If you love interior design magazines, you have likely come across both Apartamento and ELLE Decoration. At first glance, they seem to cover similar ground: beautiful homes, creative people, and thoughtful living spaces. But the difference between Apartamento and Elle Decoration becomes clear once you spend time with each title. These two publications take very different approaches to showing readers how people live, and understanding those differences can help you choose the right one.
Apartamento Magazine: Concept and Philosophy
Apartamento Magazine was founded in Barcelona in 2008 by Omar Sosa, Nacho Alegre, and Marco Velardi. From the start, the Apartamento magazine concept and philosophy has centered on authenticity over aspiration. The magazine features real homes belonging to artists, designers, musicians, and other creative individuals photographed exactly as they are, without staging or styling.
That means you might see an open dishwasher loaded with mugs, books piled on the floor, or a half-eaten croissant on a counter. Nothing is cleaned up for the camera. The founders wanted to show how people actually live within their personal spaces, resulting in a publication that feels intimate and honest rather than polished and commercial.
Apartamento is published biannually and is read in over 45 countries. It regularly sells out its print runs, reflecting the loyal community it has built among readers who value substance over surface. The magazine avoids shopping guides and trend forecasts entirely, letting its subjects speak for themselves through interviews and candid photography.
ELLE Decoration: A UK-Based Style Authority
ELLE Decoration is a UK-based interiors magazine published by Hearst UK. Recognized as one of Britain’s most stylish contemporary homes publicatioSs, Elle Decoration country UK has established itself as a leading authority on trends and modern living. Its readership includes both consumers and trade professionals such as architects and interior designers.
Each issue offers aspirational home tours, shopping guides, expert advice, and seasonal decorating ideas. ELLE Decoration showcases beautifully photographed spaces from around the world, and its polished editorial tone makes high-end design feel approachable at various budget levels.
Where Apartamento steps back and lets its subjects lead, ELLE Decoration takes a more active editorial role curating content around color trends, product roundups, and design forecasts that help readers make practical decisions about their own spaces.
Key Differences Between Apartamento and Elle Decoration
Editorial Style and Presentation
Apartamento uses a documentary-style approach with raw, unfiltered images of real living spaces. ELLE Decoration leans into a more editorial and artistic style with professional styling and carefully curated layouts. If you prefer glossy, aspirational imagery, ELLE Decoration will appeal to you. If you prefer seeing homes as they are actually lived in, Apartamento is the better fit.
Content Focus
Apartamento is more focused on real homes and everyday interiors, with content revolving around people and how they inhabit their spaces. ELLE Decoration covers a broader range of topics including product reviews, renovation advice, and designer profiles, functioning as both inspiration and practical resource.
Audience and Tone
Apartamento attracts readers interested in the intersection of art, culture, and domestic life those who see interiors as an extension of identity. ELLE Decoration speaks to a wider audience that includes anyone looking to update or reimagine their home with guidance from industry professionals.
Is Apartamento a Luxury Interior Design Magazine?
Not in the traditional sense. While Apartamento has featured homes belonging to wealthy individuals, it is not driven by luxury branding. Its philosophy is rooted in personal vision rather than price tags, which is what makes it different from traditional interior design magazines. ELLE Decoration leans more toward the luxury end with its polished aesthetic and designer partnerships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Apartamento Magazine more focused on real homes and everyday interiors?
Yes. Apartamento photographs real living spaces without staging or styling, capturing how people actually live in their homes day to day.
Which magazine has a more editorial and artistic style?
ELLE Decoration has a more polished editorial style with professional photography and curated layouts. Apartamento takes a raw, documentary approach that many readers find equally artistic in its honesty.
What makes Apartamento different from traditional interior design magazines?
Apartamento avoids trend forecasts, shopping guides, and product placements. It focuses entirely on personal stories and unfiltered images of real homes, giving it a philosophy-driven identity that sets it apart from mainstream shelter magazines.
Find Your Perfect Interior Design Magazine
Whether you gravitate toward the raw authenticity of Apartamento or the polished inspiration of ELLE Decoration, both magazines offer something valuable for anyone passionate about how people live. Browse single issues, back issues, and subscriptions for both titles at Magazine Cafe Store and discover the interior design magazine that matches your personal style.