Dallas Welcomes A New Showroom Dedicated To Outdoor Decor

Melissa Gerstle is on a mission to bring the indoors out. Recently, the landscape designer opened Plein Air Atelier, a to-the-trade Dallas showroom dedicated to furniture, fabrics and accessories for the outdoors. “I’ve come to realize that my real purpose is to bring joy to families and create spaces that allow them to engage,” she says. “You need to be surrounded by a beautiful garden, but it’s also important to have wonderful seating areas that are comfortable and feel inspired.” However, she found the lack of variety in the outdoor decor market disappointing. Embarking on her own research, the designer soon found a passion for discovering fresh pieces and textiles. Then came the question: “How can I share this with others so that we can all improve outdoor design?” Working with interior designer Jean Liu—a dear friend whom Gerstle met years ago at a gardening club—she created her dream boutique in the Dallas Design District. The space showcases outdoor furniture and garden decor that feel sophisticated enough to take inside. Visitors can expect vignettes of curated selections from sought-after brands—think modern tables from Coco Wolf seated next to vintage urns, atop luxurious Limited Edition rugs. “We’re trying to tell a story of how you can mix and match different pieces, which is a familiar idea for interior designers but still a burgeoning concept when it comes to applying outside,” she adds. Keeping in step with the showroom’s emphasis on one-of-a-kind pieces, Plein Air Atelier also carries ceramic lines from independent artists such as Brooklyn-based Ellen Robinson.