Doors of the Design District

As first impressions go, doors pretty much lead the way. A door can say a lot about a home or a business, or it can reveal very little about what lurks beyond.

Since the first step is the doorstep, that’s where I started when exploring Dallas’ “next urban neighborhood.” From the old, rustic doors of the antique shops on Slocum Street to the modern, glass showroom facades of the Decorative Center, the doors of the Design District are effortlessly chic.

Evolving from an industrial warehouse hub in the 1950s and 1960s to a center for antiques and decorative showrooms, the Design District is known internationally for its high fashion decorative fabrics and furnishings. It has become a reliable resource for decorative arts professionals who enjoy exclusive access to the area’s showrooms and stores. Interestingly, the economic downturn has led many showroom owners and artists in the Design District to re-think their designer-only policy, and many have opened their doors to the public.

Lately, the biggest door that opened for the Dallas Design District is the new exit ramp to Oak Lawn from the Dallas North Tollway. Dallas real estate development firm PegasusAblon, in anticipation of this new doorway, has invested heavily in its vision to take the Design District from a trade-only decorative destination to a vibrant, distinctive urban neighborhood.

Just a couple of years into the redevelopment of the Design District and the entire Lower Oak Lawn area, (now known as LOL), PegasusAblon’s team has effectively re-purposed and given new dimension to a treasured Dallas neighborhood.

Over the past week, I’ve been stalking LOL, touring the new apartment complexes and window shopping at the various furniture, lighting and antique shops and showrooms. The carefully crafted design of the new apartment communities is beautifully apparent. Both the Alta and Alexan Design District have developed home spaces that are unique and warmly livable for the urban professional seeking affordable style and premier proximity to Dallas’ hottest urban locales. I fell in love with the stained concrete floors, granite countertops and breathtaking skyline views.

Both communities are equally lush in amenities, including state-of-the-art gyms and A+ pools. Special features such as decorative tile back splashes in the kitchens add a custom home feel. The main difference between the two lies in the floor plans. The Alta units have a loft-like feel with open floor plans and exposed ventilation. While studio style units are available at the Alexan too, this community also offers more traditional apartment layouts.

The old saying goes; choosing a place to live is all about location, location, location. In that same vein, LOL is all about proximity, proximity, proximity. By car, LOL and the Design District are less than one minute from the Dallas North Tollway, two minutes from the AAC and Victory Park, five minutes from Downtown, six minutes to Uptown and just seven or eight minutes to West Village shopping. And with the current buzz about four new restaurant ventures planned for the LOL area, soon enough it will be the place to be — not just the place to live.

Doors are opening to a new community in Dallas — a community that is simultaneously rich with heritage and steeped in authenticity, yet artfully punctuated with a hip and ultra modern aura. The doors to LOL and the Design District are wide open with possibility and potential, giving Big D a new perspective on urban renaissance and redevelopment.

Tip: Ready to explore LOL but don’t know where to start? Check out Furniture Your Way showroom on Slocum Street, one of the oldest leather manufacturers in the DFW region. This week they hosted a massive sale, opening their doors to the public. With over 100 leather styles to choose from, you can find the look you want to achieve, whether it’s Hill Country Rugged or Dallas Modern Sleek. While I was out taking photos to chronicle the doors to LOL, the owner of the store walked right out the door to introduce himself to my friend Renee and me. He welcomed us through his doors and invited us to take a look around. Now this is a door worth gracing!

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For more photos please see Doors of the Design District in our photo album.