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| photography by Elizabeth Lavin |
At Home With
Bathing beauty: Fresh out of SMU in 1981, Betsy Hoag opened one of Dallas’ first showrooms to import sleek, European bath and kitchen fixtures. This, after studying abroad in Spain, getting cut off financially by her dad, and being forced to earn her own keep. While sinks and faucets seem an unlikely pairing for this former art history major and sorority girl, TKO (technical knock out, for you non-pugilists) has been a long-term hit in Dallas and made her father proud. Great kitchen, but… At home Hoag has the latest fixtures and appliances—naturally—but don’t expect her to cook. That chic Dornbract faucet is mainly used to arrange flowers. What’s out: Some declare, it’s vessel sinks. No way! In fact, Hoag says, vessel sinks are just getting better, with hand-blown painted glass, organic shapes, and semi-precious stones and metals. So what’s in? “Metal finishes are changing again,” Hoag says. It’s all about polished nickel now. “It looks like sterling silver and is very elegant.” Any unusual requests? Urinals. “Urinals require special plumbing, and they might not pass code—but we do them,” she sighs. “Urinals always have issues.”
