Top: The first edition of Build It didn’t skimp on ’90s design tropes like solid drop shadows and Comic-Sans inspired straplines. Above: An article defining what it means to self build
Once you get past the outdated design, there’s a lot to like about the very first issue of Build It. The mag carries a strapline that’s not dissimilar from the one we have today: the original (tweaked many times since) was ‘your dream home built by you.’ Fast forward 30 years, and that’s evolved into ‘plan, design & build your dream home.’ In many ways this underscores the fact that we still have the same goals: to put the advice and inspiration you need at your fingertips. Perhaps the biggest difference is how we achieve that. As we move into 2020, you can consume Build It content in all manner of ways – from buying the magazine to delving into our website, attending the Build It Live shows and downloading digital versions of the mag. And now, we’ve gone one step better and actually built our own home as an educational hub for our readers to visit and learn from (find out more on page 38). But what did Build It and self building look like back in 1989?