Shopping for a cause

Dallas' favorite home shopping event celebrates a decade of design

Dwell with Dignity is marking its 10th anniversary Thrift Studio with a party that lasts all month long. The much-anticipated fundraising pop-up shop — open April 5-27 in the Dallas Design District — features luxuriously furnished vignettes designed by North Texas’ leading designers, showrooms, and retailers, as well as a selection of fine art from 34 prestigious artists.

All of the high-end home décor items and original artwork on display are available for shoppers to purchase at deep discounts, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting Dwell with Dignity. DwD's mission is to provide low-income families and their new permanent housing with furniture, bedding, kitchen supplies, art, professional interior styling, food in the pantry and their first night’s meal. Thrift Studio is the organization's largest annual fundraiser.

"Nine renowned designers created eight vignettes displaying their talents, luxury furnishings, and original art pieces," the organization says in a release. "The vignettes may be an office area, dining room, bedroom, living area, or even a hotel lobby, but all are elaborately designed and furnished."

The design cast of the 2019 Thrift Studio reads like a “Who’s Who” in the design world.

The 2019 artists are: Lydia Abigail, Jennifer Ayyad, Barbara Baldwin, Anne Beletic, Jessica Bell, Brenda Bogart, Stephanie Bray, Teresa Bristol, Linda Chidsey, Ginger Cochran, Foster Cranz, Carolyn Joe Daniel, Nicole Davis, Melissa Ellis, Ben Fluno, Jordan Gomez, Margaret Harris, Silky Hart, JoJo Herda, Stacie Hernandez, Andrea Holmes, Carolyn Kerr, Joyce Landry, Cathy Manning, Amy McKenzie, Christ Merril, Clare Minella, Ethan Moss, Roma Osowo, Gregory Piazza, Nataliya Plambeck, Mione Plant, Lori Rayfield, Margaret Rehwinkel, Laura Runge, and Kristina Taherzadeh.

Designer and retail partners include:

Brant McFarlain
Judy Aldridge + Genesis Thrift Store
Pulp Design Studios + S. Harris
Maestri Studio + Mitchell Gold-Bob Williams
Holly Hickey Moore + RJones and Associates + SUPPLY
Russell Brightwell and Alice Cottrell + Stark
Peters Cates Designs + Kravet
Harbinger Designs + Casita

"The interior design teams have partnered with an assortment of retail partners to keep the shopping experience fresh," the organizers say in a release. "For instance, interior designer Judy Aldridge, well-known for repurposing furniture, partnered with Genesis Thrift Store. Couture collector Russell Brightwell has some of his rare, out-of-production, contemporary design objects, vintage ceramics, editions, and rare fashion, art, and design books on display and available to purchase."

Each vignette showcases a selection of luxury home décor and furnishings from high-end retail stores. Sofas, dining room tables, chandeliers, curtains, coffee table books, rugs, and more are discounted dramatically, often starting at 60 percent off.

Also, each of the vignettes will be replenished throughout the month of April, so — pro tips — shop often and ask a Thrift Studio staff member if there are specific days and times when they replenish, so you can coordinate your next visit.

Also, follow Instagram @DwellwithDignity for additional markdowns on featured products of the day.

Dwell with Dignity’s Thrift Studio Pop-Up Shop is open 10 am-5 pm Monday through Saturday through April 27 and is free for attendees to explore and shop. The shop is located at the Dallas Design Center, 1250 Slocum Street, #550.

A room designed by Holly Hickey Moore.

Photo by Lance Selgo, Unique Exposure Photography

A room designed by Holly Hickey Moore.

charity shopping

Swedish meatballs are coming

Furniture fave IKEA reveals grand opening date for Rockwall store

IKEA

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The newest IKEA store in Dallas-Fort Worth is ready to open its doors: IKEA Rockwall, located at 1801 E. Interstate 30, will debut on Wednesday, May 13.

According to a release, the Swedish-born furniture company will say hallå to Rockwall with some fanfare on May 13, beginning with giveaways, coffee, and cinnamon buns at 7 am, followed by remarks from VIPs at 9:45 am. Customers can line up as early as 7 am and doors will open to customers starting at 10 am.

Ikea is the world's largest furniture retailer, founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, and known for its simple, modern approach to interior design at an affordable price, its ready-to-assemble furniture, and its amusement-park-like stores.

Ikea Rockwall will be the anchor in a 65-plus acre mixed-use development with a location chosen for its accessibility not only to the east side of DFW but also to major highways that connect to faraway cities like Texarkana and Little Rock.

According to a release, the store represents Ikea's intention to become more accessible, affordable, and convenient for the many here in the U.S., and the store will offer a new way of reaching customers both in-store and digitally.

“Opening IKEA Rockwall is a big moment for us, not only because it’s our ninth store in Texas, but because it’s our first ground-up build since 2019,” says Rob Olson, interim CEO of IKEA U.S., in the release. “This milestone underscores our confidence in the future of this market and in our mission to create better everyday life at home through affordable, well-designed solutions.”

The store's footprint is 108,000 square feet — almost a third smaller than the behemoth locations in Frisco and Grand Prairie, which both span 293,000-plus square feet — and more on par with the new IKEA Dallas - University Park store that opened in Dallas in March.

The single-level Rockwall store features over 6,000 products and dozens of fully furnished room settings, with more than 3,800 items ready for immediate takeaway, the release says. In a "central planning area," customers can receive personalized design consultations from IKEA experts for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and small spaces.

And yes, there will be the famous Swedish meatballs. The new store will include a Swedish Bistro, serving customer favorites like meatballs, plant balls, hot dogs, and veggie dogs.

Additionally, Ikea Rockwall’s design will include features for improved sustainability, specifically solar power, LEED certified construction, EV chargers, onsite recycling and native plant materials to reduce water consumption.

An "as-is section" will offer gently used and discontinued items at discounted prices, "giving products a second life and helping customers furnish their homes more sustainably and affordably," they say.

“We’re proud to open IKEA Rockwall as a reflection of our commitment to the community it serves,” says Ben Sandoval, market manager, IKEA U.S. “Our goal is to be a trusted partner for local families by offering well-designed, affordable solutions that support everyday life at home.”

As part of its goal of being a good neighbor, IKEA Rockwall will donate $10,000 to the Children's Advocacy Center for Rockwall County at the grand opening. (Store hours on May 13 will be 10 am-8 pm.)

Once IKEA Rockwall debuts, it will be open 10 am-9 pm Monday-Saturday and 10 am-8 pm Sunday.

rockwall openings ikea