts at Bard. Turner also replaced Ina Garten with chef Tyler Florence as contributing food editor.
2: Deborah Needleman/WSJ. Magazine for snagging many of her old Domino colleagues, such as Rita Konig (who was pulled from her position at the New York Times), Sara Ruffin Costello, and Ruth Alchek.
1: Margaret Russell/Architectural Digest for pulling everyone and their mother, including former Elle Decor underling Erin Swift, who's a market-editing genius, a slew of bold-faced contributing editors, and Nora Sheehan as creative director (Sheehan had been at Travel + Leisure some years ago). Here's an updated visual of the major hires:
The Award For Making Things Happen in Digital Shelter Media
5. In November, Martha Stewart Living released a special iPad-only issue entitled "Boundless Beauty." Thanks to the brand's signature photography, beautiful it was.
4. In late September, Rue launched as the first direct competitor to Lonny in the field of online-only shelter magazines. A few weeks later, two of Rue's four founding editors upped and left for unnamed reasons. Media's tough, guys!
3. The New York Observer announced upcoming changes to the digital edition of its biannual HOME magazine, which has previously been made accessible in PDF form. The Spring 2011 issue publishes April 24; here's to permalinks and searchable articles!
2. Q4 website revamps: Lonny and Cottages & Gardens.
1. Earlier this month, Traditional Home announced plans to launch Trad Home, a younger, hipper online-only version of the Meredith Corp. publication. They've tapped Michelle Adams and Patrick Cline, co-founders of Lonny, to create a product that appeals to "the next generation of design lovers." The news marked the first time a major national shelter magazine announced an online-only spinoff in full magazine form.
The Most Likely to Succeed Award
3. Veranda: Because new editor in chief Dara Caponigro has implemented something revolutionary in the front-of-book product pages: prices.
2. House Beautiful: Because new editor in chief Newell Turner has a genius eye and a crack team of editors, many of whom he's worked with for a while. His first few issues (from July/August 2010 on) were spectacular.
1. Arch Digest: Because the last issues overseen by Paige Rense Noland were abysmal and in desperate need of a spiffing up. New changes already apparent in Russell's first issue (January 2010) include: a more cohesive front-of-book with larger photography, a well opener, "lights off, shades open," as one Curbed National commenter put it, and an overall more elegant, varied roster of well features. To boot, here's a photogallery of shots from Rense Noland's last issue (Nov. 2009):
And Russell's first:
· All Curbed 2010 Awards posts [Curbed National]