Jenni Stolarski and Val Haskell are Oak Cliff icons. Jenni is a real estate agent with Compass. She helps her clients buy and sell some of the most fabulous houses. And sometimes, her and Val snag a few for themselves.
They’re long-time real estate investors and they like to keep it local. Together they’ve created some of the most spectacular remodels in the city. Their remodels go on to become tenants’ homes, both short- and long-term. As a matter of fact, when I met my husband, he was living in one of their properties on Kings Highway.
I’m telling you, they have all the coolest spots.
One of their most recent renovations was also one of the greatest April Fools pranks. They launched Prada Oak Cliff, in Photoshop name only, and I think we were all a *little* bummed when we found out it wasn’t real.
There is a real story behind this property, though. And true to Stolarski’s style, it’s fantastic.
Years ago, Jenni and Val bought the commercial building to lease out as commercial space. Then they realized it was a really fabulous live-work situation, so they created a workspace downstairs with a bedroom and bathroom upstairs.
Cut to today and they’ve taken their vision even farther.
It’s now an incredible short-term rental with two separate living spaces, two completed bathrooms, and plenty of room for a girlfriend retreat, out of towners visiting family, company offsite, trust falls, late night charades, and pretty much anything else you come up with. It’s their third short-term rental and their largest to date.
Val handles all the bookings and coordinating and she loves hearing the stories of what brings people to the city and helping them find the best local spots to visit.
It’s the closest stand-alone building to downtown Dallas, too, so the commute is a cinch and Bishop Arts is a few minutes in the other direction. Added bonus, there are no neighbors to speak of except Jenni and Val and we’ve already established they’re solid people.
The thing about a Jenni-and-Val short-term rental is they put the same amount of time and energy into finding the perfect furnishings that they do into creating the perfect finish out. Obviously, their eyes are impeccable and their intentions are, too.
Jenni painstakingly combs through vintage and consignment shops and sites to find the perfect pieces. It’s a lot of work, but the results are worth it. In the end the look is cozy and livable and … ta da! Feels like a home.
Once the remodel was complete and all the furniture in place, Jenni realized there was one thing missing, art. She consulted one of her most stylish friends and they agreed, you can’t just put up art prints in a space like this. She needed original art so she set out to find what she was looking for. It lead her down a path of up-and-coming textile and 2D artists and almost all of the ones featured are women from Dallas or the south. Once the interior was set, Jenni and Val pulled out their own paintbrushes and spent a weekend creating the mural on the side wall. That’s right, THEY PAINTED IT THEMSELVES.
The original artwork from women in the south is one way to honor Val’s Grandmother. The other? Naming the house after her. Jenni and Val call this rental The Norwood and that’s Val’s Grandmother’s maiden name.
Val says it best. “Norwood was my grandmother’s maiden name. Grandmother loved being with family and friends, telling stories, laughing and eating the entire time.
At her tallest she was five-two, but that didn’t stop her from playing college basketball. She was small, but mighty, and a huge influence in my life and Jenni’s. She loved to create and build things and that is a trait you find in me as well. This project is dedicated to her drive, her legacy, and named after her – The Norwood.” If you’d like to book it, it’s available now on AirBnB.
