Lianne Burton appointed new House and Leisure editor

"Lianne Burton is a huge catch for House and Leisure," says Jane Raphaely, CEO of Associated Magazines, publisher of House and Leisure. "She has enormous experience in the magazine industry, including several years with Associated Magazines. In particular, she has made an excellent name for herself in the décor field, bringing passion and professionalism to everything she touches. This will be put to good use on House and Leisure, a magazine which is as creative and adventurous as the local talent it showcases.

"House and Leisure has just been judged the best Home, Décor and Gardening title in South Africa at the Sappi PICA awards. To top this, against the substantial competition there is in this field already and the new titles knocking on the door, is exactly the kind of challenge Lianne loves most," concludes Raphaely.

The move represents a return to the Associated Magazines stable for Lianne, 37, who began her magazine career 15 years ago as a features writer for Cosmopolitan. She was swiftly promoted to Cosmopolitan's Johannesburg bureau chief, assistant editor and then editor of Cosmopolitan Fashion, before being approached to head up Special Projects for Elle magazine.

Lianne earned her style stripes as launch editor of Elle Decoration and then editorial director of Elle and Elle Decoration, before honing her publishing skills as deputy GM of Johnnic Magazines.

In 2001 she took a break from publishing to run her own business, consulting on marketing and branding to A-list clients like Loads of Living, Decorex SA, Jenny Gifford, Aid to Artisans and Togu'na. She was lured back to magazines this year, as publisher of 8 Ink Media's soon to be published Real Simple.

"I could not resist the opportunity," says Lianne. "I am an editor at heart and I feel enormously privileged to edit a magazine I love. House and Leisure has always been a home-grown hero, and anyone who knows me understands how passionate I am about local décor and design."

House and Leisure walked away with the prize for best Home, Décor and Gardening title at the 2005 Sappi PICA Awards held in Johannesburg last week. With 11 years of experience, House and Leisure continues its commitment to reflecting the aspects of life in South Africa that make it so unique - from its diverse landscape and beautiful cities, to its internationally acknowledged designers and decorators.