HomeBase Plans Name Change to House2Home

HomeBase Inc., taking another step to distance itself from its unsuccessful past as a home-improvement chain, said Friday it will change its name to House2Home Inc., reflecting its shift into home decorating.

The Irvine company recently completed an overhaul of its business, closing its home improvement stores and reopening 42 of them as House2Home stores.

The name change takes effect Sept. 8. The stock will trade under the symbol HTH on the New York Stock Exchange, the company said.

HomeBase stock closed Friday at $1.89, off 39 cents a share.