| The magazine first started about a 100 years ago and was revived about 10-15 years ago. As with its straightforward name, it is simply the best general interest decorating and design lifestyle magazine in the U.S. right now. House & Garden is an aspiration and upscale magazine (as most lifestyle mags out there - who aspires to less than what they have? :-). While they do explain some aspects of "doing-it yourself," that is not the focus of this magazine. Its very broad based in the styles it presents (architecture, design, furnishings, styles, garden design, etc ...). Unlike some more specific magazines, they showcase the full gamut of choices available to you not only in design but also in price. While it is upscale, they are not pretentious and present the full range from traditional to whimsical and from Ikea to limited designer pieces. While ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST tends to tell you how you should one-up your neighbors in gold-plated faucets and how you should arrange a 15-piece Rodin scuplture garden on your 75 acres, HOUSE & GARDEN is more for people who have money, a sense of real value, and an understanding of style already - that you might have a decorator but you don't just hand over a blank check - that you are actively managing the process of designing or re-decorating your house. ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST also used to bring furnishings and art for their 'celebrity' coverage - not exactly sure how that is useful for anyone. As for ELLE DECOR or METRO HOME - both are useful for the ads but style-wise and as information sources - very weak. BTW, ELLE DECOR and METRO HOME are owned by the same publisher so they alternate months - it's virtually impossible to tell them apart now. Again, both of them are more magalog that magazine. Which can be useful in decorating but if you're looking for solid editorial - H&G is the only one of the 4 here that does that. And yes, there are ads in H&G but then again, if you are in the process of decorating or remodeling - you should find the ads useful and relevant. H&G is the like a decorator who understands you will have some say in how you furnish your house - they understand that you want to know what's out there and will pick and choose not only on style but on price - that you might pair an expensive table next to a lamp from Ikea. If that sounds like what you're looking for - H&G is a great source of useful & relefant info & photo examples. | 
