The important bits...
At Real Homes, all style, no filter is our game. We understand the reality of living in a small space and are committed to helping you create a place that feels like home no matter where you are.
We know what it's like to live in, decorate and make a small space feel like home whilst juggling time and budget constraints and aim to bring you designer-led ideas, expert advice and the best deals and reviews to help you make your home feel like a bit of 'you'.
And whilst browsing dreamy interiors of celebrity homes can be a feast for the eyes and great for inspiration, we aim to bring you beautiful homes, gardens and outdoor spaces that are real — with images and ideas that make you feel like the same gorgeous aesthetic, DIY hack, and other advice could definitely work for you too.
Finally, the entire Real Homes team have taken that slightly scary, but very exciting step of moving out for the first time, living with friends, renting alone or with a partner, and some of us have also bought our first or even second homes. Let our collective real-life expertise guide you through the tumultuous, complex, thrilling journey of finding your way in the world: and trust us when we say the adventure definitely starts at home!
Meet the team
Now you know a bit more about what Real Homes is about, meet the team behind the content you see on our pages, across our socials and on our broadcast channels.
Hi, I'm Punteha and I am editor of Real Homes. I'm obsessed with filling my newly-built home with pockets of character and personality, and after growing up in a home with one of those true DIY Dads, I love giving all sorts of DIY a go myself. Professionally, I've been a journalist and editor for the national press for 16 years, specialising in consumer, lifestyle and real-life journalism as well as a columnist for BBC Good Food, and author of real-life and journalism books.
Hey! I’m Emily and I’m the deputy digital editor at Real Homes. I’m here to bring you the latest decor trends, inspirational ideas, and the best budget-friendly buys. I live in a rented apartment, making the most of small spaces and using accent pieces to make things pop. When I’m not writing, I’m usually doing yoga, eating chocolate, or working on my skincare routine.
Hi! I'm Annie, and I'm the head ecommerce editor at Real Homes. I've been part of the Real Homes team since 2018, when I joined as deals editor. Along with covering major sales events — from Black Friday to Amazon Prime Day — I review home must-haves so that you can buy with peace of mind. Mostly focusing on home fragrance and sleep, as well as a few vacuum cleaners, I've tested pretty much every item you can think of that you need in your home. I live on the outskirts of the city in a two-bed apartment with my husband and my pug, Doug. So I am always searching for compact alternatives and ways to save floor space. What about when I am not typing away? Well, you'll find me enjoying an iced coffee (no matter the season) and trying out the latest brunch spots the city has to offer, or booking my next holiday. Where else can you find my words? Livingetc, Homes & Gardens, Ideal Home, Gardeningetc, and Woman & Home.
Hiya! I’m Eve, and I’m a staff writer at Real Homes. I’m here to bring you on-trend news pieces, product roundups, and styling inspiration. I live in a rented Victorian terraced house, and enjoy making it shine with pieces that are both beautiful and practical. When I’m not writing, I’m walking around local beauty spots, nestling into a book, or diving into a cheeseboard (I’m a total cheese fiend!).
Hi! I’m Luisa, the social media editor at Real Homes. I live in a rented home in the city with my three roommates, and we’re always looking for renter-friendly ways to personalize our space. We also have a small but unruly garden, which we spend our spring and summer weekends working on. Previously, I renovated my own tiny apartment in my hometown, where I learned how to DIY from scratch thanks to trial, error and YouTube tutorials. My interior style primarily hinges on which pieces of mid-century furniture I can thrift and I center my aesthetic around staple vintage pieces and eclectic art.
How to contact us
Want to collab? Interested in ads or features? Have a question, query or complaint? There are lots of ways to get in touch with us:
- Email the digital team about the website
- Email the ecommerce team about product reviews
- Email the ad team about content marketing and all advertising enquiries
- Email our licensing team about logos and quotes
- Advertise with us
Address
- US: Future PLC, 135 W41st St, New York, NY 10036 Telephone: +1 212 378 0448
- UK: Future PLC 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6JR Telephone: +44 (0)20 7042 4000
Code of conduct
Real Homes is a US-facing magazine but with members of our team based in the UK, and readers there too, we are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry).
Whilst IPSO does not hold media regulatory powers in the US, we thoroughly abide by the ethical and professional pillars set by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism.
If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint, please contact realhomesdigital@futurenet.com marked: ‘Complaint — FAO Editor’. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk.
Product testing and reviews
There’s no hiding it, the Real Homes team is unashamedly in love with all things home-related. Together, we have years of experience in these subjects, and use our hard-won knowledge to bring you the very best products at the very best prices.
Our buying guide best buys are carefully chosen by our journalists based on a combination of our own experience, rigorous in-house testing and in-depth research into expert reviews, user reviews and ratings. In other words, it’s just as important to us to know and to report what you, the consumer, thinks about a product once you get it home, as it is to base our guides on our own knowledge and experts’ reviews.
Our guides include many of the retailers you shop with, including our trusted merchants, so that the unbiased shortlist we bring you includes the best products on the market at the time of writing.
We sort through thousands of deals to offer the best prices from the most trustworthy retailers. You can support us by clicking these independently selected links, as we may earn a commission on any purchase you make, at no extra cost to you.
Our reviews are rated on a system of one to five stars, based on the criteria of: design desirability – how good does it look, and does it meet our style aspirations; durability — likelihood to perform as well; performance — might be comfort (sofas), might be power (pressure washers), might be speed or accuracy (kettles); point of difference — how much does it add to the overall sum of product innovation, is it noticeably pushing things forward, or is it a copyist me-too; value for money — Real Homes is all about making all of the above achievable to everyone (that’s not necessarily a case of the cheaper the better, but products get judged on value).
Our experienced reviewers give each product a score out of 25 for the criteria leading to an overall percentage which translates to a star rating (products getting over 100 out of 125 get a 5-star rating).
Five stars - denotes an outstanding product in all of the above criteria. It is rarely awarded, although we do aim to review the best quality product possible and the various industries' leaders, to ensure you'll be buying the best products for your homes. These 5-star (and 4.5 star) products are awarded a Real Homes Rated Gold badge which you'll see dotted around the site.
Four stars - an excellent product that delivers on all the key criteria and would be a good investment for our audience. If a product gets this rating it receives a Real Homes Rated Silver badge.
Three stars - a good score that denotes the product has elements of all of the above criteria. It is the standard rating for products that could be enjoyed by most of our audience. They are awarded a Real Homes Rated Bronze badge.
Two stars - denotes a product that significantly disappoints on one of the key criteria above - perhaps it’s well-made but way overpriced, or looks good but feels uncomfortable.
One star - rarely used, but a one star review denotes a product we feel fails to deliver on several of the key criteria and is best avoided by most of our audience.
To ensure impartiality we are never paid for our reviews or for including a product. However we may earn an affiliate commission when you buy a product through our site. This does not impact our testing processes.
You can read more about our review process for full details.
Affiliate & advertising disclosure
We always aim to provide unbiased editorial created by our journalists and writers. We also need to pay our teams and website costs so we make money in a number of ways.
We sometimes use affiliate links to products and services on retailer sites for which we can receive compensation if you click on those links or make purchases through them. That's why you'll see a disclaimer at the top of our articles alerting you to the fact.
From time to time we also publish advertorials (paid-for editorial content) and sponsored content on the site. When this is the case the content is clearly marked as sponsored or promoted, so you’ll always know which content is editorial and which is not. Future PLC is our parent company and has an in-depth terms and conditions page with a lot more information that you can read right here.
When you see a label saying "Preferred Partner," that means a commercial partner is offering a preferential affiliate rate to Future in exchange for greater prominence on the page, such as by highlighting a particular deal for a product that our journalists recommend. Real Homes will only write content featuring "Preferred Partners" when we feel it's aligned with our mission to create the best content for our audience.
The text is written by a Real Homes journalist, and edited by one of the Real Homes' editors, before being published to the Real Homes website. It is not sent to the funding partner for approval. This content abides by the Editors’ Code of Practice from the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
How do we source our news?
Our team is committed to bringing the latest relevant homes and interiors news to our audience of homeowners and renters. We primarily do this by interpreting market analysis for our particular audience, but we also create original research through our Real Homes Reports strand.
All news labelled Real Homes Reports has been produced from surveys conducted by Future PLC's Audience Insight team, via The Illuminate Panel – our proprietary reader survey utility.
Privacy policy
Real Homes is part of Future PLC. We are both fiercely committed to protecting your privacy. Please have a look at our in-depth privacy policy.