My Biz: Design Ranch owners are advocates for an artful home

For a long time, Chris and Gary Gnade have loved dynamic design and modern home furnishings.

The couple, who started off as graphic designers, opened Design Ranch some 18 years ago. The store served as an attempt to create a mini-Museum of Modern Art store in the heart of Iowa City.

'We wanted to bring interesting new retail to the community,' Chris said. She and Gary made lists of the top home furnishing designers.

'When we got started we were able to attract these amazing vendors to work with, most of which are not available in this area. It was like a wonderful opportunity we couldn't pass up.:

Today, Design Ranch offers furniture, lighting, gifts and home accessories, mostly by American and European companies.

'Frequently they are iconic pieces that people will recognize,' Gary said. 'Owning Design Ranch can sometimes feel a little like owning a museum.'

'But our products demand to be used,' added Chris.

'And we remind people that this is not a stuffy store and we are not stuffy people,' Gary said.

On the contrary, with Design Ranch the Gnades set out to provide modern products to customers that they might not typically see unless they were in a larger metropolitan area. And the store is unique in that it features products by a number of notable modern design vendors—such as Herman Miller and Alessi. 'A lot of our customers will come in and note that there is no one place that has all these vendors together like we do,' said Chris.

'That is the wonderfully complicated part of our business, to figure out how to present them in a way that makes sense in a modestly sized space,' said Gary. 'It requires extra thought.'

The Gnades are proud to know the stories of the designers they work with, some of whom they've had the chance to meet over the years. 'These designers are using traditional manufacturing methods,' said Chris. 'We love these products and the concepts behind them. We love the way they are presented and manufactured. And we love the way our customers tell us their life is made better by having them in their home.'

For a time, Chris and Gary operated their graphic design business at Design Ranch. But as interest grew for the modern home accessories they were offering, the store took over their entire century-old building on the corner of Davenport and Dodge streets.

'People don't realize the range of furniture we have, especially office furniture,' Chris said. 'Some people come in and just get a fix. We are proud that we are selling cutting edge products, some of which have been around for 50 years.'

Gary noted that he and Chris really enjoy talking with customers when they stop in.

'I love talking to the customers who already know a lot about our products,' he said. 'And I like introducing things to people who didn't know they'd want to shop in our store.

The store recently reopened after undergoing remodeling.

'The space needed a new floor covering,' Chris said. Gary, with the help of his son-in-law, worked to expose the original flooring.

'This floor has so many stories and now we love the character,' Chris said. She said it serves as a nod to the building's history — having once been a mom and pop grocery store and a pharmacy — and supports their love of contemporary home décor.

'People sometimes have a problem putting modern products in an older home,' Chris said. 'This very traditional interior with these floors show our thoughts and perspective on it. They can work so well together.'

The Gnades plan to celebrate the official reopening of the store with an open house for customers on Nov. 14.

'We get such wonderful comments from our customers. And we've been supported by a lot of the European companies we work with,' Chris said. 'We are incredibly grateful for our customers and vendors. It's a privilege to work with them.'

Gary agreed. 'It's great to know there are other people who love this store and fill their homes with our products.'

AT A GLANCE

• Name: Chris and Gary Gnade
• Title: President and Vice President
• Company: Design Ranch
• Address: 701 E. Davenport St., Iowa City
• Phone: (319) 354-2623
• Website: www.designranch.com

l Know a company in business for more than a year that would make an ideal My Biz? Contact Francie Williamson at francie.williamson@thegazette.com