By GINNY VAN ALYEA

Doug VanTress founded The Golden Triangle in 1989 in Chicago’s River North arts district and it has been a national source for Asian and European luxury furnishings ever since. The Golden Triangle moved to West Town a couple of years ago. We spoke with Doug about what’s new in his Grand Ave. space and what projects are bringing him the most joy.

2035 W. Grand Ave. Chicago, IL 60612

goldentriangle.biz

CGN: Please share how things have been going at the Golden Triangle this year.

Doug VanTress: Things are going well! We’ve had our best year so far (first 7 months) since 2019. So it feels like our transplanted tree, so to speak, is doing well again after losing a few leaves, and a branch or two, on the way from downtown. Designer interest is high and the neighbors are really coming in. West Town is doing very well, and lots of shoppers come in on Saturday, with their kids and dogs.

CGN: What has been your wildest project or installation recently? 

DV: Our biggest installation by far is at La Casa de las Flores in Little Village. It opens this fall. The theme is flowers and beautiful wooden architecture. They selected Indian arches and columns, and we created a plan to divide the space. It’s fabulous!

Above: Pre-work as well as the final results for a custom installation for a client. Golden Triangle fabricated a custom art piece from vintage Indian cement molds for a the entryway to a client’s modern condo, hiring a local metal worker to make the frame. VanTress says, “Ancient and modern projects take the edge off of modern (sometimes sterile) interiors.”

CGN: How are things in West Town?

DV: West Town is having a moment. It’s quietly booming. (Don’t tell anyone–we want to expand on Grand.) There is a lot of small, in-fill development going on everywhere. There must be 100 projects going up north of Grand, South of Chicago, between Western and Ashland. Some are multi-unit. Others are single-family. The diversity of the neighborhood is off the charts, and it’s very livable, with parking on the street for your friends, walking to restaurants and shops, good bus service to downtown, easy driving north or south. I talked to a young couple that just moved from New York into a home near Western Ave. (Western!) They said West Town feels like the part of Brooklyn near Queens. They have a baby, and the schools are good, too. 

CGN: What favorite local spots can you share?

• JJ Bangkok Street Food – Thai

1715 W. Chicago Ave

• Tuman’s [Tap & Grill] – Old-school tavern

2159 W. Chicago Ave.

• Dark Matter – Coffee

The Mothership

738 N. Western Ave.

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