Stella, a contemporary Italian restaurant, opened its doors April 22 at 1201 N Walker Ave. Owner Lori Tyler signed a lease for the site formerly occupied by Chic Salon & Spa last fall and immediately gave the go-ahead to begin renovations on the 3,200-square-foot space just south of 1492 New World Latin Cuisine in Midtown.

Dallas interior designer Alice Cottrell was charged with design concept for the new restaurant. Cottrell, who specializes in commercial and residential design, began her career working for Donald Trump's casino hotels, and later designed Dallas’s historic Boyd Hotel’s in-house eatery, Local,  in Deep Ellum.

Tyler says Cottrell’s eclectic design for Stella will set a casual tone with an upscale look for patrons to come as they in blue jeans, business casual or after hours attire.

“The building had been vacant for some time, and one thing I loved about Alice’s suggestions was to keep the brick and stucco the way it is and just seal it to keep the old raw building there,” Tyler said. “Also, Alice emphasizes using fabrics that are very kid-proof and wearable…so her idea is that hopefully any fabric in here can be cleaned with Windex.”

But, patrons will be surprised to find many rich and beautiful fabrics, woods and stone set throughout the eatery surrounded by a mix of mid-century and modern furniture complimented by artistically designed flooring including cork, tile and concrete.

Furthermore, as patrons walk into the restaurant, the building’s main focus is on the wood burning oven where 40%-50% of the menu’s entrée selections will be prepared and baked.

Chef Brian McGrew designed the restaurant’s menu, which will offer modern Italian cuisine including a variety of salads made with fresh organic greens, soups, individual hand-tossed and oblong-shaped wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, pastas, and more.

The restaurant offers a total of 73 wines by the bottle and 23 wines by the glass consisting mostly of Italian and American wines.

Restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.