Date:  April 1, 2026  |   Story: Stephanie Maxwell Newton  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Tiffany Adams  |  

In Northwest Arkansas, designer Corey Powell imbues a new build with traditional bones that will stand the test of time

Dreams don’t come true overnight. Sometimes they take years—maybe even a decade—to come to fruition. Such was the case with Shellie and Dr. Derek Brown, who purchased 100 acres of land near Cave Springs more than 10 years ago. “We had the intention to build, but then we found a house we liked in Pinnacle Country Club and thought we’d wait,” Shellie says. With Derek’s business, Brown Orthodontics, having locations in both Bentonville and Rogers, being closer to town was a good fit for the Browns while their three children were still young.

Over the years, the couple sold parcels of the land to friends who wanted to build a little outside of town. In 2023, they decided the time was right to follow suit. “I am the sixth generation in my family from Northwest Arkansas. I’ve seen the growth, and I love it, but it’s nice to be out a little farther from it sometimes,” Shellie says.

As a lover of Southern homes and traditional style, Shellie felt she had a firm grasp on what she wanted in terms of style and initially didn’t hire a designer. “I thought, I can do this myself. I know what I want,” she recalls. “Then I was looking at tile and thinking, I don’t have a clue what I’m doing!” She knew of Corey Powell, a designer with Edith Snell Interiors, both through friends from church and from admiring her work on Instagram. A month after breaking ground, Corey officially came on board to help design the Browns’ dream home.

“From the beginning Shellie had a very clear direction of what she envisioned for her home,” Corey says. “She described it as ‘Southern traditional’ with a lot of blues, greens, and pastels, and she also wanted a lot of millwork to bring in those traditional architectural elements.” When the house was still in the framing stage, Corey took Shellie’s inspiration images—many from favorite Instagram accounts such as House of Hargrove, Blooming Ivy Lane, and Texas design firm A Well Dressed Home—and started building concept boards for every space, infusing each room with both classic style and elements of the unexpected.

With Shellie and Derek having two kids in college and one in high school, the team kept the future in mind throughout the entire process. Living and dining spaces were designed for a crowd, and each child has a bedroom and en suite bathroom so they always have an area all their own when they come home to visit. “We definitely had grandkids in mind,” Shellie says. Until then, it’s a place the Browns can enjoy and share with friends. “One thing I get all the time from people who come in is, It is so calming,” Shellie says. “We wanted our house to be relaxing and inviting, and Corey was able to capture that. She nailed it.”

Above: The paneling became an especially important element in the living room, where a vaulted ceiling draws the eye up to beams overhead. “I wanted to make a statement so the ceiling didn’t get lost in that large space,” Corey says. She repeated the tongue-and-groove application from the entryway here to give the lofty space depth and intention. Arched doorways flank the built-ins and fireplace, and the home’s palette of soft blues (including on two covert recliners) is punctuated with mossy green accents that connect the indoors to the spacious acreage outside.

Step Inside
A sense of serenity is established from the moment guests walk in the front door. The tongue-and-groove paneling hints at the home’s traditional inspiration, while the lanterns are a modern interpretation of a classic shape. The painting over the entry table by local artist Chelsea McShane depicts da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” and plays off its placement directly across from the dining room while also tying into the pastel palette found in rooms beyond. Additional dining chairs are at the ready when a large group gathers around the table.

Make a Statement
In the dining room, the showstopper is a custom hutch Corey designed alongside Verser Cabinets. “The longer I work in design, the more appreciation I have for carpenters and craftsmen,” she says. This piece provides the function of storing and displaying the Browns’ collection of tablewares while also matching the scale of the room. They opted to keep their existing table and chairs, the latter of which were painted and reupholstered in a large-scale gingham to make the pairing feel fresh. “It’s a common misconception that all your furniture has to be the same finish; pulling in some different finishes can really complement each other,” the designer says. The walls are painted “Boothbay Gray” by Benjamin Moore.

Mix, Don’t Match
Corey’s philosophy of introducing the unexpected continues in the kitchen where brass (seen on the hardware and lighting over the island) and polished nickel (seen on the plumbing fixtures and lights over the sink) play together nicely. “The blend adds a little more dimension and character,” the designer says. Quartz countertops with an ogee edge, a farmhouse sink, and corbel details on the island bring in the traditional, Southern charm Shellie desired, while a marble backsplash further elevates the design. The cabinetry is painted “Swiss Coffee” by Benjamin Moore.

“We wanted our house to be relaxing and inviting, and Corey was able to capture that.”
—Shellie Brown, homeowner

Blend Function & Fashion
One of the kitchen archways leads to two oft-used spaces: the pantry (shown below) and laundry room. While the two areas share the same oversized checkerboard floor and doors with arched windows, each has a distinct style. The pantry has storage for all the family’s day-to-day needs while also being a go-to prep space when entertaining. Along the top shelf, a scalloped profile lends a vintage air to the room. “The pantry is a space where it’s easy to do the same thing, but I wanted to give it a little design moment that you don’t see every day,” Corey says. Elegant wallcoverings bring a softness to both spaces, with the laundry room repeating the blue paint color seen in the dining room.

“Sometimes people don’t know how to articulate what they love about a home, but it’s usually all those details you don’t see every day.”
—Corey Powell, designer

Create Balance
Adjacent to the living room, a sitting room with sky-high shelving serves dual purposes. On the left, a built-in desk creates a home office for Shellie with plenty of space for displaying family photos and accessories. On the right, white-oak shelving (complete with a library ladder!) is home to hundreds of books, a must for a family who loves to read. Drapery panels on an acrylic-and-brass rod bring a youthful feel to the room. “Acrylic is one of those materials that can pull trendy if you do too much of it, but it’s an elevated design element if you do just a little,” Corey says.

Bring the Drama
Traditional wall paneling, a symmetrical layout, and elegant simplicity shine in the primary bathroom. A generously sized soaker tub is situated in front of a focal wall separating the rest of the room from the double shower behind it, while his-and-her vanities give everything and everyone a designated place. Over the tub, a chandelier with what looks like layers of glass petals brings a touch of glam. “There were times throughout where Corey was like, You just have to trust me,” Shellie says. “The lighting in the bathroom was one of those times, and Derek really pushed me to let her do it—I’m so glad we did.”

Get Color Drenched
From the carpet below and wallpaper overhead to painted cabinetry all around, Shellie’s closet is awash in her favorite color. “My pink closet is to die for,” Shellie says. Quartz countertops, linear acrylic-and-brass hardware, and a shaded chandelier give the room a transitional quality, while its hue still ties in with the base palette throughout the house. The cabinetry is painted “Proposal” by Benjamin Moore.

Time Travel
While a pool in the backyard is next on the to-do list, Corey and her clients went ahead and designated a powder bath close to a rear entrance as the “pool bath,” knowing its purpose would come to fruition soon. Corey says everything in this space was vintage-inspired, from the swimmers depicted on the wallpaper to the mini hex tile flooring and hot- and cold-labeled fixtures.

Personalize Every Space
The mudroom is another functional space where Corey didn’t skimp on style. Pavers laid in a herringbone pattern, a gray-and-white wallpaper, and polished nickel hardware introduce the timelessness of the design even when entering the house through the garage. The taller cabinet doors feature a charming cut-out, one more detail that makes this home feel more established than its 2024 construction. The cabinetry is painted “Light Blue” by Farrow & Ball.

Design Resources
Draftsman Kevin Canada, Ozark Home Design Interior design Corey Powell, Edith Snell Interiors Accessories and bedding Cobblestone & Vine and Edith Snell Interiors Appliances Metro Appliances & More Art, fabrics, flooring, furniture, lighting, mirrors, rugs, wallpaper, and window coverings Edith Snell Interiors Cabinetry and hardware Verser Cabinets Carpet and tile (kitchen) ProSource Wholesale of Northwest Arkansas Countertops Gunn Granite Company Paint Benjamin Moore Plumbing fixtures Plumb Perfect Tile (bath) The Tile Shop Windows Pella