Design News

Bathroom beautifier Waterworks opens the doors to haute new digs in the DesignDistrict

Waterworks has relocated to the Design District.
Photo courtesy of Waterworks
Waterworks co-founder Barbara Sallick and her son, Peter, flew in fromConnecticut for the opening of the new Dallas showroom.
Photo by James Edward
Good design is all about "balance, proportion and scale," Barbara Sallick says.
Photo courtesy of Waterworks
Waterworks helps homeowners create baths more luxurious than those found at mosthigh-end European hotels.
Photo courtesy of Waterworks

Waterworks — the sleek and luxurious bath and kitchen design retailer, with 14 showrooms across the country — recently celebrated the opening of its new location in the Design District. To get the party started, co-founder Barbara Sallick and her son, Peter, CEO of the company, flew in from Connecticut.

Sallick's company is largely credited with transforming the oft-neglected bathroom, formerly considered perfunctory and utilitarian. With a focus on the finest fixtures, surfaces and textiles — think handmade copper tub from France, elegant faucetry in finishes ranging from sleek polished nickel to architectural bronze, marble washtand, and a stunning selection of tiles — Waterworks helps homeowners create bathrooms finer than those found at most high-end European hotels.

With a focus on the finest fixtures, surfaces and textiles, Waterworks helps homeowners create bathrooms finer than those found in most high-end European hotels.

We chatted with Barbara to learn about the brand and what the new locale — Waterworks was formerly situated at the Plaza at Preston Center — means for home design enthusiasts.

"The location is is perfect," she says. "When people shop over in the Design District, [Waterworks] is now in the mix."

Barbara says that good design is all about "balance, proportion and scale" — something she learned while working at Yale University's Art Gallery, in her early days. And something that the English know well. She says that England is the country that best reflects Waterworks' style.

"The foundations are very Edwardian, which we freshened up and updated."

Although Waterworks has boutique partners in Texas, where retailers have department showrooms within the store — such as Alexander Marchant in Austin and Allen & Allen Company in San Antonio — Dallas has the only stand-alone showroom.

"We're thinking about Houston," Barbara says, "but whether it'll be a showroom or associate with a wholesaler has not been determined."

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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."

shopping openings