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101 Most recently, the fi rm was tapped to overhaul the private River Oaks Country Club. "It's a massive project and we're very honored," he says. At 50, Powers has achieved the kind of recognition most designers only dream of. He created a collection of lighting for Visual Comfort in 2009, which is carried through Circa Lighting showrooms and other design stores around the country. More than 15 of his interiors projects have been published in top national magazines, such as Veranda and Architectural Digest — including nine that made the cover — and he has projects in four design books. Powers has hit the sweet spot, with work that's coveted by both editors and clients. "They like my classical look, but it's got an edge," he says. "I'm not a trend follower; I go with my gut. I think that's given me longevity." Powers — who has an encyclopedic knowledge of design, architecture, art, food, fashion, and music — designs in a wide range of styles and refuses to be boxed in. "Right now, I'm working on a contemporary house and another that's traditional and as colorful as it gets. One is as deeply important to me as the other." J. RANDALL POWERS: IN HIS WORDS Back in the day. My grandmother was a voracious reader of House & Garden and all the home- design magazines. I'd hang out at my grandparents' and read them cover to cover. It was a glimpse into other people's lives, how they lived. I never dreamed my work would be in them one day. Life for sale. For someone who spends the day tearing up other people's houses, I'm a creature of habit at home. I haven't moved a lamp since 2009 when I moved into my house. When I was younger, everything switched out all the time. The living room would go into the dining room. My partner, Bill Caudell, would come home and try to put his keys down — "But where's the chest?" I sold it today. People would visit and say, "You don't have a dining table?" No, not right now. I sold it. It comes from years as an antiques picker — my life is for sale. Tendencies. I'm not going to say I'm a borderline hoarder, but my house is getting kind of full. I collect Han Dynasty pottery; Hermès 1960s silver cigarette boxes; Roman and Greek pottery; Picasso ceramics; vintage lighting from the '80s. I'm up to 60 or 70 pieces of art at this point — I literally ran out of room at Opposite page: J. Randall Powers at his home, with a sculpture by Dallas artist Deborah Ballard. Top, this page: An apartment at The Huntingdon, designed by Powers. Bottom: Detail in Powers' library at home. JOSHUA MCHUGH JACK THOMPSON