Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1538826
98 KD Biel, a new artisanal- inspired store in the Design District Kurt Bielawski Reads the Room By Rebecca Sherman. Photography Stephen Karlisch. M cKinnon and Harris' outdoor Iznik ottoman and table conjure the opulence and fantasy of ancient Anatolia. Inspired by a pair of 16th-century tiles housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum's archives, the base is adorned with Turkish arches and capped with Persian stars. Handcrafted in high-performance aluminum, the ottoman can be coated in any of McKinnon and Harris' 26 finish colors, including Poinciana Coral. The hand-tufted French cushion shown here is in Scarlet Ibis Piume fabric, named for the radiant bird native to Florida wetlands and Caribbean atolls. Iznik ottoman and table, at McKinnon and Harris, 1209 Slocum St., Suite 100, mckinnonharris.com. Rebecca Sherman KD Biel, a new retail store i n t h e Dallas Design District, fills a stylish niche with hard- to-find artisanal lines from across Europe — Belgian linens from Libeco, French kitchen linens by Charvet Éditions, Danish terracotta pots from Bergs Potter, and a tightly edited mix of furniture and accessories. Created by Kurt Bielawski, the shop is arranged as a series of lifestyle rooms — garden, living, library, kitchen, dining, pantry, and bed and bath — each reflecting his point of view shaped by decades in retail and design. Bielawski began his career at Marshall Field's in Chicago, then joined Neiman Marcus as vice president/divisional merchandise manager; he spent a decade there in roles ranging from men's clothing buyer to couture divisional. Building and construction are also in his DNA. He co- founded the Dallas construction firm More of the brands carried are exclusive to the store, including British watering cans from Haws, Japanese garden tools by Niwaki, and American-made furniture from East Otis Studio. KD Biel is the only U.S. source for Society Limonta Italian sheeting, Once Milano artisan bedcovers and pillows, British ceramics by John Julian, Italian porcelain by Francesca Colombo, and fine German bone china from Dibbern. Apothecary includes Santa Maria Novella and KD Biel custom candles, alongside exclusive British fragrances by Perfumer H. "There's a lot of product in my store that you can't find anywhere else," Bielawski says. The atmosphere is deliberately relaxed — a place where clients can browse. With tabletop, registry, and online shopping (launching mid-September), the store caters to both the design trade and cultivated shoppers. KD Biel, 1316 Slocum St., kdbiel.com. Design + Build in 2005. After years spent designing and building homes for others, he began to envision a retail space of his own — one that would merge his background in retail with his passion for interiors. The store has been in development for several years, initially as an online concept that evolved into a brick-and-mortar presence when the space adjacent to Jan Showers showroom on Slocum became available. "I've always wanted to do this," Bielawski says. "It's comfortable, it's beautiful, and it's exactly the way I want it." Rather than a traditional showroom layout, KD Biel unfolds like a private residence, with merchandised vignettes that reflect how people live. The mix includes both branded and in-house designs — furniture custom-designed by Bielawski, Italian-made percale bed linens under the KD Biel name, and accessories such as throws and candles unavailable elsewhere in Dallas. Many Turkish Delight Kurt Bielawski McKinnon and Harris Iznik ottoman and table