My Houzz: A Fort Worth Cottage to Make Your Heart Sing

According to antiques dealer, art collector and design enthusiast Ann Williams, “decorating should reflect one’s experiences, memories and personality.” Ann is a true mixologist when it comes to patterns, textiles and furniture. The cottage in Fort Worth , Texas, that she shares with her husband, Mike, is a riot of eye-popping color and eclectic art. Her curated interiors sometimes teeter on the edge of chaos, but the overall effect is one of cozy cohesion.

“I’m not sure what my style is, because I don’t try to create any certain look,” says Ann. “I choose what I love, what makes my heart sing, and it all seems to work together — most of the time!”

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Mike and Ann Williams and their dogs, Buster Brown and Buddy
Size: 2,900 square feet (269 square meters); 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Year built: 1919

After 18 years of raising their two daughters in Fredericksburg, Texas, the Williamses decided to downsize. A new job for Mike took them to Fort Worth, where they began their hunt for the right home.

Ann says, “We did not necessarily have a must-have list, but design and architecture are important enough to us that the house we chose had to be special. It had to have character and personality. We also wanted to have room for our daughters to visit comfortably. When we walked into this house and saw the original beams, the stenciling and the plaster walls, we were charmed.”


The living room is full of antique treasures, original art and folk textiles. There is even a large theater backdrop in the shape of a house displayed against the back wall. It was an impulse purchase at a Fort Worth antiques shop called Simple Things.


Two inviting, oversized wingback chairs flank the cottage hearth. These chairs have been with the couple for decades, receiving new upholstery from home to home.

“The living room is my favorite spot in the house,” says Ann, seen here. “I love the morning light coming through the old diamond-shaped windows and the overall cozy feeling of the room.”

Upholstery: Calico Corners


After moving into the house, the couple had the place freshly painted. To maintain the home’s quaint cottage vibe, they covered all of the walls in Cloud White by Benjamin Moore. They also painted all of the interior doors black.

Green console: Parsons, West Elm


The couple’s other reason for painting the walls white was to create a neutral background for their extensive art collection. They covered the windows with curtains in the Williamsburg Luray Pinwheel pattern from Lewis & Sheron Textiles.

“Once we had it painted, the window treatments were hung and our furniture and art were placed, the house felt like our home,” says Ann.

Bird sculpture: Geoffrey Gorman


Heavily patterned textiles in a variety of materials make for a uniquely eclectic dining space. Ann purchased the 1950s dining chairs from a textile artist in San Antonio, who reupholstered them in a hand-dyed burnout velvet.

“Our home … is attractive but ordinary on the outside,” she says. “Most people are shocked to feel the charm of the house as soon as they walk through the entry.”

Painting: “Homecoming” by Jon Flaming; chandelier: Pottery Barn


Two Regency-style chairs are nestled into the dining room’s original bay window. Ann spent much of her career as an antiques dealer, so she is always on the hunt for objects of unusual shape or unique beauty.

“I don’t have one particular favorite place to shop, although I love Simple Things in Fort Worth,” she says. “I also love many of the antiques and design shops in Dallas. My go-to fabric sources are Lewis & Sheron, Inside Fabric and Cutting Corners.”


An antique buffet sits against the dining room wall with two matching driftwood lamps. The bird painting is one of the first pieces Mike and Ann purchased together in the early 1990s. The artist is Billy Hassell.

“My splurges are always on art,” Ann says. “I guess I’m drawn to collecting art because I’m in awe of the artist who made it. It’s their talent that speaks to me.”


The previous owners had updated the kitchen, but the couple repainted and added their own special touches. “Create a home that feels comfortable and safe for you,” says Ann. “You should be happy and feel relaxed and relieved to walk into your home at the end of each day.”

Riviera Bistro Stools: Serena & Lily


Mexican tile, Craftsman touches and original art create a sense of continuity between the kitchen and the rest of the house.

Equal to Ann’s enthusiasm for home decor is her passion for collecting art. She first began acquiring Mexican pottery in her 20s, but her tastes expanded quickly to include all manner of art. “I was first exposed to art by my mother,” she says. “She had marvelous taste.”

Main paint: Cloud White; trim paint: Revere Pewter, both by Benjamin Moore; art on far wall: America Martin


The couple has created a cozy library-den in the front room. Ann says that her favorite thing to do at home is to relax with her husband and dogs: “We love a glass of wine, a simple dinner, good conversation and a great movie.”

Main paint: Cloud White; trim paint: Revere Pewter, both by Benjamin Moore; club chairs: Pottery Barn


The couple’s daughters are both in college but visit frequently. Ann created a cheery guest space with bright colors, tie-dyed fabrics and ornately embroidered Otomi coverlets.

Curtain fabric: Verena Capri by Pindler and Pindler, Inside Fabric


Two cheery scalloped chairs are upholstered in a kaleidoscope of Kantha fabric made from vintage saris. The chairs are paired with small throw pillows that have been embroidered with woodland animals in Native American headdresses.

Ann’s favorite designers include Katie Ridder, Jeffrey Bilhuber and Kit Kemp. The couple also took decorating inspiration from John Locke and Jason Oliver Nixon of Madcap Cottage. Ann says, “I love each of these designers for their fearless use of color, texture and mixing old with new.”



Due to the small size of the closets in the house, Ann has provided her girls with a rustic dresser for additional clothes storage. The orange chair painting is by Dallas artist Ann Broadaway.


Ann transformed a bedroom into her workspace. A white desk is paired with a vintage blue wrought iron swivel chair. “I can’t seem to get rid of the stacks and stacks of decorating magazines,” she confesses. “I love them too much to part with them.”

Art: America Martin


“My home is my nest, my safe haven, my expression of myself,” says Ann. Nowhere is this more evident than in her private study, where books, curios, art, quilts, antiques and personal treasures are on display.


A white iron daybed in the workspace is topped with woven throw pillows. A vintage crewel area rug is hung above the bed as art. Symmetrical shelf towers display folded textiles, quilts and coverlets.

“If we had the time, I could tell you a story about every single thing in this room,” Ann says.


The master bedroom is a new addition, built by the previous homeowners. The couple chose a bright blue and white palette for the suite. The iron bed was purchased at a furniture store in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

The black leather Eames chair was a gift from Ann to Mike for his most recent birthday.

Main paint: Cloud White; trim paint: Revere Pewter, both by Benjamin Moore


Since their home doesn’t offer a lot of wall space for art, the couple chose to create a gallery wall in their bedroom. “My husband is great,” Ann says. “He lets me decorate however I want!”

Art: Top left to right: Fatima Ronquillo, Ford Ruthling, Michael Madzo; bottom left to right: Jon Flaming, Liz Sullivan, Elizabeth Steving


Matching blue and white inlaid dressers serve as side tables in the master suite. Ann found them on sale during different shopping trips.

Dresser: Wisteria Flea


The cottage, which was built in 1919, is made even more charming by its sloping roof and original diamond windowpanes. Drought-tolerant landscaping suits the warm climate in Fort Worth.


Ann and Mike, pictured in front of their bay window, are pleased that Fort Worth is such a friendly and art-appreciating place. “The arts are very important to this city’s identity,” Ann says. “We live within five minutes of world-class museums.”

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