Sometimes the divide between good, better, and best comes down to infinitesimal details—the difference between missing the target and scoring a bullseye. Count on the people, places, and service providers on this list to be spot-on, every time.
Last month, D Magazine celebrated best of what Dallas has to offer. From the best fragrance shop to the best vegan bakery to the best movie theater, we scoured the city and ranked it all. But we couldn’t just forget about the home—and which spots makes our personal living spaces all the better. Where can we find the best shop for a Francophile? What about a local flower farm?
To aid in all these endeavors, we present you with D Home’s iteration of Best of Big D: The Home and Garden Edition.
Shopping
Best Paint
Farrow & Ball
Last year, the luxury paint producer opened its first Dallas shop in the Design District after 75 years of coloring the globe. See something you like? Get it before it goes, as the brand routinely retires dated paints to replace with new shades. 1301 Oak Lawn Ave., Ste. 150. 214-206-8210. farrow-ball.com
Best Shop for the Francophile
Marcel Market
When wanderlust gets the best of us, Marcel Market makes our expat dreams feel a little closer to reality. Owners Amelie and Gregory Monvoisin bring a selection of exclusive French brands and products to Oak Cliff—from candles and apothecary goods to pantry staples. Je l’adore! 250 N. Bishop., Ste 160. 214-641-0909.
Best Place to Get a Conversation Piece
Garde
True to the name, the curated collection of lighting, furnishings, and home accessories at Garde embraces a bold aesthetic. With unique and established designers from all over the world, this Cali import is perfect for finding a one-of-a-kind piece. 1305 Wycliff Ave., St. 160. 214-434-1168.
Best Home Store Worth the Drive
Simple Things
At Simple Things, furnishings are an obsession. From beautifully constructed slipcovers to well-worn antiques, this cute Fort Worth shop is devoted to making beautiful, personalized spaces. 7401 W Vickery Blvd., Benbrook. 817-332-1772.
Best Place to Shop and Get Inspiration
RH
With 70,000 square feet of gallery space, RH is full of aesthetic awe. (Even the parking garage is stunning!) Furnishings arranged in approachable vignettes are perfect for visualizing spaces; plus, having a glass of wine at the upstairs bar can’t hurt when trying to get inspired. 3133 Knox St. 214-520-7255.
Best One-Stop Party Shop
Ellis Hill
Find everything from gifts to party planning essentials like invites, linens, and china at this local favorite. With a range of looks and options, you’re bound to find something that speaks to your style. But if you don’t, the team will help you create something custom. 5029 W Lovers Ln. 214-520-6108.
Best Instagram Seller
Kiestwood Vintage
Instagram vintage sellers are a dime a dozen these days, but a few stand out among the digital denizens. Kiestwood’s Jen Voecks consistently offers lustworthy pieces in all manner of styles. Our most recent crushes included a tramp art box and a travertine console table. She’ll deliver for a fee or let you pick up for free. 2797 Irving Blvd., Ste. 108.
Best PiÑata maker
ABC Party
Whatever birthday theme dreams your little tykes can conjure, ABC Party can make them a reality. Stroll the aisles of decor, disposable tableware, and favors grouped by character and theme. The real stars, though, are the custom pinatas—on our last visit, we espied everything from Cocomelon to Donald Trump. 1414 W. Davis St. 214-943-5588.
Best Consignment Shop
Dulce
Part upscale consignment shop, part art gallery, this Design District staple has been selling a variety of pieces and styles for more than 20 years. Don’t have time to get downtown? Much of the inventory is also shoppable online. Looking to sell? They make the process easy and painless. 1208 N. Riverfront Blvd. 214-219-5656.
Best Textiles
KUFRI
Founder Mili Suleman weaves wabi-sabi—the ancient philosophy of embracing imperfection—into her work and daily life. In a world often focused on fast manufacturing, Suleman takes things slow, employing artisans in her native India to handweave her designs. The result is textiles as one-of-a-kind as the women who weave them. 1152 Mississippi Ave. 817-456-6622.
Best Wallpaper
Krane Home
Fortune quite literally favors the bold at Krane Home, as each of designer Sharon Lee Clark’s hand-painted wallpapers includes symbols from Korean art that have traditionally been thought to invite certain qualities into the home. Try peonies for wealth, tigers for protection, or cranes for longevity.
Best Nursery
Jacksons Home and Garden
Yes, we love them for their plants and pots. But you can also kill a pleasant hour weaving up and down their aisles, perusing kitchenware and cookbooks, patio furniture and pergolas, succulents and bouquets, and even grills, sauces, and rubs. (Oh yeah, plants too.) 6950 Lemmon Ave. 214-350-9200.
Best Local Designer Collaboration
Material Bespoke Stone + Tile’s Denise McGaha Collection
Rather than search high and low for a statement-making fireplace surround, sink, or mosaic tile, Dallas interior designer Denise McGaha decided to make them herself, partnering with Material Bespoke Stone + Tile (formerly Materials Marketing) to create a collection of showstopping stone options that will instantly elevate the look of any space.
Food
Best Cookies
MS Cookie Co.
Monek’ Smith offers intricately decorated cookies for any and all of life’s celebratory occasions. While she offers your typical birthday bash treats and graduation goodies, you can also request a Friends-themed array, a selection tailored for The Bachelorette finale, and pretty much anything else you can dream up.
Best Last-Minute Dinner Inspiration
The Defined Dish
On nights we’re fresh out of ideas for what to make for dinner, we consult The Defined Dish. Both on her blog or in one of two cookbooks, local Alex Snodgrass has yet to give us a recipe we don’t love. (Or if you’re not up for cooking at all, check out her Dallas Restaurant Guide for a neighborhood-based primer on the best eats in Dallas.)
Culture
Best New-to-Dallas Artist
Donald Robertson
Dallas gained a good one when fun-loving artist and storied creative director Donald Robertson recently relocated from California and landed in town. If you aren’t familiar with his work, do yourself a favor and follow @drawbertson on Instagram, where he chronicles his latest colorful commissions alongside the rearing of his five kids (and, frankly, cracks us up).
Best Local Flower Farm with a Purpose
Mars Hill Farm
Located just 30 minutes south of Dallas, this feel-good farm exists solely to provide work for refugees—they just so happen to grow gorgeous flowers as a byproduct. Order a one-off bouquet, sign up for their monthly flower delivery subscription, shop them at a local farmer’s market, or better yet, go snip some yourself at their cutting mornings or seasonal festivals. 1604 Mars Rd., Ferris. 972-503-9375.
Throw a dart!
Every Builder, Designer, and Architect named to our Best lists are talented and trustworthy.
Designers
A Well Dressed Home
Adcock-Smith Design
Alexis Pearl Design
Alice Cottrell Interior Design
Allen Kirsch & Associates, Inc.
Allison Seidler Interiors
Amy Berry Design
Amy Gibbs Interiors
Amy’s Interiors
Angeline Guido Design LLC
Anne Williams Design
Ashley Dalton Interiors
Avrea and Company
Barbara J. Vessels Interiors
Betty Lou Phillips Interiors
Beyond Interior Design
Bobbitt & Company
Bodron/Fruit
Breck Woolsey Interiors
Brette Jacques Interiors, Inc.
Burkle Creative
Cadwallader Design
Cameron Drinkwater Interiors
Canon & Dean Design
Carrie Barron Interiors
Carrie Hatfield Interior Design
Cathy Kincaid Interiors
Chad Dorsey Design
Chambers Interiors & Associates
Charlotte Comer Interiors & Collectibles, Inc.
Chelsea Hargrave Interiors
Cheri Etchelecu Interior Design
Cheryl Van Duyne Interior Design
Childress Interiors, Inc.
Collins & Sweezey
Collins Interiors
Corley Design Associates
Dallas Design Group Interiors
Dana Bass Designs
Deborah Walker + Associates
Debra Owens Interiors, Inc.
Debra Stewart Interior Design
Deleo & Fletcher Design
Denise McGaha Interiors
Dona Rosene Interiors
Doniphan MooreInteriors
Dunbar Road Design
EJ Interiors
EJM Interior Design
Emily Summers Design Associates
Erin Sander Design
Fagan White Design
Furstenwerth + Bagley Design
Heidi Arwine Interiors
Hillary Littlejohn Studio Design
Holly Hickey Moore
House of Amelia
IBB Design Fine Furnishings
Ike Isenhour Inc
J Wiley Designs
James McInroe Incorporated
Jan Jones LLC
Jan Showers & Associates
Janet Gridley
Jean Liu Design, LLC
Jenkins Interiors
Joanie Wyll & Associates Inc.
John Phifer Marrs Interiors
Joseph Minton Inc.
Joshua Rice Design
Josie McCarthy Associates
Kara Adam Interiors
Kim McCue-Cypress Designs
Kirsten Kelli
Kristen Fegale Interiors
Kristin Mullen Designs
Laura Lee Clark Interior
Design, Inc.
Layered Dimensions
Interior Design
Lee Lormand Design
Linda Fritschy Interior
Design
Lindley Arthur Interiors
Lisa Henderson Interiors
Lynn Sears Interiors
Maddie Hughes Designs
MADRE Design
Maestri Studio
Marilyn Rolnick Tonkon
Mary Anne Smiley Interiors LLC
Mary Beth Wagner Interiors
Mauldin Designs
Meredith Ellis Design
Meredith Steinhart Interior Design
Michelle Nussbaumer Design
Molly Van Amburgh
Interior Design
Morgan Farrow Interiors
Morrissey Home
Neal Stewart Designs
Pam Kelley Design
Pamela Fitch Design
Paul Draper Design
Paul Duesing Partners
Peters Cates Design, Inc.
Pickering House Interiors
Pulp Design Studios
R. Brant Design
Richard Gordon Design
Richard Trimble & Associates, Inc.
Rick Rozas Design
RN Interior Design, LLC
Robert Trown & Associates
Robyn Menter Design
Associates, Inc.
Roz Murphy Design
S.B. Long Interiors
Salem & Associates
Samantha Fisher Interiors
Schooler Kellogg & Co
Sees Design
Seitz Design LTD
Shannon Bowers Designs
Shelby Wagner Design
Sherry Hayslip Interiors
Smith & Ragsdale Interior Design
Studio Ten 25
Studio Thomas James
Studio White Interiors
SWOON
Ten Plus Three
The Collective
Tiffany McKinzie Interior Design
Tori Rubinson Interiors
Traci Connell Interiors
Traci White Designs
Tracy Hardenburg Designs
Trish Sheats Interior Design
Urbanology Designs
Wendy Konradi Interior Design
William-Christopher Design
Williams Design Inc.
Yates Desygn
Builders
Alair Homes
Alford Homes
Attaway Homes
Austin Neuhoff Homes
Avida Custom Homes
Axiom Builders
Bailey Family Builders, Inc.
Barcus Construction
Management, LLC
Barnett West Custom Homes
Barringer Custom Homes
Barrow Builders Group
Bauhaus Modern Homes
Bean Co Homes
Beechwood Custom Homes
Bella Custom Homes
Biggerstaff Construction, Inc.
Bob Bobbitt Custom Homes
Bob Thompson Homes
Bond + Truss
Braswell Homes
BufordHawthorne
Calais Custom Homes
Caprock Custom Construction, Inc.
Chapman Custom Homes
Charles A. Barnett III, Inc.
cjb HOMES
Classic Urban Homes
Cleve Adamson Custom Homes
Coats Homes
Constructionologists, Inc.
Craft Barnett Homes
Crescent Estates Custom Homes
Crescent Signature Homes
Cresswell Custom Builders
Crow Bar Constructors, Inc.
Custom Homes of Texas
Danes Custom Homes
Dave R. Williams Homes
David Leite Custom Homes
David Lewis Builder, Inc.
Davis Signature Homes, LLC
Desco Fine Homes
Double Door Custom Homes, Inc.
Douglas Signature Homes LLC
Durrett Construction LLC
Edinburgh Custom Homes
Ellen Grasso & Sons LLC
Ellerman Homes
Endurance Homes
Faulkner Perrin Custom Homes
Ferrier Custom Homes
Gardner Custom Homes
Garvey Homes
George Davis & Associates, Inc.
George Lewis Custom Homes
Goff Custom Homes
Greenwell Homes
Hardy Construction
Hartman Construction, Inc.
Hawkins-Welwood Homes
Hayes Signature Homes
Haynsworth Custom Homes
Heritage Blue Homes
Herman Darden LLC
Hoffmann Homes
Holmes Builders
Homes by Bowen
Hudson Construction Group
Isler Homes
J.D. Smith Custom Homes
Jackson Custom Homes
Jarrett Construction
Jered Custom Homes
Jim Johnson Group
Jim Scott and Sons
JLD Custom Homes
Joe Kain Homes
Joseph Paul Homes
Key Residential
Kienast Homes
Knox Built Construction
LeComte Homes
Lingenfelter Custom Homes
LRO Residential Development
Malone Custom Builders
Marable Homes
Mark Clifton Homes
Mark Siepiela Custom Homes
Martin Raymond Homes
Matie Custom Homes
Matt and Paul Home Design
and Construction
McCowen-Sainton Homes
McKinley Built Homes
Megaco Construction
Michael S. Wilson Custom Homes
Milan Custom Build
Millennial Design + Build
Mills Custom Homes
Mishler Builders
Montgomery Custom Homes
More Design + Build
Mullinix Custom Homes
New Leaf Custom Homes
Nixon Custom Homes
Ogden Custom Homes
Patten Custom Homes
Pencil Point Construction
Phillip Jennings Custom Homes
Platinum Homes by Mark Molthan
Potenza Homes
Prospect Homes
Provenance Builders
RA Millennium Properties
Randy Clowdus Construction
RGD+B
Richard Dietrichson Fine Homes
Richard Miller Custom Homes
Richland Builds
Rick Shipley Custom Homes
Ripple D+B
RJA Construction, LLC
Robert Clark and Associates
Robert Elliot Custom Homes
Robert Hopson
Construction Group
Ron Davis Custom Homes
Ron McHam Homes
Rosewood Custom Builders
S&R Development
SCH Homes
Sebastian Construction Group
Seymore Custom Homes
Shaddock Caldwell Builders
& Developers
Shaddock Homes
Sharif & Munir Custom Homes
Sleepy Hollow Homes
Snelling Homes
Southgate Homes
Sovereign Custom Homes
Stark Homes
Starr Construction
Sterling Brook Custom Homes
Susan Newell Homes
Sustainable Structures of Texas
Tanner Homes
Tatum Brown Custom Homes
Tekton Built
The Hill Group
The Newport Group
Thomas Development + Construction
Thomas Signature Homes
Tim Jackson Custom Homes
Todd Bonneau Homes, LLC
Todd James Homes
Tommy Ford Construction
UC Properties by Jennifer Duncan
Ventura Custom Homes
Victor Myers Custom Homes
Waterford Classic Homes
Waterside Properties
Wells Homes
Wes McKenzie Custom Homes
Westchester Custom Homes
Zachary Custom Homes
Architects
Bob Anderson Bob Anderson Architect
Laura Juarez Baggett Laura Juarez Baggett Studio
Adam Baldwin Marek Architecture
Manolo Banda Manolo Design Studio
Bruce Bernbaum Bernbaum/Magadini Architects
Christy Blumenfeld Blume Architecture Inc
Larry Boerder Larry E. Boerder Architects
William S. Briggs William S. Briggs Architect
Russell Buchanan Buchanan Architecture
Stephen B. Chambers Stephen B. Chambers Architects
Will Clinton Clinton + Company Architects
Gary Cunningham Cunningham Architects
Richard Drummond Davis Richard Drummond Davis Architect
Mark Domiteaux Domiteaux Garza Architecture
Dan Eckelkamp Eckxstudio for Modern Architecture
Rizwan Faruqui Far + Dang
Michael Ferguson Eskenasy Ferguson
Patrick Ford Rogers Ford LC, Architecture & Interior Design
Svend Fruit Bodron/Fruit
Wilson Fuqua Fuqua Architects
Robbie Fusch Fusch Architects
Ruben Garza Domiteaux Garza Architecture
Nick Glazbrook Howard Glazbrook III Architect
Maurie Gray M-Gray Architecture
Graham Greene Oglesby Greene
Sarah Harper Harper Design
Mark Hoesterey SHM Architects
Gregory Ibañez Ibañez Shaw Architecture
Ross Ikemire Ikemire Architects LLC
Jenna Janson Janson Luter Architects
Eric LaPointe Studio EL73
Jessica Stewart Lendvay Jessica Stewart Lendvay Architects
Amy Wynne Leveno Official Design
Max Levy Max Levy Architects
Lloyd Lumpkins L. Lumpkins Architects Inc
Christi Luter Janson Luter Architects
Eddie Maestri Maestri Studio
Patricia Magadini Bernbaum/Magadini Architects
Michael Malone Malone Maxwell Dennehy Architects
Tom Manganiello Max Levy Architects
Scott Marek Marek Architecture
Joe McCall Oglesby Greene
Marc McCollom Marc McCollom Architect
Enrique Montenegro SHM Architects
Clay Nelson C.A. Nelson Architecture Group LLC
Joshua Nimmo Nimmo Architecture
Clint Pearson Symmetry Architects
Thad Reeves A. Gruppo Architects
Bart Shaw Ibañez Shaw Architecture
Dan Shipley Shipley Architects
Lou Simmons NeatBuilt
Jason Smith Smitharc Architects and Interiors
Andrew Stiglmeier A. Michael Architecture
David Stocker SHM Architects
Bentley Tibbs Bentley Tibbs Architect
Weldon Turner Turner Boaz Architecture
Paul Turney Turney & Associates Inc
Paul Vetter AMDG Studio
Cliff Welch Welch|Hall Architects
Braxton Werner Wernerfield Architecture + Design
Ron Wommack Ron Wommack Architect
Stephen Zepeda Stephen Zepeda Architecture
Author
