Pettigrew Luxury Furnishings has been an institution in the Dallas Design District, providing high-quality furniture and lighting to designers and homeowners for 50 years. However, after Donna and David Wildman of Wildman Art Framing purchased Pettigrew in 2010, later moving it to Market Center Boulevard, the business underwent somewhat of a makeover to update its offerings.
In order to adjust to the needs of its growing and diverse clientele, the Wildmans adapted Pettigrew’s inventory to focus more on modern and transitional furnishings. Pettigrew has also expanded its offerings to accommodate a wider range of clients, from those with sprawling estates to those moving into zero-lot-line homes and highrise condominiums.
The expansive showroom is a haven for discerning designers and homeowners alike with exquisitely placed, inviting vignettes that feature a mixture of textures, colors and materials. Rather than simply matching several pieces from one source in a vignette, the staff at Pettigrew thoughtfully curates each setting with a mixture of designers and custom pieces for a unique look from which clients can seek inspiration.
A large part of Pettigrew’s focus is on custom furniture. The company has talented craftsmen on site to build custom furnishings as well as a visionary lighting specialist, Jim Palmer, who both adapts existing lighting fixtures and creates new pieces from scratch to fit clients’ individual desires.
For one client, Palmer embellished a simple chandelier frame with hand-cut and polished Turkish and Czech crystals. This personal touch transformed the chandelier and made it a unique fit for the client’s home. Another client saw a grand crystal chandelier with a few touches of gold and wanted something similar for his entryway. Palmer set to work creating a much larger version of the chandelier in silver and clear crystal. Several feet high and several feet wide, the glittering crystal chandelier is definitely an eye-catcher.
Palmer also constantly experiments with his own creative visions. For example, he created a small light fixture with multiple layers of colorful dichroic glass squares arranged on a circular metal frame. The dichroic glass reflects various colors of light, like a prism, for a very intriguing and multicolored effect.
Dena Didas, CFO at Pettigrew, describes the custom department at Pettigrew as “very creative,” explaining that everything is done by hand, from the crystals hanging from chandeliers to the nailheads on a custom sofa. “I love to see the final results of the collaboration of our craftsmen and designers,” says Didas.
The team has created everything from custom sofas to media cabinets and cocktail tables. “Sometimes, someone finds a sofa they like, but it doesn’t fit their space,” says David Wildman. “Our craftsmen can re-create the sofa they desire in a larger size while also accommodating the client’s preference for the sofa’s depth and softness.”
Recently, a client was looking for 14 chairs for her dining table. She had found three different chairs she liked certain aspects of, but she hadn’t been able to find that perfect chair. Pettigrew was able to marry the three styles and come up with a unique chair in the style, size, finish and upholstery the client envisioned.
In addition to its custom offerings, Pettigrew represents several lines of furniture and lighting, including Fine Art Lamp, Taylor King, Lexington, and Caracole.
Pettigrew also represents several local Dallas artists, including LaToya Jones, Carmen Menza, Amy Cannady, and Melissa Ellis; the showroom also periodically hosts artist receptions, during which designers and the public can view original artwork and meet the artists in person.
Dallas residents looking to furnish their entire home or update with a few statement pieces can look to the modernized Pettigrew Luxury Furnishings to help make their visions—no matter how specific or how vague—a reality.
