Art of Old India — now known as AOI Home — is one of the showrooms that has been with the Dallas Design District from the beginning, and it's a longtime favorite of Dallas-area interior designers and architects. The eclectic home design showroom recently rebranded to their new name, AOI Home, to better reflect their aesthetic and wide ranges of product offerings.
AOI Home’s large showroom houses antique and modern furnishings as well as beautiful handmade items to complement any home. We sat down with the staff of AOI Home to learn more about their company's journey.
In December, Art of Old India rebranded to AOI Home. Tell us a bit more about the reasons for this transition and what it means for the future of the showroom.
Changing our name was a hard decision, but we knew it was time to rebrand the company. Our merchandise and look have changed since we chose the name back in 1974, and we felt the name was no longer reflective of our style. Many people would look at our name and think that we only sold antiques or very ethnic designs, which is untrue. We redesigned our showroom in 2016, and changing our name was the last step in our transition.
We have kept our original stone "Art of Old India" sign near our courtyard so that we don't forget our past.
How did AOI Home originally come to the Dallas Design District back in 2004?
We were located in the Dallas World Trade Center for almost 30 years. We needed a larger space for our items, and the Design District was the perfect location. We wanted to move and establish ourselves before the area really took off. The new location was great for our clients — they can park and walk straight in, and it's easier to make quick trips. The new location also made us visible to the public and provided us with more exposure.
In 2016, AOI Home launched its first collection of original designs. What has that journey been like?
It was definitely a learning process, but it's been a great experience. It was amazing to see our vision turn into actual, physical items. We loved knowing that these special pieces couldn't be found anywhere else in the world. We had a great response to the collection and were thankful for the support. We are still continually introducing new designs.
Your showroom is full of handcrafted items. Why is this part of your inventory important to you?
Handmade items are constructed with so much care and detail. These pieces tend to outlive most machine-made furniture. Our clients value handmade furnishings and see them as art. Each piece is made by skilled craftsman and takes a long time to complete. When you know that someone has carved your table by hand or inlaid every little piece of mother of pearl in your mirror, you have an appreciation for the artist and the piece.
If you had to describe AOI Home’s showroom style in one word, what would it be and why?
Classic. All of our pieces are designed to outlast trends.
What can new visitors expect when they come to your showroom?
You can expect to see unique designs that you can't find anywhere else. We have everything including grand front entry doors, marble planters for landscape design, contemporary and antique furnishings, small accessories and even some clothing!
The one thing that surprises most of our new clients is our price point. Our items are very accessible and no one should ever feel intimidated to shop in our showroom.
Any favorite piece or collection in the showroom at the moment?
We have some great statement mirrors. They can really dress up a living room or bathroom vanity.
Complete this sentence: “No room is complete without..."
The one piece that always makes you smile. For us, that's anything with inlay work.
Whether you’re in the market for new furniture or just in the mood to see some beautiful objects, be sure to stop by the AOI Home showroom.
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