Brandi and Scott Powers turned their Texas ranch home to an eclectic, elegant house stuffed to the brim with unique flea market finds, vibrant upholstery and artful DIY projects. The home is still a work in progress, and Brandi is pleased to allow it to evolve. “People are constantly amazed at what I find,” she states. “But if you comb the Craigslist dailies like that I do, you are going to find something fantastic also.”
in a Glance
Who lives here: Brandi and Scott Powers; puppies Atari and Akira; cat Meowser
Location: Carrollton, Texas
Size: 1,700 square feet; 3 bedrooms; two bathrooms
Sarah Greenman
Brandi has an eye for layout and hones her skills working as a creative assistant for Wisteria. She’s also an artist — the living room’s far wall is the best place to showcase her work with other favorite pieces.
Comfort and performance will be Brandi’s priorities. “It doesn’t matter how beautiful something is; if my puppies can’t have a lazy nap on it I have to use a coaster to put down my glass, I won’t be pleased,” she states.
Paint color: Nimbus Cloud, Martha Stewart; rug: Wisteria; sofa: Best Slipcover Company
Sarah Greenman
Brandi doesn’t mind waiting for the correct piece of furniture present itself, such as the classic burled wood coffee table she found on Craigslist.
“Like many other pieces in our house, I needed our coffee table to be special,” Brandi says. “I knew finding it would take time.” Because many classic coffee tables are really short, Scott constructed a riser to lift it up; then they covered it in golden paper.
Sarah Greenman
Brandi’s aesthetic is greatly affected by designer Angie Hranowsky. “I really like everything Angie does,” she states. “I love Meredith Heron. And I get the best DIY projects at Little Green Notebook; Jenny’s blog posts are so comprehensive with fantastic photos. They’re projects that individuals can actually do.”
Wingback chairs upholstered by Steven’s Upholstery; suzani fabric: High Fashion Home
Sarah Greenman
The vaulted ceilings and beams were two of the features that drew the couple to this home. “I really like the atmosphere of open space in this house,” Brandi says. “I fell in love with all the dining room windows.”
Brandi created the vibrant accent cushions from vintage scarves.
Sarah Greenman
Canton, Texas, hosts what’s known as the world’s largest outdoor flea market on the first Monday of every month. A number of the things in the foyer are treasures from Brandi’s excursions to Canton.
“It’s like a pilgrimage,” she states. “I love Canton and try to go as often as I can. Sometimes I understand what I’m looking for, and occasionally I come home with surprises.”
Paint color: Pillow Mint, Valspar
Sarah Greenman
Brandi’s dining set has been a mishmash of accumulated pieces. She bought the dining table clearance from Pier One Imports, but the chairs were yet another Craigslist find. Brandi painted them white and hired Steven’s Upholstery to recover the seats in a black and white striped fabric from High Fashion Home.
Paint color: Purple Basil, Martha Stewart; mild: Home Depot; drum shade: Dallas Market Center
Sarah Greenman
Brandi found the classic bar cart in Canton, scrubbed it down to show the brass end and lined the menu using fresh paper.
“I rarely buy things new if I can help it, and I love items that need work because then I can make them my own,” she states.
Sarah Greenman
The couple would really like to redesign the kitchen to incorporate an island. Until then, Brandi includes a wheeled kitchen cart that offers a little additional prep space. The classic Turkish carpet is another Craigslist score.
Sarah Greenman
The wooden Native American statue in the breakfast nook’s corner is a family room. Scott’s family used to have a furniture shop and the statue sat in the front doorway for ages. It manages a gallery wall topped with a classic aqua-face clock.
Sarah Greenman
A white tulip-style table and four loaf chairs make up Brandi’s breakfast set. She recently reupholstered the seats with a suzani-style fabric.
Brandi is enthusiastic about collecting glassware, pottery and classic dishes. She bought the pitcher and dessert tin during one of her excursions to Canton.
Sarah Greenman
Horizontal stripes in the hall give a feeling of design into an otherwise pedestrian distance. Brandi merged the gallery by painting all of the frames in a cool mint blue. The photo to the far left is from the couple’s wedding in 2009.
Paint color: Nimbus Cloud, Martha Stewart
Sarah Greenman
The master bedroom boasts a daring mixture of luxurious ethnic prints, antique furniture and modern accents. Brandi was motivated to buy the gold foliage sculpture above the bed after seeing this photo by Domicile Interior Design.
Bedding: CB2; bedside lamps: Goal; golden leaf wall hanging: Lula B’s
Sarah Greenman
A mix of layout sits against a background of grey walls that are cool. Brandi covered the headboard with a Bengali Kantha fabric that’s similar in weight and texture into the one draped in the conclusion of the mattress. The dhurrie rug is a discontinued design that Brandi bought at Wisteria Flea.
Paint color: Valspar
Sarah Greenman
What’s far better than paying next to nothing for flea market treasures? Locating furniture at no cost! Brandi picked up either of her bedside tables while driving her neighborhood during bulk trash weekend.
Bedskirt: Anthropologie
Sarah Greenman
The classic credenza from the master bedroom was a hand-me-down from Brandi’s former supervisor. She repainted it to suit her bedroom plot and installed classic sconces to complete the classic look.
Sarah Greenman
Instead of installing a full size mirror into her dressing area, Brandi found a rustic doorway from salvage and propped it up from the corner of her room.
Sarah Greenman
When the couple first moved to the home, the master bathroom was in terrible shape. The only functioning plumbing was the sink. “The home didn’t feel like ours until we remodeled this toilet,” Brandi says. “My husband did a lot of this work himself.”
Towel: Goal
Sarah Greenman
This rustic white cupboard in the master bathroom is another Canton find. Brandi lined the back of the hutch with rice paper from Paper Source, and the shelving provides the perfect place for additional jewelry and linens.
Sarah Greenman
The former guest area now is Brandi’s residence office. “I’d like to talk about my husband’s office, but he likes to keep it dim to reduce the glare on his computer display. Plus, his stuff was everywhere,” she states. Brandi found her desk in a local garage sale.
Rug: John Robshaw from One Kings Lane; classic chandelier: Canton; display: JC Penney Sample
Sarah Greenman
A pink lacquered bamboo dresser gives Brandi’s house office a feeling of old Hollywood glamor. She salvaged the dresser and transformed it from a brittle, buttery yellow has-been.
The Blanc de Chine lamps were bought at an antiques shop in Huntsville, Texas. The abstract artwork is one of Brandi’s own pieces.
Paint: Gray, Benjamin Moore; bamboo dresser: Canton
Sarah Greenman
Brandi’s favorite place in the house is behind her desk, where she records flea market experiences and home improvement projects on her blog, Flights of Whimsy.
Mirror: Ikea
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