FIVE STARS AT THE STAR
In Texas the saying is: “Go big or go home.” The Dallas Cowboys are undoubtedly the biggest football team in the world, as proven by the franchise’s notoriety worldwide. So, when the Dallas Cowboys partnered with the City of Frisco and Omni Hotels & Resorts to build a hotel next to the team’s new world headquarters at the Dallas Star Ford Center, you knew it was going to be something spectacular.
The luxurious 300-room hotel is located within the 90- acre property at the northwest corner of Warren Parkway and the Dallas North Tollway, as part of the dining, shopping and entertainment development that includes the 12,000-seat indoor multiuse events and sports facility where the Cowboys practice.
Fulfilling the mandate of “going big,” the 17-story Omni hotel includes a fourth floor rooftop pool and deck that can accommodate up to 400 guests and has stunning views of the plaza and surrounding shopping, while offering fire pits, private cabanas and a grill. There is also 24,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 13,000-square-foot ballroom–big enough to hold a wedding for 1,050 guests.
Hotel guest will be able to enjoy a fine dining venue, lobby coffee and wine bar, and a luxury retail outlet featuring unique finds made by local designers and artisans. While very much its own Omni property, there are many subtle nods and homages to the Cowboys team and its rich history, and the hotel will integrate with the Ford Center on two levels.
“This extraordinary development and hotel will be a dynamic destination, offering travelers a truly one-of-a-kind experience,” says Mike Deitemeyer, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts. “The design and style of the hotel will honor the history of the Dallas Cowboys and the unbelievable progress of the City of Frisco.”
“The Star will be a first of its kind destination that brings the Cowboys brand to life,” says Jerry Jones, owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys. “We sought out partners that share our vision and commitment to quality and entertainment.”
Multiple packages will be offered to guests for their stays. There are two “shopping packages” that include nightly accommodations, dining options and valet parking as well as a special welcome amenity and either a one-of-a-kind star exclusive necklace or a $500 credit to be used in Charlotte Jones, the Omni Frisco boutique.
There are also the Tour and Stay package, for the ultimate Dallas Cowboys fan, and the Cowboys Fit package, where guests are invited to train like the pros with a visit to The Star’s training facility, where the world-famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders train. Packages begin at $349 and go up to $949 for the Legendary Shopping Package. omnihotels.com/hotels/frisco
THE DECADENCE OF DÉCOR
The last thing you might expect from a young man who spent his college days playing football at SMU, then going on to become a soccer coach, would be to release a luxury line of candles, fragrance products and décor, but then Brad Namdar likes to surprise people with the unexpected.
The pivot from sports to candles was no surprise for Namdar, whose self-named company unveiled its line of products at the summer Dallas Total Home & Gift Market in the In-Detail showroom of the Dallas Market Center. For him, creating soywax blends for candles and experimenting with essential oil fragrances was something he did to relax in his college dorm. Since Namdar enjoyed it so much and wanted to expand on the unique opportunities ahead of him, it only made sense to launch a high-end brand of luxury home décor and fragrance products.
For a start-up, Namdar Décor offers an extensive line of products, both wholly original and carefully curated, to present the highest quality home décor, progressive accent pieces and natural items.
To give you an idea of how comprehensive Namdar’s initial offerings are, here is just a top-level list of the products the company features (each collection or category offers multiple variations): stone votive and candle holders; an aromatherapy line; the Stone, Divinity and Wood collection of candles; the Versailles collection of candles (made with 100 percent leadfree solid crystal and inspired by the French Baroque period); and diffusers, including the Master Craft diffuser collection of 25 ounce bottles. The Master Craft diffusers are magnum-size bottles filled with your choice of the company’s nine home fragrances and utilize 15-inch bamboo reeds. The epic bottles are perfect for filling large rooms, offices or gathering spaces with therapeutic fragrances.
The company also offers an assortment of stone décor pieces, from agate coasters, mineral bookends and decorative items to crystal candleholders.
The aromatherapy line is the most recent addition and was created by using natural essential oils and fragrances, and eco-friendly cotton wicks, which are poured in amber UV-protective glass containers to ensure that the oils are protected.
With so much to offer it would be easy to get lost in the various selections, but what strikes you immediately is the quality of Namdar’s high-end products, branding and the detailed manufacturing of each product. From his printed signature on the packaging to the full-bodied fragrances of the aromatherapy line, everything is quality and luxury.
In only its first three months, Namdar Décor candles were carried by retailers in over 25 states and five countries, and used by many well-known designers—it’s becoming an increasingly recognized company.
The sports world’s loss, as Brad Namdar pursues a venture in home décor, is most certainly the design world’s gain. 214-812-9444 namdardecor.com
WHITE ROCK STUDIO TOUR
People enjoy peeking behind the curtain to see where art happens. The most cliché question asked of an artist is, “Where does your inspiration come from?” While the answer to this question may not be answered on this tour, at least those interested in art can get a look “backstage” and into the studios of artists who reside around White Rock Lake.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the free, self-paced tour takes place October 14 and 15. Over 56 artists working in 48 studios, and four art centers, open their doors and welcome visitors into their studios, where you can get a glimpse of work in all stages. The artists themselves will be available to discuss ideas, process, materials and, yes, maybe even their inspiration.
This annual event was first organized by Marty Ray and Michael Obranovich. Ray and Obranovich asked a few professional artists, with studios close to their own, to join them in having a one-day open studio event. The mission the first year and now, over 24 years later, is the same: to introduce the public to local artists and invite them to visit the unique spaces where art is created.
One of the artists who opens her gallery to visitors is Laura Moore. Her current series features large-scale geometric abstract oil paintings on canvas.
She is just one of the many great artists who are opening their studios for guests to visit. Others include Bruce Brownlee, Cynthia Daniel, Oscar Duran, Melissa Ellis, Chris Lyons and Alice O’Leary. Work that will be on display includes oils, watercolor, textiles, wood and steel sculpture, glass work, pottery, jewelry and photography, to name a few. There will certainly be something to meet every taste and style.
To plan your trip, visit the event website and click the “artists” tab. You can then easily make a list of those studios you wish to visit. whiterockartists.com
A NEW CONCEPT
For art collectors there are a couple of standard routes for purchasing art. There are traditional galleries, where artists have presumably been vetted by gallery owners. There are regional art shows, such as Dallas Art Fair and Art Basel in Miami.
One organization, Conception Global Art Collective, is creating a global art movement, attempting to reshape and reenergize artistic communities by inspiring ideas, mentoring emerging artist and introducing them to communities and collectors.
Conception is the brainchild of Rachel Wilkins, a 2016 Woman of Influence (New York Business Journal), who not only wants to provide tools and space for young artists to show their work, but wants to do it while promoting local communities themselves. It is no coincidence then that Wilkins selected Community Beer Co., located on the edge of the Dallas Design District, as the host location for the Dallas Conception art shows.
This is part of what makes Conception so special. It is like a pop-up gallery, in a pub, where you get to meet and talk to the artists in person. There are few other opportunities like this. The environment is unique, the vibe is cool and the art is wonderful.
Artists display their works on a fence and stand before their art, ready to meet and greet anyone who takes a liking to what they have created. For the collector, it is an opportunity to view a great number of emerging talents, with a drink in hand.
The next Dallas event will be held at Community Beer Co. at 1530 Inspiration Drive, Suite 200, on September 21.
“We’ve shed the traditional gallery system and opted for a more inclusive, edgy and ultimately worthwhile experience for both artist and collector,” Wilkins says. conceptionarts.com
OPENING THE DOOR AT FRONTGATE
There has been a trend the last several years of retailers focusing on their online offerings as a way to lower costs and compete with Amazon, the largest online retailer in the world. But, trends change and major online retailers, including Amazon, are now opening brick and mortar stores, and doing so with panache.
Frontgate, the leading home luxury lifestyle retailer, known for its best-in-class furnishings and enhancements and for outfitting America’s finest homes through its catalog and online portal, opened a flagship store in Plano’s amazing Legacy West development. Located on the northwest side of the Dallas North Tollway and Legacy Road, the 21,337-square-foot Frontgate store is near dining options and has a courtyard.
Stepping through the front door, past the 2,500 square feet of exterior patio, one is greeted with the brightest, freshest showroom of interior and exterior home furnishings. A dedicated bistro, serving light bites and drinks for guests, awaits you, followed by designated spaces for every room in the house. Near the front of the store is a seasonal space that will rotate items to feature summer patio goods, Christmas decorations, and more.
One can circumnavigate the showroom and visit a bedroom, bathroom, dining room, etc. Or you can enjoy the central walkway that bisects the galleries, which is filled with incredible seating arrangements and fulllength dining tables, all leading to a two-story working fireplace. If the design of the showroom is any indication of the quality of the product, then you know you have visited one of the finest new emporiums.
Often in showrooms this large, with the quantity of product offered, there can be a sense of claustrophobia and clutter, not at Frontgate. Sight lines are clean, the room is bright and filled with natural light from walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, and the space is impeccably laid out for comfort and ease of shopping.
To assist you, Frontgate offers complimentary onsite design consultants who can help with selecting furniture to match your home, space planning and everything else, all the way down to fabric options. The designers have a range of tools at their disposal and can provide sample swatches for you to take to view in your home.
“People enjoy the shopping experience and want to have that tactile exposure to the product,” Chris Nieto, general manager at Frontgate Legacy West, says. “Our towels and fabrics are some of the softest available, and you want to be able to feel that before you purchase. Plus, our furniture is so comfortable to sit on, and you cannot experience that shopping online. We wanted to give our customers the ability to engage with our products, and this store provides that opportunity.” 214-556-3064 frontgate.com/texas
