Shopping for a cause

Chic home shopping event returns to Dallas after COVID cancellation

Dwell with Dignity Thrift Studio 2020, TwelveTwenty

A vignette by Twelve Twenty, one of the participating designers.

Photo by Lance Selgo, Unique Exposure Photography

It's take two for Dallas' favorite home decor-shopping fundraiser. Dwell with Dignity's largest annual benefit, Thrift Studio, now will take place August 28-September 26 at The International on Turtle Creek, the organization says in a release.

Originally planned for April prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the luxury home furnishings pop-up shop was canceled in March, and organizers pivoted quickly to an online format to earn some of the vital funds they needed to keep offering services. But they always intended to reschedule the in-person shopping event.

DwD provides low-income families with home furnishings in permanent homes. Thrift Studio brings in $400,000 — 40 percent of DwD's annual revenue.

“We are thrilled to finally open our doors to showcase the incredible work of our interior designers and artists while raising necessary funds," says DwD executive director Ashley Sharp in the release. "Thrift Studio provides one-third of the operating revenue that allows Dwell with Dignity to change lives through design by bringing good design to those who can afford it the least.”

She notes that the venue is a massive 12,000-square-foot space that is social distancing-friendly. Shoppers will be required to wear masks and gloves (gloves provided by Dwell with Dignity) and practice six-foot social distancing. The organization will also provide contactless payment and a plastic divider at checkout. A professional disinfectant cleaning company will be used throughout Thrift Studio’s four-week run, they say.

Thrift Studio showcases luxuriously furnished vignettes designed by North Texas’ top designers, showrooms, and retailers, as well as a curated selection of fine art from prestigious local artists. Everything on display is available for shoppers to purchase at deep discounts, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting Dwell with Dignity.

Shay Geyer of IBB Design serves as the Thrift Studio honorary chair, and ALG Collective’s four artists — Anna Curnes, Melissa Ellis, Annie Griffeth, and Christi Meril — serve as Art Co-Chairs.

The interior designers lending their talents to the 2020 Thrift Studio include: Cathy Kincaid of Cathy Kincaid Interiors; Leslie Jenkins of Jenkins Interiors; Mia Brous, Kerri Goldfarb, and Louise Marsh of Madre Dallas; Monica Wilcox of Monica Wilcox Design; Morgan Farrow of Morgan Farrow Interiors; Josh Pickering of Pickering House Interiors; Twelve Twenty, and Lindley Whisenant Arthur of Lindley Arthur Interiors.

In addition to the art chairs, the 2020 Thrift Studio artists include: Alec DeJesus, Ana Sadeh, Anne Beletic, Brandon Harris, Brenda Bogart, Carolyn Daniel, Charlie French, David L. Henderson, M.D., Ginger Ray Walker, Hannah Brown, Janie Stidham, Jenny Grumbles, Laura Goodson, Linda Chidsey, Lindsey Meyer, Marcy Cook, Melissa Auberty, Mione Plant, Rachel Nash, Ross von Rosenberg, and Taelor Fisher.

The popular Thrift Studio VIP Preview Party will take place on two nights, August 26-27. However, the August 26 event is already sold out, leaving the party on August 27 (from 6-8 pm) a coveted ticket. Tickets are available for $125 each at the website. The party includes drinks, bites, live music, and a first-look shopping experience.

Thrift Studio will be open Monday through Saturday, 10 am-5 pm, and is free to enter. For more information, visit the site.

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Swedish Meatball News

Sleek furniture store IKEA to open first location in Dallas

IKEA

IKEA's signature Billy cabinet

Dallas finally gets its own IKEA store. According to a release, the Swedish-born furniture company is opening a new location — the first in Dallas proper — to debut in late 2025.

Called IKEA Dallas - University Park, the store will be located at The Shops at Park Lane, the center at US-75 and Park Lane that's home to stores such as Whole Foods Market, American Girl, Saks Off 5th, and Home Goods.

The address is 8080 Park Ln., and they're not specifying exactly which storefront it will occupy, but it will be a smaller-format store at 63,000 square feet than its suburban siblings such as Frisco where the square footage is 310,000 square feet.

IKEA is on a journey to become more accessible, affordable, and convenient, with smaller "urban" stores that have a limited inventory of items sold on site: 3,200 articles.

IKEA's entire range will not be available for immediate takeaway; big furniture items like beds and couches, for example, can only be ordered online, with options for store pick-up or home delivery at a minimal fee.

Nonetheless, the Park Lane will be two levels and will be the 11th store in Texas: Currently, there are five full-sized IKEA stores, three "Plan and Order Points with pick up, and two smaller-format stores opening in San Marcos and Rockwall.

IKEA Rockwall, which just celebrated its groundbreaking, will comprise 108,875 square feet and the store be built from the ground up. IKEA Dallas-University Park will be built in an existing building at The Shops at Park Lane, which building it is, they do not say.

The Rockwall store will have a new Swedish Deli cafe where they'll serve meals onsite, as well as their Swedish Bistro takeout concept, serving their signature Swedish meatballs which they also offer in a delectable plant-based version as well, you should totally try it if you have not already.

Park Lane will have food, as well, although no word on whether there'll be a cafe.

"At IKEA, we want to create a better everyday life for the many people and one way we can do that is by bringing IKEA close to where people live, work, socialize and shop, says IKEA US CEO Javier Quiñones in a statement. :The opening of IKEA Dallas - University Park is a perfect example of our strategy to develop smaller, more accessible urban store formats, bringing a more connected and accessible IKEA experience to everyone."

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