Create a Room You'll Live In

A Starting Point

After three years in their cottage, the Cobbs family's living room remained an "empty eyesore," says homeowner Katherine Cobbs.

She wanted a family-friendly space that blended her attic full of hand-me-down pieces with her more modern taste. She even bought a neutral sofa with clean lines, but was afraid to take the next step.

Enter Cottage Living assistant decorating editor Anne Turner Carroll, who guided Katherine through her decorating process. "She really nailed down my likes and dislikes and pushed me to relinquish my plain-Jane tendencies," says Katherine.