Best Store for Linens
Peacock Alley Design Studio
The Dallas-based linen company, credited with establishing the luxury linen market in the United States, turns 40 this year and shows no sign of slowing down. Need proof? Hit Peacock Alley’s Slocum Street design studio and marvel at the 500-thread-count Egyptian cotton percale sheets, plush faux fur throws, exquisite Italian silk matelasse duvet covers (custom-made locally), and pattern-rich pillows. We guarantee you’ll walk out dreaming of new linens for every room in your home.
Readers’ Pick: Peacock Alley Design Studio
Best Vintage Furniture
Lula B’s
Are you a person who likes the idea of shopping an estate sale but the
actual act seems like too much work? Lula B’s is the ideal solution. The
good people here have amassed loads of vintage clothing, furniture, and
home accessories. Dig deep, and you never know when you’re going to
find the perfect antique desk or a lovely piece of Murano glass. Yes,
you could go to a number of places that have already found the treasures
and cleaned them all up. But here you leave feeling victorious when you
find your something special—even though it was a bit of a guided hunt.
Readers’ Pick: Lula B’s
Best Store for Children’s Furniture
Wellness Baby
Wellness baby opened its doors nearly three years ago, but the Uptown shop still feels like a hidden gem. Step into the cozy old house on Routh Street, and you’re greeted with a trove of modern baby furnishings, accessories, clothing, and gear from such cult brands as Oeuf, Nurseryworks, and DwellStudio, as well as a friendly, low-key sales staff committed to helping you suss out just the right piece for your bundle of joy. Can’t make it downtown? They also recently launched a new website featuring online shopping.
Readers’ Pick: Baby Bliss/MiniMe
Best Gift Shop
Number One
Sadly, most of our gift purchases these days seem to be of the
last-minute variety. So we were pretty excited when retail maestro Brian
Bolke decided to open the doors to his Highland Park Village
boutique-cum-cafe at 8 o’clock each morning. Now when we’re in desperate
need of an on-the-fly birthday gift for our supremely tasteful boss, we
can choose from Aesop bath products, Bellocq teas, a cache of obscure
fashion glossies, and myriad other stylish, hard-to-find luxury goods
while we pick up our pre-work almond milk latte.
Readers’ Pick: The Gypsy Wagon
Best Home Accessories Store
Bel Air Home
Thank goodness designer Shannon VanBeber relaunched the home store she originally co-founded with two friends in a breezy Lovers Lane bungalow. The resulting space is a nester’s paradise, filled with VanBeber’s inspired mix of glam meets classic meets earthy furnishings, vintage finds, refurbished treasures, and creations by local artists. Each time we pop into the perfectly merchandised shop, we leave wanting every single pillow, lamp, decorative accessory, and piece of art in the place.
Readers’ Pick: Fair & Square Imports
Best Floral Shop
Urban Flower/Grange Hall
Owners Rajan Patel and Jeffrey Lee have curated a mix of exquisite, odd,
singular finds, ranging from resin-coated wood stools to a giant
stuffed peacock to, yes, flowers. The duo turns out gorgeous floral
creations (think orchids nestled alongside crystal-encrusted antlers and
porcupine-quill-adorned succulents tucked into driftwood vessels)
perfect for the friend who has everything, including insanely good
taste.
Readers’ Pick: Dr. Delphinium Designs & Events
Best Hardware & Design Materials Store
Elliott’s Hardware
Founded in 1947, this Oak Lawn stalwart moved last year from its longtime Maple Avenue location to smaller and harder-to-find digs on Denton Drive. Trust us. It’s worth the search. Customer service is Elliott’s specialty. Case in point: we found a doorknob at a far fancier local shop but had to wait six weeks to receive it. The Elliott’s worker not only had the same knob in stock but also steered us toward a similar model at half the cost. “It’s just as good,” she explained. “No need to waste your money.” Oh, and she called us “hon.” A lot. Sold.
Readers’ Pick: Elliott’s Hardware
Best Tabletop and Kitchen Accessories
Copper Lamp
The daughters of some of the finest families in town have come here to register for fine china, crystal, and silver since the store’s inception in 1959. Whether you’re trying to add to the Wedgwood collection you inherited from your grandmother or you’re looking to set your own agenda (and table) with pieces from Versace, you can find it here. Even better, the Copper Lamp’s knowledgeable staff can advise you on everything from stainless and silver-plate to sterling and beyond. 6025 Royal Ln., Ste. 208. 214-369-5166.
Readers’ Pick: Polly DuPont
Best Traditional Furniture Store
Timothy Oulton
Anglophiles,
rejoice. The British aren’t just coming. They’ve arrived. British
designer Timothy Oulton populates his Dallas namesake boutique—the first
stand-alone shop in the U.S.—with handcrafted, vintage-inspired pieces
sporting a more modern edge than your typical traditional shop. That
means you’ll find a tufted black-leather Chesterfield sofa sitting
alongside a Union Jack-upholstered ottoman next to a multiriveted
aluminum desk inspired by vintage Spitfire fighter planes. Surprises
lurk around every cheeky corner, making Timothy Oulton the city’s top
blend of style and wit—very British.
Readers’ Pick: Weir’s Furniture Village
Best Contemporary/Modern Furniture
Scott + Cooner
Furniture isn’t merely merchandise here. Pieces become elements in
thoughtful installations. Owners Josy Cooner-Collins and Lloyd Scott
have created a sleek showroom filled with incredible chandeliers,
innovative home accessories, and modern furniture by a host of designers
including B&B Italia, Bocci, Foscarini, Minotti, Moooi, and many
more. The showroom is open to the public, so feel free to come in and
admire the space. But be warned—by the time you leave, you might very
well be a modernist.
Readers’ Pick: Cantoni
Best European Antiques
Nick Brock Antiques
Sometimes searching for antiques can be overwhelming and intimidating. Not so at Nick Brock. Here, items dating back to the 17th century are arranged in attractive and fun vignettes. Not sure whether you can pull off the 17th-century Italian Baroque gilded mirror in your Uptown apartment? Seeing it in a lifelike setting can help, and you may decide to opt for an old Spanish farm table instead.
Readers’ Pick: Country French Interiors
Best Asian and African Antiques
Art of Old India
Until we can swingthat transcontinental shopping trip perched atop our bucket list, we’re going to have to mine out our architectural temple pieces, textiles, and artifacts a little closer to home. Enter Art of Old India. Pankaj Dalal’s incense-scented Design District showroom is packed with treasures from India, East Africa, Central Asia, and Egypt, making it possible for us to finally nab that hand-carved marble tub minus the pesky jetlag.
Readers’ Pick: Ceylon et Cie
