The Design District isn’t just a place for top-notch interior decorators and discerning collectors to shop. In fact, it’s not just a place to shop at all. Yes, many trade-only storefronts have opened up to the general public, but you can also find craft breweries, bars and fine dining establishments. With plenty to do, see and taste, a visit to the Dallas Design District makes for a culture-rich, all-day experience.
Start your morning right with a cup of coffee on Oak Lawn Avenue.
Ascension can brew you something unique. This chic café-bar opens with the business crowd at 7AM and offers quality, fair-trade, single-origin coffee from around the world. Inside is an industrial, reclaimed aesthetic, with rich walnut, chrome and granite surfaces. No soda machines or plastic chairs here. If you decide to visit later in the day, you’ll have access to Ascension’s carefully curated wine list and full lunch menu and dinner service as late as 10PM on weekends.
Shop for a while at the showrooms on Hi Line Drive and Slocum.
Designing your living room? Pick up a supple Italian leather sofa at Bernadette Schaeffler Collection. The furniture here is custom-made by a family-owned manufacturer dedicated to high-quality and genuine production. To accent the seating and add multicultural interest to the room, visit Adriana Hoyos Furnishings for a leather-topped Africa Collection side table or an exotic Seike wood screen.
Remodeling the kitchen? For a premium, custom-designed look, step into Bulthaup, where you can experience beautiful, streamlined and minimalistic kitchen spaces ready to be integrated into your home. Next, stop by Artistic Tile to find inspiration in stone, glass, porcelain, ceramic or mixed material products featuring intricate designs and rare details. The mosaic pattern inspired by Duomo cathedrals or the semi-precious tiles hand-crafted from gemstones are sure to perfect your vision for a stunning aesthetic.
Whether it’s the master, guest room, bathroom or office, you’ll need to consider a palette for the walls. Innovations offers a vast selection of textile wall coverings, including natural, metallic and patterned selections. Or maybe you’d prefer to have an original artwork stretch across the entire wall? At Gracie Studio, the signature product line is hand-painted wallpaper featuring Chinese, Japanese, American or European scenes. The studio has been family-owned and operated since the late 1800s and also offers antique Asian furniture and accessories to fill your space with unique luxe touches.
Take a lunch break to recharge and refuel.
Take a seat at Meddlesome Moth, where you can choose from an incredible assortment of more than 40 draft beers, two live ales and nearly 100 bottles. The beer-battered cod and chips with braised beans is a favorite dish of locals, but you might want to opt for the artisanal grilled cheese with Tillamook cheddar, gruyere, provolone, jalapeño-cheddar toast and soup, of course. Or if you’re in the mood for something lighter, the Moth Caesar with romaine, kale, parmesan and pumpernickel chips fits the bill. If the food doesn’t tickle your fancy, the atmosphere certainly will. Who wouldn’t be awed sitting under three life-size stained-glass windows featuring Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis salvaged from Dallas’ original Hard Rock Cafe?
Spend your afternoon viewing incredible art.
Once you have your home furnishings in order and your appetite sated, it’s time to find visual inspiration. Conduit Gallery features a new exhibit each month in the main gallery, as well as a secondary display in the project room, and hosts an opening reception for the artists on the first Saturday of every show. Currently, you can see Annette Lawrence’s “Standard Time,” a striking visual representation of 25 years of journal writing with multi-layered graphite drawings.
If photography is more your style, visit the Crawshay Gallery to view ultra-high-resolution panoramic images by photographer Phil Crawshay. The gallery includes naturescapes, cityscapes and close-ups that are so large they’re measured in gigapixels, resulting in clear and distortion-free pictures. His metallic-based paper and Plexiglas mounting allow Crawshay’s prints to catch the light, enhancing their finish. His pieces are sealed from moisture, air and UV rays to extend their life indefinitely.
For a nature-rich experience, Aria Stone Gallery offers a collection of hand-chosen, exotic natural stones gathered from exclusive quarries from around the world. Displayed with each stone is the country of origin, size and price (yes, they’re for sale!). Schedule a private tour to view the naturally sculpted slabs by color, stone type, thickness or finish.
Pamper yourself before a night out.
Before you head out for dinner, visit Hair by Charlie for a runway-worthy look. Charlie Price spent years creating looks for editorial clients in Manhattan, as well as styling—you guessed it—models for the runway. Between him and his stylists, your hair couldn’t be in better hands.
Enjoy a relaxing, elegant dinner.
Reserve a table at Oak for an intimate and indulgent dining experience. Start with the spice roasted beet salad, which includes goat cheese fondant, compressed apple and upland cress. Then try an appetizer of gnocchi with jumbo lump crab and black truffle. For your entrée, perhaps the venison tenderloin with celeriac, pear and anise ginger broth? Go ahead, have a side of bordelaise mushrooms, too. End your feast on a light note with the strawberry pistachio, a delicious arrangement of pistachio sucree, mousseline, sponge cake and strawberry sorbet. Oak offers a broad range of cellar selections to complement your meal, ensuring you leave both satisfied and delighted.
This visit brought you down Oak Lawn, Hi Line Drive and Slocum Street, but come back another day to get the full Design District experience, exploring Dragon Street and Riverfront Boulevard. See you next time!
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