DallasChild article

CALENDAR THINGS TO DO TRAVEL PARTIES MOM SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION HEALTH & WELLNESS FIND A DOCTOR DEVELOPMENT BABY TWEENS & TEENS

Nesting: Brittany Edwards Cobb's Eclectic Home  / Tour the home of the founder of the Dallas Flea WORDS Merritt Martin PHOTOGRAPHY Carter Rose Click photo for more photos 181 Places to See & Things to Do Is Your Child Modeling Material? Tiffany Cuban 2010 Best for Families: Dining & Destinations Kellie Rasberry, co-host of Kidd Kraddick in the Morning The sun has already set after streaming pinks, greens and blues from the original stained-glass windows onto the hardwoods of Brittany Edwards Cobb’s living room. It wasn’t a seaside sunset for Brittany today, but elements in her home are enduringly Golden State. Casually bouncing 1-year-old Landry on her lap, Brittany sits on a brown leather Chesterfield sofa dressed in neutral Bohemian chic that is the perfect fashion mate to the house she decorated, or rather, decorates. Her husband Michael chimes in: “I come home to a new house every day.” Local Renaissance woman Brittany is bi-coastal. That is to say, she moved to Texas (the Gulf Coast totally counts) from the aforementioned Big C 11 years ago. A longtime writer – Cobb enjoys contributing bylines at The Dallas Morning News as well as editing DailyCandy Dallas – she also founded the Dallas Flea, a carefully curated and upscale market, and has slowly traded having a design firm for interior design consulting. Of course, she never stops being a mom … or her own client. Still decorating and visualizing the future of part of the upstairs, Brittany estimates she’s still got a year before the 1930 Fooshee and Cheek Spanish eclectic is where she wants it to be, but only she would ever think that. “I like a very layered look,” she says. “Only half to maybe two-thirds is complete, because I don’t leave a room until I feel like – it’s never complete, but until I feel like it’s lived in.” The Highland Park home is a converted duplex remodeled by More Design + Build, but it feels historic and settled, like it’s always been a single-family where books are stacked on every first-floor surface and TV is relegated to a more rustic, masculine second living area upstairs. After purchasing the home two-and-a-half years ago, Brittany and Michael remodeled, and then she, newly pregnant, began tackling rooms, the most lived-in first. Brittany and Michael’s home isn’t themed, unless heartstrings and life adventures are themes. Her treasure-hunt mentality not only helps her to add depth and a sort of worldly vintage air but also to curate her beloved Dallas Flea. “I like an eclectic look, which luckily lends itself to thrift stores and flea markets.” Layered via warmth and beauty, details and stories wait to be discovered. Their trip to Marrakesh is in the rugs and repurposed wedding-blanket pillows. Two old French horsehair chairs recall Brittany’s trekking to and from East Texas – twice, because she could only fit one at a time in her old Volkswagen Beetle. And in every room, other exciting connections and adventures in design are happening: An old suzani re-covers a bench cushion and sits close to a primitive painting of a horse, while an oversized Jaclyn Hayley West Texas photograph makes a fine dinner companion for a chevron rug and a 1930 Baccarat chandelier. Some days Brittany just likes to rotate accessories, creating new pairings. “There’s a lot of sentiment everywhere … but don’t get me wrong, I have stuff from Ross and Marshalls mixed in,” she says with a grin. Her decorating approach has been organic, more about discovery than seeking a specific item. Finds that “speak” to Brittany are especially appreciated. “Most rooms have something from my home town” of Orange, California, she says during a tour of the four-bedroom house. Family is ever-present despite the distance from L.A. A curio cabinet in the living room hosts generations of time-washed family wedding memories, and her daughter’s Morocco-meets-Hollywood Regency nursery gets a hint from the past courtesy of crayon drawings from Brittany’s mom. “The day she found out I was having a little girl she sent them to me,” she says. “She always taught me to think outside the box and have an appreciation for handmade and old and unique.” Now, with Landry just a year old, Brittany is aware corners will need to be padded and a few things anchored for safety, but for the most part, she refers to her own childhood and believes children should live in a decorated home, because nothing material is so precious. “If anything got broken, it’s not the end of the world,” she says. “I do buy things and think, ‘I hope Landry wants this.’” And while the next year may find the upstairs complete, it seems that a key component in her home’s inherent home-ness is the constant flow, the cycling of her treasures. Perhaps it’s a Pacific Coast-inspired current of sorts. SIDEBAR Brittany's Favorites Things to collect: Seashells, vintage liquor decanters, design books, Chanel costume jewelry Blooms of choice: Hydrangea and white orchids Object in your home: An antique brass and crystal door knob from my grandfather's childhood home in Bradford, Pennsylvania Tea or coffee: Coffee all the way. I'm an iced latte nut! Coffee table book: Anything Chanel or Slim Aarons Fragrance to scent your home: Fresh-cut jasmine from our yard Design TV show: Million Dollar Decorators Shelter magazine: Elle Décor and House Beautiful Hostess gift to give: GAIA cocktail napkins with a bottle of bubbly Hostess gift to get: Something scented or spiked Home you're lusting after: A Southern California beach house to spend summers close to my family

Party girl

Cake time!

A few sweet treats we had for the party

Uncle Bradley's note to Landry

Some activities for the big kids

Loves icing like her momma!

The cake!

She was so gentle at first...

Thanks for the giraffe toy, Abby!

Loved playing with the boxes as much as the toys

Celebrating her real birthday at the park

More cake!

Getting ready for Charlie and Gabriella's birthday party

Sunday morning in her pillow fort daddy built on the bed

Trying to walk like Charlie

Playing with her besties

Lounging with dad outside watching the pinata fun

It's hard to believe Landry turned one last week.

We celebrated the big day with a party at the house.  It was a small little gathering with a few of her friends and family and a gaggle of mimosas.  My mom flew in for the occasion (poor Papa had to stay back in California to move into the new house), which was really nice.

I bought some activities for the big kids (sidewalk chalk, jump ropes, a pinata!) and had a mini cake for Landry.  Instead of doing a nose dive into the icing, she delicately dipped her finger into it.  But after a little coaching, she figured out the game and got a little messy.

Landry received several cute gifts including toys, books, clothes, and even a mini bike from Uncle Bradley (she LOVES it!).  On her actual birthday, my mom and I met up with Ari and Leila for a lunch date and then took the littles to the park for some swing time and cake.  Ari bought Landry several sweet gifts including a mini laptop to match mine.  It's Landry's new favorite toy and she totes it everywhere!

Several of her California "aunties" also hooked her up!  Robin sent the cutest floral cake and teddy bear; Michele gifted her a chic little beach cover up, swimsuit and hat.  And Kandi, thank you for the monogrammed plate and bow!  You know I'll put her in that bow as soon as I can make a pony...

Last week while my mom was in town I canceled Cristina so we could have quality time with the peanut.  We took her everywhere from antique shops to lunches around town.  Luckily Landry is getting over the pain of her most recent tooth so she was a gem for most of our outings.

She has grown up so much over the past two weeks.  She now refuses baby food and rarely wants a bottle.  She loves "big girl" food, especially avocado, refried beans, and Mum Mum rice crisps.  If I would give her 100 Mum Mums a day, she would probably tackle them.  

She had her one year doctor's appointment on Thursday.  She weighs 20 pounds and is 30-inches long. That puts her in the 30th percentile for weight and 75th for height.  The poor thing had to endure four shots and did not like it one bit.  

On the developmental front, she's starting to try to crawl.  She also does this funny headstand thing with her booty in the air like she's almost trying to stand up.  I'm not sure which she'll do first at this point but I'm pretty sure she'll be mobile before long.

Today we had the twins' birthday party.  It is so much fun to watch those three together.  Paula only had family and us and Jon over so there were just three babies on deck.  Charlie is walking with a walker now and Gabriella is a crawling machine.  Landry definitely got inspired while with them and took a stab at crawling.  But, alas, she got tired of it and chewed on some toys instead.

This weekend was really, really great.  Michael and I spent major quality time together and with Landry because he will be out of town next week and weekend on his annual boys trip.  Yesterday we went to a vintage clothing show in town to see what it was all about.  I scored big time with a pair of Chanel pants and belt and a dress, tunic, and handbag.  Landry loved looking at all of the clothes and wanted to touch everything.  If she's my only girl, she will luck out in the hand-me-downs one day!

The next couple of weeks are very busy.  Michael's business is revving up big time right now and he's often entertaining clients and flying all over the state.  My flea is three weeks away and I'm working on the expansion nearly every day between space planning, web design meetings, etc.  My new interior design client also has me crazy busy.  I'm traveling to Missouri on Thursday for my first on-site meeting. 

Luckily, before I took on this job I had booked a trip for Michael and me to the Bahamas.  We'll be there one month from now.  Even though we'll miss Landry, I can't wait to relax for a few days!