The first East Dallas resident you may encounter upon entering Smashing Times is Lois, a personable Jack Russell Terrier who shares her neighborhood home with ST proprietor Robin Oldham. During the day, the canine shopkeeper keeps watch over an cleverly filled niche in the marketplace.
What kind of niche are we talking about? Well, first of all, has something like this ever happened to you?
Crash goes that precious piece of china that your grandmother left you. As the pieces scatter on the floor, you can’t believe that it is gone forever. You collect the shards and tearfully put them in a box, because it hurts too much to throw them away just now.
Then one day, the pieces come back together again, like magic.
Oldham and partner, Tracy Bell, creators of Smashing Times, located at 308 Preston Royal Shopping Center, have mended many a broken heart by creating or assisting patrons in creating a mosaic masterpiece out of their broken dishes. The standard items one can make include picture frames, vases and trinket boxes.
But, you are limited only by your imagination.
It all began several years ago when Bell and Oldham began releasing their creative energies as mosaic artists, both seeking lifestyle changes after diverse careers. On Jan. 1, 1999, during a New Year’s Day breakfast, Smashing Times was conceived. It opened for business in July of that same year.
“We have a lot in common,” says Bell, “a strong work ethic, ambition, and not afraid to get our hands dirty.” And that they do, each day creating masterpieces of their own, or helping their customers with the grouting and the glazing.
Oldham has followed a circuitous route to her present-day career as mosaicist. After graduating from high school in Keller, she went on receive a degree in social work from North Texas State University. From there, she worked for the Child Protective Services. She also tried cosmetology school, but eventually spent most of her time working with her family at her brother’s design company: Todd Oldham, clothing designer. She served as director of Retail Operations domestically and abroad for some time before the design company sold.
“It was all just the right timing,” acknowledges Oldham, who remains enthusiastic about her current venture. “Smashing Times is always evolving. Every day we have a new idea.”
Bell, a graduate of Hillcrest High School, received a teaching degree for the hearing impaired from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. After 17 years and various careers in stockbrokering, an incentive travel company and food manufacturing, she and husband, Jay, and son, Lee, wanted to return here. Now, with new baby Pierce, the family lives in North Dallas.
“I began working in mosaics while living in Montreal. I even began writing a book on the subject that will soon be published titled Crazy Mosaics,” says Bell. “I had met Robin several times over the years when we would come for visits to Dallas. It was all just the right timing”
Beginning as a studio and gallery, the partners are now developing the concept for franchises and a trademark. “It looks like our first franchise will be in Portland this year, with LA and New York possibly to follow,” says Bell.
Location, location, location — always important, as in this Preston Hollow neighborhood where so many new homes are being built and so many older ones are being remodeled that numerous home furnishing stores have found a lucrative niche within the neighborhood’s boundaries.
“There are three aspects of Smashing Times,” says Oldham, “the gallery and studio where artists can sell works of art as well as work on pieces. We also sell products including tumbled ceramic, tile, and glass for home and commercial use. And third, a place where people of all ages can learn just how to create a mosaic tray or kitchen counter top.”
“We tumble all our tiles by machine, in water. This way the edges aren’t rough and are safe for children to work with,” says Bell. The store can accommodate up to 60 people for parties or adult functions; party packages are available for all ages, during the evening as well as daytime.
Not only do Bell and Oldham “keep shop,” they are also currently working with architects and builders in designing commercial and in-home pieces. “We love to do really great big things, we just finished a free standing wall in the lobby of the Fidelity Building in Westlake,” says Oldham. “More and more people are calling and asking us to produce that specific mosaic in their home. Architects, designers and builders are recognizing our work.”
When asked how they came up with the name, the partners remember that they wanted some kind of play on words.
“We didn’t want to call it an art studio or gallery because it would be too limiting,” they both say.
And magic is never limiting.
