Here's a question that more and more busy home-owners are entertaining: Is it possible to furnish a newhouse using only mail-order catalogs and websites? The answer, Country Living recently discovered, is a stylish resounding "yes" -- as you, too, will find out, in this article and photo gallery, which is filled with resources and tips to help you begin your own speed-dialing decorating.

A fresh start
As a newly single mom of a six-year-old, starting fresh in a new house, Kara Ziegler wanted to create a home that would feel inviting and comfortable, for both herself and her son, Jack. The 1938 Cape-style house in North Dakota that they moved into had nicely sized rooms and good natural light, but very little else. Country Living Senior Editor Jennifer Vreeland helped Kara devise a floor and furniture plan to make the house into a charming new home.

The checklist:

• Measure the room; draw a floor plan
• Take inventory of existing furnishings; decide what to keep
• Set your budget (inc. shipping costs)
• Determine an overall palette
• Review catalogs and magazines, saving photos of anything you like (inc. catalog and 800 numbers)
• Create folders for each room
• Design seating areas, starting with largest pieces in room
• Block out furniture dimensions on floors or walls with masking tape, to get an idea of size and scale
• Order fabric swatches

Comfort zones
Jennifer organized the generous 16- by 30-foot living room by creating three "zones" or seating areas. The sofa and slipper chairs are gathered in the center of the room around the fireplace and the armoire, which conceals a TV. Behind them, a daybed from Room&Board and a magazine rack create a reading nook (and sleepover space) while also providing open traffic flow between the back door and a screened porch. A wing chair anchors another cozy corner on the opposite side of the room.

The main challenge when designing by catalog (or shopping in stores, for that matter) is achieving the right mix. "Buck Skin" paint from Sherwin-Williams and the linen sofa create a neutral shell in which Jennifer layered materials and textures, with contrasts of tone as well as scale. A tall steel mirror from Room&Board and an armoire from Pottery Barn add dimension to the room; oiled-bronze metal tables provide striking accents.