Shopper’s Diary: The Kitchen Sink and More at Set & Co. in Dallas

Jennifer and Adam Littke left LA for Dallas two years ago and quickly made a good impression. They recently landed on D Magazine’s 10 Most Stylish People in Dallas list. They also rank as among the city’s busiest: The couple are the proprietors of Set & Co., a sophisticated housewares shop with an emphasis on the kitchen, and each of them manages to hold down another day job: She’s an interior designer/creative director for a company that builds boutique hotels; he directs commercials and music videos. And when they can, they peruse the world for the perfect cutting boards, candles, and salt and pepper grinders.

Set & Co. takes inspiration from Shaker design (and, with its charcoal overtones, is more than a little reminiscent of our SF kitchenware haunt, March.) Maybe the Littke’s have also been browsing our own archive because their inventory is a Who’s Who of Remodelista go-tos. Regardless, it’s nice to see so many favorites in a great-looking new setting.

Photography courtesy of Set & Co.

The Store

Above: The Littke’s set up shop almost exactly a year ago in a 1922 brick mercantile building in the city’s historic Oak Cliff neighborhood. Jennifer earned her design creds by assisting Rose Tarlow for eight years. Adam is the recipient of a Saatchi & Saatchi New Director Award.

Above: A dining ensemble by Sawkille of Rhinebeck, New York, anchors the center of the space. The industrial chandelier is a Workstead classic.

Above: The couple found their vintage table (in a dark brown finish) in Houston. They use it for display along with a Shaker-style sideboard and peg system designed by Jennifer, all painted Farrow & Ball Off Black.

Above: The shop’s wares range from David Mellor flatware to Lostine rolling pins and cast-iron kettles from Netherton Foundry “a new UK workshop,” says Adam, “that makes all of its wares as a company would have during the Industrial Revolution.” The 1922 sink came with the shop; the couple had it re-enameled and fitted with antique English copper faucets.

Above: The baskets on display are from the Littke’s own collection and include a Belgian grain basket (far left) and painted Native American tray (center). The black Cutting Boards are from Josh Vogel’s Blackline collection (see Cutting Boards to Covet).

The Wares

A small selection of Set & Co.’s goods are available in their online shop. Here are some standouts.

Above: Brass put to unusual use as a Bread Knife with a hand-turned handle, $198; it’s part of a collection of Set & Co. brass utensils that are made in Japan.

Above: A French Enameled Cast-Iron Frying Pan is $120.

Above: A Granite Mortar and Pestle of unglazed porcelain by UK sculptor-designer John Julian Design; $150. Read about his line in our post Poetic Pottery.

Above: Heather Taylor’s Mexican-made Pink and Green Woven Cotton Napkins, 18 by 18 inches, are $80 for four.

Above: A set of Three Covered Bowls by Berkeley ceramic artist Sarah Kersten are $250. Set & Co. also carries Kersten’s Fermentation Jars—read about them in Fermentation Fever.

Above: An Austrian Enamel Rack, $20, with a Small Ladle, $20, and Skimming Ladle, $20.

Above: The Danish Georg Stool, $350, is oak with a rawhide-tied wool cushion.

Set & Co. is at 841 W. Davis St., in Dallas.

Here are a few more kitchenware and tabletop sources of note:

• Editors’ Picks: 10 Favorite Wedding Registries
• San Francisco’s Best Kitchen Shop, Now Online
• Paris’s Most Exciting Shop
• Secrets from the Swanson Kitchen