Brittany Cobb Has Houses in Dallas and Fort Worth. So We Toured Them Both

Though a house is inherently personal, visiting Brittany Cobb’s home feels more like flipping through the pages of her autobiography. Throughout the Highland Park house that she shares with her husband, Michael, and two children, there are odes to cherished relatives; relics from her early 20s, when she first started exploring flea markets to furnish her first post-grad apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, New York; elements of her work and wanderlust; and more than a few hints at her California roots.

For the Flea Style founder, filling her home with pieces that invoke conversation is more important than the price tag. There’s her collection of hand-crafted Moroccan rugs she found in Africa. Or the framed collection of postcards from her grandfather’s family dating back to the 1910s. Or the Chanel Mexican prints she personally carried on the airplane from San Miguel after a 20-minute beg session with American Airlines. A former journalist and a seasoned globetrotter, Cobb is romanced by the people and the history behind a piece. “My style is rooted in this love of shopping and digging for that treasure that no one else will have,” she says. “I love meeting the people that collect and make these things. There’s such a story to it.”

The Cobbs bought their 1936 home in March 2020, while they were in the midst of reimagining their previous house, where they had lived for 10 years prior. “We were at the point where we either needed to move out and heavily remodel or find something different,” she says. The couple decided to start on the renovations and had just ripped out their kitchen when a realtor friend called saying she had found their perfect house. “I walked in and knew instantly that this was my home,” Cobb remembers. It ticked all the boxes, including an open floor plan and what Cobb describes as a “real California sensibility.”

This floor-to-ceiling rose-colored workspace—done in Sherwin-Williams’ Smoky Salmon—is where Cobb likes to take her early morning latte at her burl wood desk from CB2. The chair is a vintage find from Craigslist recovered in Schumacher fabric. The abstract art is from Blue Print Gallery and the chippy skull is from Old Home Supply in Fort Worth. Nathan Schroder

The bones of the home—which had been extensively renovated by previous owners—were good, which meant she was able to get by with merely making aesthetic changes that included taking down Gracie-style wallpaper, lightening the floors, and replacing heavy bronze hardware with sleeker brass. “The previous owners were super stylish and cool, but they were in a different stage of life than we were,” she says. “The home was too formal to have two kids running and jumping about.”

Cobb also wanted to strip back the house to create an understated base that would let her layered style shine. She painted most of the walls her favorite shade of warm white—Sherwin-Williams’ Shoji White—and was able to make most of their existing furniture work in the newly neutralized surrounds.

The den—where the Cobb family likes to put on dance shows or watch a movie together—features an RH sofa and light fixture, CB2 wicker chairs, a Weir’s coffee table, and a vintage Flea Style side table. Nathan Schroder

The breakfast nook displays Cobb’s wide-ranging art collection, including an Evoke the Spirit skull found on a trip to Sayulita, an African shell necklace purchased in Marrakesh, a framed photograph by friend and local photographer Kelly Christin Sutton, and antique wooden tent stakes found at a Moroccan souk. The space also features a World Market table, vintage Flea Style chairs, and a “Baby and Child” light fixture by RH. Nathan Schroder

In addition to her eclectic collection of found furnishings and accessories, art is a vital part of Cobb’s signature storied look. Having studied art history at SMU, Cobb loves gallery pieces (like her California girl photograph by Mike Miller) but says some her favorite pieces are sentimental in nature, like a portrait of her great-grandmother sketched in pencil by her great-grandfather, or a photograph taken by friend Kelly Christine Sutton at the park she and her kids frequent. “Art, for me, doesn’t have to be expensive,” she says. “It just has to speak to me.”

Cobb’s brand—a new-and-thrifted retail and events concept that just opened its fifth area location in the Galleria Dallas—revolves around finding unique pieces that enrich the wardrobes and living spaces of her customers. Her layered home does no less. Each chest and shelf is filled with artifacts collected from her experiences around the world. A porcelain ballerina family heirloom jétés next to ceramics made by her kids, while a feathered mask from a drag queen show complements a crystal doorknob from her grandfather’s childhood home in Pennsylvania.

“I think people tend to decorate so that their house will look a certain way, but I decorate so my house will feel a certain way,” she says. “I hope when people walk in, my house gives them a warm hug and makes them curious to uncover the story behind my favorite things.”

The front entry room of Cobb's Fort Worth home displays her ability to mix new and vintage. Nathan Schroder

Home Away from Home

A peek into Cobb’s Cowtown oasis.

Brittany Cobb’s 1940s Fort Worth bungalow serves as a feminine oasis for the Flea Style brand family. It came as a win-win for the Dallas-based team, who travels back and forth to their out-West outposts, and for the Cobb crew, who utilizes it for their fun Fort Worth excursions. For Cobb, having a home away from home was an opportunity to take full creative freedom and go a little funky. “I just threw caution to the wind and had a blast with it,” she says. Not only are the spaces in the house inspired by the different Flea Style locations, Cobb was able to furnish the house relying heavily on local businesses.

In the parasol bedroom, an avocado green table supports a pink velvet chair and a decorated mirror from Lots of Furniture. “I loved the age and imperfection of it,” says Cobb. “Pink and green are my favorite colors.” Nathan Schroder

Of the parasoled and pink-paned bedroom, Cobb says, “The umbrella room is a party.” The headboard and throw pillows were inexpensive finds from Target and HomeGoods, respectively, while the lamps are from Flea Style. Nathan Schroder

Cobb shares her favorite Fort Worth haunts.

Eats:

97 Kitchen West & Bar
200 Mule Alley
682-255-6497.

I love visiting my stores in Mule Alley and ducking in here for lunch. The Farm Stand salad with grilled chicken is my go-to.

Woodshed Smokehouse
3201 Riverfront Dr. 817-877-4545.

I love the eclectic menu, delicious margaritas, and outdoor fire pits when the weather is cool.

Maria’s Mexican Kitchen

712 S. University Dr.
817-916-0550.

By far my favorite restaurant in town! The decor is inspiring, the fajitas are incredible, and I dream about the refried black beans.

Drinks:

Sidesaddle Saloon
122 E. Exchange Ave.,
Ste. 240. 817-862-7952.

I love the espresso martini served in a beautiful vintage crystal glass. I also love their beef jerky and pimento cheese appetizers.

Avoca Coffee Roasters
128 E. Exchange Ave.,
Ste 560. 817-924-1514.

Best iced latte in Fort Worth.

Hotel Drover
200 Mule Alley
817-755-5557.

Their lobby bar has the best margarita I’ve ever had. The atmosphere is dreamy with a huge fireplace, fringe leather chairs, layered art, and pops of rich color everywhere.