An organized chaos might be the best way to describe the aesthetic ambiance at Scarlet Reagan.
Interior designer and store owner Kristi Kennimer celebrated the opening of the Preston Hollow location earlier this summer. The space is full of hyperfeminine, maximalist decor, retail accessories and Kennimer’s own artwork.
The original Scarlet Reagan store was in Lakewood, but after outgrowing the space, Kennimer decided to move near the Pavilion on Lovers Lane.
“At this new space, I feel at home,” Kennimer says. “I feel like I’m in my element and in my right spot with the right people around me. I loved my Lakewood people, but I needed more light and space. That’s everything to me because your environment makes your mood. Here, I come alive.”
Before the store there was a jewelry organizer, made by Kennimer, for her daughter, Scarlet Reagan. When Kennimer decided to open a full storefront, Scarlet Reagan stuck as the naming inspiration.
Kennimer’s daughter works at her namesake store during the summer, and Kennimer and her husband also named their company Dallas Design Lab after their son, Dallas Christian.
The desire for a store festered in Kennimer for years.
Before Scarlet Reagan, Kennimer often found herself cupping her hands around her eyes to stare through empty shop windows. She didn’t know why she was attracted to the idea, but the empty spaces filled her with ideas. Kennimer’s first venture into the retail space was a popup, but her excitement led her to open the Lakewood store.
Kennimer didn’t like how she felt stepping into galleries as a buyer or an artist. The spaces were often stuffy, or uptight. She describes Scarlet Reagan as being the missing piece in the art world, and the anti-gallery.
“I didn’t like what was in the market at the time and so I told myself that I’ll just make something new exist,” Kennimer says. “My goal is for this place and my art to be dreamy, fun, inclusive and familial.”
There’s no such thing as asking too much. In fact, Kennimer is adamant customers ask for pieces to be customized.
“The answer is always yes,” Kennimer says. “When customers come into the shop, I don’t want it to feel like it’s just a store to go into and buy things off the shelf. This place can be a resource to solve your problems. If you need something and it’s not in the store, you can get it customized. I want them to feel comfortable coming in and letting the sky be the limit.”
For the next phase of Scarlet Reagan, Kennimer is focusing on growing the brand and exploring new motifs in her artwork, such as butterflies. Another long-term goal of hers is customized textiles and wallpaper.
“At the heart of what I do is my art and my art inspires everything and it takes off from there,” she says. “I didn’t like feeling out of place when I would be at an art gallery. I want the opposite. I have a hard time muting colors because I like to feel vibrant and alive.”
