Ziff Davis, the digital media company behind CNET, Mashable and TheSkimm, has acquired three of the design world’s most influential titles, Dwell, Domino and Business of Home, from Recurrent Ventures, marking a significant expansion of the company’s portfolio into the lifestyle and home category. Popular Science is also included in the transaction, joining Ziff Davis’s Technology division. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The three home titles will form the foundation of a new lifestyle group within Ziff Davis — a venture that marks a meaningful strategic shift for a company whose holdings have historically centered on technology, shopping, gaming, health and consumer tools. Business of Home founder Julia Noran Johnston will lead the new group, with employees from all three publications remaining in place through the transition.
The deal represents the latest chapter in the storied histories of all three brands. Dwell, founded in 2000 around modern residential architecture, was sold to Recurrent in 2022. Domino, originally launched at Condé Nast in 2004 and shuttered during the 2009 recession, was relaunched as an independent digital brand before passing through multiple ownership groups and ultimately landing at Recurrent in 2021. Business of Home, founded by Johnston in 2009 as a matchmaker between designers and shelter publications, evolved into a full editorial operation and was acquired by Recurrent in 2022.
Ziff Davis itself has been active on the deal front, having agreed earlier this year to sell its Connectivity division to Accenture for $1.2 billion. The company reported annual revenue of $1.5 billion in 2025. The acquisition of the three home brands signals an appetite to diversify beyond its core technology identity and establish a meaningful presence in the lifestyle media space at a time of continued consolidation across the publishing industry.
KEY QUOTE:
“I am incredibly proud to lead this next chapter for Dwell, Domino and Business of Home. In Ziff Davis, we have a partner that wholeheartedly believes in media — and is helping shape its future. As we build out this new group, our goal is to remain the definitive leaders in the home category, focusing as always on high-authority reporting, a clear point of view, and a deep commitment to the readers we serve.”
Julia Noran Johnston, Founder, Business of Home
