Australian magazine readership is stronger than ever, and it’s Aussies’ fixation on everything home and interiors that is driving the surge.
According to insights released by digital subscription app Readly, Australian magazine readers are especially enamoured with titles like Better Homes and Gardens, Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House & Garden, and of course, Country Style.
Data shows that out of the top 10 most read pages on the app, half belonged to home and interiors magazines while the rest belonged to cooking and crotcheting mags. One of the most popular pages of all featured a cover story about a family’s move from bustling Sydney to their lush new coastal home.
For a nation that still dreams of nabbing a freestanding home with a spacious backyard for kids and a dog to run in, it should come as no surprise that Australia’s cultural obsession with home ownership would transfer to the glossy pages of a magazine.
So embedded is our love of gorgeous properties that we consider it a form of entertainment, art, and a hobby all rolled into one. The act of kicking back with a cuppa to flick through a favourite mag is a way to relax but also a chance to daydream about decorating the perfect dream home.
How economic fluctuations influence home design trends
The sad reality is that as economic conditions worsen and more Australians buckle under the pressure of interest rates rises, home ownership becomes an increasingly fraught proposition. Yet Australia’s love affair with homes and interiors magazines shows no sign of abating.
Interestingly, past magazine reader behaviour suggests that while readership barely declines during a recession, readers do change the kinds of titles they buy. Specialist publications that meet a distinct need tend to be the most resilient titles, with hobby magazines, home, gardens and interiors magazines, and food magazines remaining relatively popular.
Tough times also appear to trigger an instinct to stay close to home, with the home symbolising shelter, comfort, and the foundation of our very lives. No wonder then that Aussies spend so much time pottering around the house doing all manner of things from gardening to redecorating, cooking and crochet.
ABS data shows the average Australian man spends 1.7 hours per day on grounds care and gardening, 1.8 hours on home and vehicle maintenance, and 0.8 hours a day on household management. The average woman will spend 1.2 hours per day on grounds care and gardening, 0.7 hours on home and vehicle maintenance, and 0.7 hours a day on household management.
Post Covid, Australians are spending more time than ever cosying up at home and have largely opted to work from home as much as possible. Coinciding with the normalisation of remote work, the higher cost of living in cities like Sydney and Melbourne, and the yearning for a more spacious and carefree life, many Aussies are seriously re-evaluating their living spaces and how it would meet their future needs.
They are investing more than ever to ensure their homes are fit for purpose and fortifying themselves against a stressful backdrop of an economy in downtown. On a more practical note, Aussies are also keen to pick up cost-saving DIY tricks to keep their homes spick and span.
The resurgence of old fashioned hobbies even amongst younger readers is no accident in this context. As well as making useful and much-needed repairs, fixing up the house has also been found to reduce depression and anxiety.
Our love of home decoration
From breezy coastal cottages to expansive country homes, the properties featured in the pages of Australia’s most popular magazines offer an insight into the ideal Australian lifestyle. Australian homes are casual, yet stylish, comfortable, luxurious and most importantly, spacious.
The fixation with rustic decor, simple gourmet recipes that focus on the quality of the ingredients, neutral colour palettes, and earthy accents suggest a down-to-earth sensibility which is ingrained in the Australian psyche.
As the saying goes, “home is where the heart is” and for Australian magazine readers, the obsession is never-ending.
