“A house is not a home.”
— Dionne Warwick
A home, by definition, is “the place
where one lives permanently,
especially as a member of a family or
household.” We are the key to making a
house a home. Otherwise, it’s just a structure
of wood, brick and cement.
As Glennda Baker, a real estate agent in
East Cobb and viral TikTok star, told me
during an interview at her home for this
issue’s cover story, the home is a
representation of the self. Once someone
crosses that threshold and enters your
space, they’re no longer an acquaintance or a
stranger — they’re a friend. I couldn’t have
said it better myself.
Last fall, my boyfriend Kevin Wilkinson-
Couchoud asked me to move in with him,
and we’ve been making our house a home
ever since. While there are still some boxes
to be unpacked, and we haven’t found the
right couch for the living room, it’s been a
wholesome experience creating a space we
both love, together.
Recently, we spent the weekend
refurbishing two iron-rod chairs that had
seen better days. The wooden panels on the
seats had rotted and the iron on the back
and arms were rusted to a faded brown. As a
team, we took a trip to Lowe’s to gather new
wood, screws and bolts, a wood stain and a
wire brush to bring life back to the pieces.
While he sanded the edges of the wood, I got
to work scrubbing off as much of the rust as
I could. We stained the wood together and
watched as the chairs transformed from
broken to reclaimed. Now, we can sit on our
front porch together, enjoying the summer
breeze, our hard work and each other.
Whether your home is a single-family
household, a craftsman, a studio apartment
or a refurbished van, I hope you can
appreciate this year’s Home Issue of Cobb
Life. There’s a little something for everyone.
For the hostess, we have a story on the
Pineapple Porch, a chic home boutique in
East Cobb that’s bound to have the perfect
piece you’re looking for. For the home chef,
we have Southern appetizers you and your
guests will appreciate. For the HGTV lover,
check out our piece on the renovation of a
historic Marietta home. For the Zillow
hobbyist, we have a list of the most
expensive homes sold in Cobb County last
year (special thanks is in order for Donna
Green, a family friend and Cobb real estate
agent with Maximum One Realty who
collected the data for us!). For the
trendsetters, we have our cover story on
Baker, her rise to TikTok fame, her success
as a real estate agent and the mother who
encouraged her journey. For those who are
family first, we have an Author Q&A with
Roni Robbins about her book “Hands of
Gold,” a novel inspired by her grandfather’s
real-life experience.
As always, we have the latest May
releases, noteworthy news from around
Cobb, familiar faces in Cobb Scene and our
Now & Then photo segment.
I hope you enjoy these stories as much
as I and the creators behind Cobb Life did
putting it together. Most of all, I hope you
enjoy your home.
And remember, “A house is not a home
when there’s no one there to hold you tight
and no one there you can kiss goodnight.”
— Madison Hogan
Cobb Life Editor
letter from the EDITOR
8 COBB LIFE | APRIL 2022