1. Jack’s New Digs
Imagine an antique shop that doesn’t require visitors to sift through endless oddities and dusty knickknacks—a place where everything’s a treasure. Enter Benny Jack Antiques. After more than 17 years working at White Elephant Antiques, retail veteran Benny Hinkle was ready for his own venture. Opportunity knocked when an 1,800-square-foot space became available next door to his girlfriend Gretchen Bell’s vintage shop, Dolly Python. Benny Jack Antiques opened in July. “It’s small, so I get to be choosy with my vendors,” Hinkle says.
Rich leather chairs and mounted deer heads surround the vintage “Man’s Shop” sign that hangs above the register, but Hinkle’s variety of merch offers something nice for ladies and gents alike. Malachite obelisks and bright geodes stock the display cases, while Lucite bar stools and chic midcentury chairs are ready for the taking. Don’t miss a trip to the back of the shop where works by Dallas artist Jacqui Stoneman are on display. “We click because we have such similar tastes,” Hinkle says. “She’s just as weird as I am.”
2. Keeping the OC Cool
Friends Shad Kvetko and Joe Ramirez combined their experiences running an antiques booth out of Dolly Python and working in online sales to try their hand at a few pop-ups on Davis Street. Then, they took a leap of faith with Oak Cliff Vintage. “People were excited about the prospect of us opening our own store,” Kvetko says. “After the last pop-up, we decided, why not?”
Inside, expertly styled vignettes feature medical lamps from the U.S. Navy, 1950s-era studio pottery, Blenko glassware, and a 20th-century Milo Baughman Scoop chair. Prices vary, but treasures can be found at any budget. “We love our Oak Cliff neighborhood and want to keep the shop accessible to the people who live here,” Kvetko says.
3. Second Place
“When are you adding a shop up north?” was the FAQ of Society gift shop owners Pamela Jackson and Jeremi V. Headrick since opening in 2012. They finally answered, opening a second location in the Plaza at Preston Center in August. Though a smidge larger than their flagship, Jackson and Headrick were set on maintaining the Society experience. “Shopping at our store evokes a certain cozy feeling. We’ve carried over the same lighting, black walls, and vibe,” says Jackson, who also co-owns the design firm Jackson Vaughn with Headrick.
The extra square footage offers the chance to expand Society’s assortment of vintage accessories, curated cards, and antique finds, as well as their candle selection—the shop’s bread and butter. “We’re able to offer the full LAFCO line and other high-end brands we’ve wanted to carry,” Headrick says. The duo has also debuted their fourth line of candles, the Signature Collection, which retails for $36 each.
4. Shedding Some Light
A hobby turned into a full-time gig for Jacob Brown when he opened his artisan candle company Wickery fragrances in 2015. “My focus has been to give people something that’s unique and truly special,” says Brown. In this case, special means using his hands—picking natural ingredients, pouring the wax, casting the concrete vessels, and packaging the thoughtfully concepted candles (Chantilly Lace is described as smelling like “your rich friend’s parents’ master bathroom”) in handmade birch boxes. So what is it about hot wax and hard work that lights his fire? A profit-sharing structure that provides solar electricity to underserved communities throughout the world. $36 each. Society and Life of Riley —Stacy Girard
5. All in the Family
A visit to Art of Old India’s long-standing Design District showroom might look a little different. With owner Pankaj Dalal’s daughter, Rupal, as the VP and creative director, the shop is decidedly more contemporary—though the exotic tapestries, temple doors, and other antique imports from India, Turkey, and Afghanistan are all still on display. After earning her MBA from SMU in 2011, Rupal called upon interior designer Neil Stewart to help her modernize the showroom. The heir apparent is also making her mark producing her own line of furnishings (her first mother-of-pearl collection nearly sold out within minutes). Her second will be up for grabs in January 2017, when Art of Old India’s showroom evolution is set to be complete.
