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The Whole Foods of DIY moves into Dallas

February 19, 2016Written by George Anderson

TreeHouse has been referred to as the Whole Foods of home improvement and "Home Depot for hipsters." Now, the Austin, TX-based startup is hoping its emphasis on products for greener homes will play just as well in North Texas as it opens a store in Dallas. "TreeHouse was born in Texas, and it is going to grow up in Texas," said Jason Ballard, chief executive and co-founder of TreeHouse, in a statement. "Dallas was an easy choice for the next location. Many of our investors and board members are based there. The Dallas community has been supporting us for four years, and now it's our turn to give back. Many people have said to us 'Sure TreeHouse works in Austin, but what about other places?' We look forward to showing that quality, beauty, health, a good earth, and good homes are universal values." The 25,000-square-foot store will be located at The Hill, a shopping center in North Dallas that is close to the city's growing Millennial populations to the east and south. According to Mr. Ballard, energy efficiency is of interest to consumers regardless of geographic locations, political leanings or other distinctions. TreeHouse plays up its point of difference with products not readily available in most DIY stores. The retailer was chosen to sell the upcoming Powerwall home battery from Tesla. It also stocks and sells Nest smart home products, Kentucky's Big Ass Fans, Bole Flooring, Roma Bio Paint, and Soma Water Filters. A Dallas Morning News report says TreeHouse has a number of influential investors, the biggest being Container Store co-founder Garrett Boone. Other investors include Gary Kusin, former CEO of FedEx Office, and Justin Cox, son of Berry Cox, a longtime board member of Home Depot. TreeHouse closed a $16 million round of funding back in July.

Photo: TreeHouse

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