How this furniture dealership is forging ahead in the Dallas-Fort Worth market
By Tucker Wells, Staff Writer
A California-based furniture firm began to take steps to diversify its locations after it noticed a trend: About 20% of the firm's customers were moving to Texas and asking the firm to partner with them on furniture installations in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to Amber Jones.
Jones, who is vice president of Dallas for Tangram Interiors, said the "biggest markets in the world right now are in Texas," noting that there's opportunity in both health care and education for the firm because so many students are moving to the region and bond money is being passed for both.
Tangram, which was founded more than 30 years ago and has a team of over 400, primarily collaborates with interior designers, architects and general contractors to curate environments. It helps organizations procure furniture, technology and demountable walls; install the materials soon after that; and ensure they know how to use what's been installed.
Tangram has made significant strides in North Texas over the past 18 months, growing its team from 14 to 72 members and establishing a regional office in Dallas. This growth has been punctuated by recent deliveries in the market, including the completion of a large project for a luxury retailer based in Dallas.
Tangram specializes in spaces where people work, learn, and heal, such as schools, healthcare facilities, and commercial spaces. Health care and education have accounted for 40% and 30%, respectively, of Tangram's work in the Texas market.
In the healthcare sector, Tangram's success is largely attributed to catering to the needs of the Baby Boomer population.
"Senior Living has become one of the most frequent requests in our projects lately," said Jones.
Over the past two decades, Tangram has worked to transform the appearance of traditional healthcare facilities into spaces that resemble spas, moving away from the sterile environment typical of hospitals.
Changes in teaching styles and the influx of new families into the region have driven Tangram's work in the education sector.
For now, corporate work is just 20% of its business.
At present, Tangram is putting the finishing touches on its Dallas showroom in hopes of creating a space that inspires clients looking for furniture ideas, unique layouts, and examples of technology integrations.
With the rise of remote work, Tangram is striving to address the needs of organizations that want to make the office more appealing and conducive to productivity.
"The space has to become a magnet, rather than a mandate," said Jones.
National construction firm Swinerton, along with Irving-based JPI, recently engaged Tangram Interiors for a major project, which involved constructing the interior of the office and a coworking space within its apartment complex.