The real estate collapse has punished magazines dedicated to domestic consumption, and at least one, Greenspring Media's Midwest Home, let two-thirds of its staff go Friday.

Associate editor Alyssa Ford and art director Jessica Meihack lost their jobs; Greenspring president Steve Fox says editor Chris Lee kept hers. Freelancers and other Greenspring staffers will work with Lee to put out the title. Greenspring also publishes Minnesota Monthly and a number of custom titles.

Midwest Home plans to publish six issues in 2010, Fox says; it moved to the bi-monthly schedule this year. There were eight Midwest Homes in 2008 and seven this year, as the magazine reduced frequency.

"Simply, it’s a reflection of what's going on in the housing industry," Fox notes. "I'd rather have six strong issues than eight mediocre ones. You have to do it at a certain scale, and that affects full-time staffing."

Ford, who notes Midwest Home's numerous design and quality awards, says she's thankful she has regular freelance assignments from the Star Tribune and Lifetime Fitness' Experience Life, and wants the world to know she's available for more. "I really love architcture and interior design stuff, and I might be in a good position to leverage that. But there are so few venues."

Fox says there are no other changes at Greenspring, which elevated Minnesota Monthly managing editor Joel Hoekstra to editor last month.