The Designing Daughter

When Rupal Dalal launched her sleek collection of mother-of-pearl furniture during a party at Art of Old India, her family’s showroom on Dragon Street, nine pieces sold within minutes. Clearly, there was a market for them.

Handmade by artisans in India, her furniture merges ancient techniques and traditional materials with a fresh look. “I was always drawn to the antique mother-of-pearl furniture in the showroom,” says Rupal, who joined the family business in 2011 after earning an MBA in finance from Southern Methodist University. “I wanted to design something that would go with any decor and wouldn’t go out of style.”

Her father, Pankaj Dalal, opened Art of Old India in 1974, and the two now run the 20,000-square-foot showroom together. (Her mother, Jayshree Dalal, a jewelry designer whose fine, gold and diamond pieces are sold through Stanley Korshak, shows her semiprecious jewelry and clothing collection at Art of Old India.)

To showcase Rupal’s 20-piece collection of mirrors, accessories and side, coffee and console tables, the showroom’s front room received an all-white makeover. Interior designer Neal Stewart mixed Rupal’s new generation of furniture with the showroom’s inventory of antiques.

This stunning iteration of the old-world space has mother-of-pearl doors; glass fixtures; ornate, hand-carved teak sofa and coordinating chairs; architectural columns; inlaid chests; and jeweled brass lanterns. Art of Old India, 1030 Dragon St., 214.760.9216.