Times to Unveil New Home Weekly Section

Starting Thursday, the Los Angeles Times will launch Home, a new weekly section exploring what the newspaper calls “the diverse experience of home life in Southern California.”

The section will highlight every aspect of the home, inside and out, from interior design to landscaping.

“We live in a region where trends in lifestyle, architecture, interior design and landscaping are born,” said Barbara King, the Home section’s editor. “The places we call home are at the center of our lives and the Home section will reflect the broad, wondrous scope of how we live in them.”

The section will include:

* Stories and dramatic photos of “interesting people in interesting spaces.”

* Features on private gardens, reflecting the lush abundance of Southern Califor- nia’s flora and landscaping designs.

* Reviews of the latest in high-tech gizmos, tested by The Times staff.

* Service-oriented features on a variety of subjects, from how to polish antiques to pet care to updates on noise laws.

* Articles about how we live and relate to others in our home environments, be it family, friends, neighbors, housekeepers or contractors.

John Carroll, editor of The Times, said the section builds on the investment The Times has made in its news coverage.

“This year we are expanding our array of features sections, covering such topics as home, fashion and the outdoors,” Carroll said. “The Home section is the first step. When the process is finished, we’ll offer a specialized section every weekday.”

King, who joined The Times in March, previously served as articles editor for Architectural Digest, where she directed the magazine’s editorial department. She also served as senior editor and writer for Town & Country and was a freelance writer for Harper’s Bazaar and Good Housekeeping.

The new Home section is part of The Times’ two-year program launched in October to revitalize its features sections. A revamped daily, Weekend and Sunday Calendar sections debuted in October, as well as the Food and Health sections.

Home is the first of three new sections planned for 2003. Sections about the outdoors and fashion and beauty will debut this fall.

When the features redesign is completed, Times readers will receive both a Calendar and a weekly section every weekday.