Antiquing 101

The 5 best Dallas antique stores to find that special something

Dallas has some of the best antique shops around, hands down. And by antiques, we mostly mean traditional 18th- and 19th-century English and European pieces, with some important 20th-century ones thrown in for good measure. You know — those extravagantly priced, beautiful pieces you see in auction catalogs. Interestingly enough, these are the pieces that store owners from New York and LA come to Dallas to find, only to go home and sell at a higher price.

Whether you’re into antiques, or you just want one or two special pieces, these are the Dallas stores you must shop.

Embree & Lake
Located in the heart of the Design District, Embree & Lake offers a wide range of 18th- and 19th-century European antiques, as well as lovely color-blocked vignettes brightened with modern art.
Specialty: Louis XVI period, bronze and rock crystal lighting, and lamps.
Bonus: Qing Dynasty porcelains, French deco pieces, and modern art. And, don’t forget to say hello to Marc Lake’s partners Walter, Sister, and Edith.

East & Orient Company
Founded in 1979 and also located in the Design District, this 12,000-square-foot showroom welcomes visitors with a beautiful vine-covered entryway.
Specialty: Huge range of collectible pieces, from antique Chinese dynasties to the famous Hatch porcelain collection to a modern French daybed by Madeleine Castaing.
Bonus: The showroom is mostly displayed in take-home-ready room settings that immediately make you think of Downton Abbey. If you’re lucky, you'll be greeted by illustrious owner Betty Gertz and then invited to visit by the fire in her luxurious library.

Legacy Antiques
A massive warehouse stocked with European antiques, Slocum Street's Legacy Antiques recently expanded to 15,0000 square feet. It carries a daunting selection of tables, consoles, chairs, and lighting in a treasure-hunt atmosphere of an old, dusty antique store.
Specialty: Chandeliers
Bonus: A new space was recently added for lighting — lamps, sconces, and chandeliers.

Nick Brock
This beautifully displayed shop on Henderson Avenue stocks a huge variety of 17th-century to midcentury furnishings.
Specialty: Antique silver, collectible art, unique and unusual accessories.
Bonus: Eclectic vignettes arranged with modern sofas accented with antique chairs and accessories.

Loyd Paxton
When you’ve seen enough “brown furniture” (yes, great European antiques are mostly mahogany, walnut, and oak), treat yourself to a trip up Irving Boulevard to this unlikely space. Upon entering, you'll feel like Marco Polo must have felt when he entered the Forbidden City.
Specialty: Dallas' most extravagant collection of porcelains, cloisonné, and jade.
Bonus: Unusual midcentury pieces that look particularly fresh in these surroundings.

Embree & Lake specializes in 18th- and 19th-century European antiques.

Embree & Lake/Facebook

Embree & Lake specializes in 18th- and 19th-century European antiques.

shopping

Swedish Fish News

Popular Ikea furniture chain to open 4th Dallas store in Rockwall

IKEA

Ikea sign - instantly recognizable

Dallas-Fort Worth is getting a new Ikea store in Rockwall. Located at Stodghill Road and I-30, it'll be the third Ikea in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and is due to open in December 2025.

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 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 towns like Texarkana and Little Rock. Rockwall to Texarkana is 155 miles or a 2-hour-and-22-minute drive — surely doable if you're hot to get a great quality mattress at a good price or stock up on Swedish gummy red fish.

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., even those who live in places like Casa View and Mesquite, and the store will offer a new way of reaching customers both in-store and digitally.

The store's footprint is 108,000 square feet — almost a third smaller than the existing locations in Frisco and Grand Prairie, which both span 293,000-plus square feet (although Grand Prairie is one story while Frisco is two-story). There's also a pickup-style store in Southlake that's 10,809 square feet.

“Our expansion goal is simple. We will be where people are, whenever and however they want to experience Ikea," says Ikea U.S. Ceo and Chief Sustainability Officer Javier Quiñones. “We have been testing different store formats to increase customer convenience, make home delivery more cost-efficient, and reach our customers where they live, work, and socialize. IKEA Rockwall represents a key milestone in this ongoing journey.”

Though smaller than the other area behemoths, Rockwall will nonetheless be serving Ikea's trademark meatballs at a new Swedish Deli concept, a Swedish cafe to enjoy meals onsite, and a Swedish Bistro for quick takeaway items that can be enjoyed in the outdoor seating area or at home.

The space will include multiple fully furnished room settings that showcase “local living” solutions reflecting the unique needs of the residents of the local community. Rockwall embroidered pillows, maybe?

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.

“We are strongly committed to the communities in which we operate. IKEA Rockwall provides an even more seamless omnichannel shopping experience throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, and we look forward to welcoming residents and surrounding neighbors to this new Ikea experience,” says Ikea U.S. Area Market Manager Rob Parsons.

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