• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, November 9, 2009

Just weeks after Conde Nast shocked the magazine publishing industry by announcing the closure of several magazines, including long-published Gourmet, Hachette Filipacchi this morning announced plans to discontinue publication of Metropolitan Home magazine, effective with its December issue.

"It is with a feeling of sadness that I make the announcement to close one of our magazines," stated Alain Lemarchand, president and CEO, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. "However, we believe the best strategy in the upscale shelter segment is to boldly focus our resources and investment on Elle Decor, which is the ad-page leader within the U.S. market. Despite the downturn in ad pages that has affected all magazines, the Elle Decor brand has multiple opportunities for growth across all platforms."

As a result of the closure, Elle Decor will become a part of the Elle Group led by Carol Smith, senior vice president-chief brand officer of the Elle Group. Margaret Russell, vice president-editor in chief, brand content of Elle Decor, and Barbara Friedmann, vice president-brand publisher of Elle Decor, will both report to Smith.

Metropolitan Home, along with Elle Decor, has been a part of HFM U.S.'s Luxury Design Group (LDG) headed by senior vice president-chief brand officer Deborah Burns, who will remain with HFM U.S. Metropolitan Home Editor in Chief Donna Warner and her staff will be leaving the company.