The Scoop on Local Stores and Showrooms

1 / Twice as Nice

Ken Valencia and Cody Ellison are giving Bishop Arts patrons not one but two new places to score stylish duds for their homes and themselves. The pair behind neighborhood staple Home on Bishop launched their second effort, Dwell on Davis, in late 2014. Like its predecessor, Dwell on Davis is what Valencia calls a “lifestyle shop,” meaning you’ll find a little bit of everything—from furniture, bedding, and home accessories to women’s clothing and jewelry. National brands like Arteriors are represented as well as lots of local artists and makers, including Whimsical Originals jewelry and fine artist/photographer Jason Sanders. 

Valencia and Ellison were so inspired by their local design partners that they decided to open a third space in February dedicated to their take on “Texas living.” Just two doors down from Dwell, Bishop Ranch offers a similar range of products but has a unique enough feel to warrant its own space. “There’s a relationship between the stores,” Valencia says, “but each really has its own identity.”

Valencia, who previously worked for fashion houses Donna Karan and Roberto Cavalli, and Ellison, who has a background in textiles, have married their respective expertises to create shops that are effortlessly shoppable and surprisingly affordable. “We’re inspired by luxury, but we like to shop affordable price points,” Valencia says. “So it always looks a lot more expensive than it actually is, which is the joy of shopping in our stores.”

2 / In Deep

Mid2Mod is returning to its roots. In 2013, the Deep Ellum home-furnishings favorite relocated to a 5,000-square-foot space in the Design District. But after a year, owner Joe Eggleston decided their new neighborhood wasn’t the right fit. So late last year, he reopened in Deep Ellum, in a cozy 1,200-square-foot storefront on Main Street that boasts charming touches like tin ceilings and exposed brick. Regulars can expect the same mix of new and vintage midcentury-modern furnishings and home accessories the store has always been known for, though Eggleston says he’ll be focusing more on new lines going forward. He has also stocked up on stylish giftables like sculptural bottle openers, coffee-table books on architecture, and unique games and desktop accessories by Areaware.

3 / Express Yourself

Morrison Supply’s new 12,000-square-foot showroom, Expressions Home Gallery, is dedicated to making hard choices easier.  Located in the Design District, the store is smartly organized by division—plumbing, appliances, lighting, and hardware—and vignettes combine elements to offer inspiration. But Expressions is more than just a pretty space—customer care is key. “When you come in, you’re immediately greeted by someone from guest services. That person will be your contact throughout the process,”says showroom manager Tim Stumm. Expressions also boasts experts specific to each department. “This is one-stop shopping. Our clients can tackle all four categories at once. It helps everyone manage their budgets so much better,” Stumm says.

4 / Natural Wonder

What do an environmental consultant, a florist, and a designer have in common? Lauren Renfrow would say a passion for the earth. She should know; she’s been all three. After working at an environmental-consulting firm post-college, the Dallas native launched a flower shop where she became known for incorporating natural elements like quartz into her arrangements. One day she saw an oversized quartz object and thought, “I could make a lamp out of that.” That’s how Times Two Design, her home-accessories line, was born. 

Since its founding in 2012, Times Two has been picked up by retailers in 19 states including local favorites Mecox, Madison, Sherry Hayslip Boutique, and Hess. In February, Renfrow opened a to-the-trade shop of her own to showcase her wares. Every napkin ring, vase, coaster, box, lamp, and tray in the Cedar Springs store is handcrafted in Dallas, but the natural materials they’re made from come from places as far away as Madagascar, Peru, and Brazil. “I think every one is a work of art because Mother Nature made it,” says Renfrow, who can also work with designers to create a one-of-a-kind piece.

5 / Collection Agency

For those of you mourning Uptown Country Home’s closing, we bring good news: Owner and Storage Wars star Jenny Grumbles has packed up her Snider Plaza store and moved some of her signature refurbished pieces and country-chic accessories to the new Richardson Mercantile. She joins dozens of other vendors in the 52,000-square-foot space. Elke Nutterfield, who also manages the sister location in Frisco, leads the charge of finding unique vendors to create a not-your-typical-antique-mall vibe. She works with dealers to fill the rows of stalls with an array of art, women’s and children’s clothing, collectibles, gifts, and antiques. “We have something for everyone,” Nutterfield says. “I want to bring in things that make people think, ‘Wow, that is cool,’ or, ‘Hey, my mom had that when I was a kid.’” On a recent trip to the Mercantile, we spotted Back Alley Furniture’s repainted and reupholstered pieces, reclaimed wood tables from R&R Designworks by Sarah Reiss, Rifle Paper Co. prints at Two Sisters, and Mulligan’s Market party banners and seasonal decor.