Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Van Tress.
Doug, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I think you could say that we jumped into business (and life) together very quickly and without the kind of a plan that any business school would endorse. I was a junior management consultant at a big firm and Chauwarin was finishing his masters in graphic design and working in a restaurant to pay for school. One of his sisters suggested that we go into business together selling her friend’s product –ruby and sapphire jewelry from Thailand. It sounded like a sure thing but, we could never quite make it work due to inexperience and lack of capital. It was, of course, a great experience so in that regard, not a total failure.
I made pizza in Ukrainian village for a year in 1988 and at times, felt like I’d made a wrong turn except that making pizza was actually fun and I learned about a whole world of smart, interesting people outside of downtown. I became scrappier and actually happier. Our next venture was with a different product –Thai woodcarvings, which were unknown in the U.S. at that time. We opened a small shop on Chicago Avenue, charging our rent deposit on AMEX. It boomed (at a relatively low level of sales) and was profitable immediately. We didn’t know it at the time but that small space was a kind of incubator that would allow us to learn and refine our business without being overwhelmed by expenses. Very quickly we got a lot of advice from our customers and we listened. With each buying trip, we got better, adding antiques to our business in 1991. By 1992, we were selling more antiques, including British Colonial pieces left over from the empire, than new gift items. Basically, we turned into antiques dealers. We moved to a larger space in 1993 and really kicked up the rarity and price level of our offerings.
By the early 2000’s we were the largest retailer of Chinese antiques in the Midwest and we then added Hungarian Deco in 2004. The Golden Triangle from that point on was a crossroads for international design. In 2007, we moved to our current space and built it out as kind of a movie set with parts of old buildings, salvaged wood and clay tile floors. We had specialized very precise lighting and a collection of very meticulously created room vignettes. Our thinking was to go beyond the traditional antique store model and create a destination- making going to our store a real adventure. Now, we are trying to extend that feeling of adventure and discovery to our online business. It’s another reinvention and by far the most challenging one so far!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I love analogies: “No, the road hasn’t been smooth; there’ve been many potholes and speed bumps and of course construction areas along the way.”
I can’t say it’s been unusually difficult but there have been many challenges. Rapid growth was a big challenge –just managing all the people was very crazy. After all, we were best at buying furniture, restoring it and presenting it. That’s completely different than managing people! Now, of course, the big challenge is to compete in a digital environment. What is the value of a huge, decorated emporium if everyone is just going to buy everything from a phone. 18,000-square feet of 3D objects versus 6-square inches of 2D screen space. Which will win? We are about to find out.
The Golden Triangle – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our store specializes in Asian and European antiques, modern American furniture and contemporary art. Our special skill is putting it together in a way that is exciting and very easy to live with. And of course, it’s possible to put these disparate elements together because they have been very carefully selected in the first place. It’s not enough that something just is old – it has to have a special quality (material, form, proportion, patina), which makes it a “Golden Triangle” piece. The pieces that make the cut naturally get along.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’m going to give two:
First, our opening party in 2007. 600 people came to celebrate our opening, including almost every designer in Chicago. We built out the store exquisitely – I should say my partner headed this effort – and it was done in an incredible 13 weeks. It was like a race, transforming the space from a giant warehouse into an architectural village from the 4th of July to just before Halloween! Having so many customers come to the grand opening was a tremendous validation for our vision and for the friendship we have for so many in our community. And my partner, who is exceptionally shy and humble, got major credit.
Second, we had a very mysterious musical concert in 2015; a kind of salon like the old French aristocrats used to have in their great houses. Ancient Asian instruments and modern electronica, including sounds of crickets and bells and wind were combined in a concert for about 50 people on a cold February night. It was the kind of art experience one dreams about –an absolutely riveting performance. I was very proud of that and I have to confess the hairs on my arms stand up a little when I recall it. It was high art and we made it happen. We put the pieces together and that was a great privilege.
Contact Info:
- Address: 330 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60654 - Website: http://www.goldentriangle.biz
- Phone: 312.755.1266
- Email: info@goldentriangle.biz
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegoldentrianglechicago/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoldenTriangleChicago?fref=ts
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-golden-triangle-chicago
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/gtchicago/
Image Credit:
The Golden Triangle
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