Country Garden Antiques started by accident 20 years ago. Owners Gina and Alan Galichia bought two buildings in West Dallas on a lark. “I had a medical business; Gina was teaching weight management at St. Paul,” Alan says. They decided to get into the antiques game. “I liked guy kind of stuff. Gina likes the floral, girly stuff,” he explains. “Her part took off, and we just went with that. We focused on decorative antiques.” Their gamble paid off—not only were the two able to quit their day jobs, but Country Garden Antiques became a destination for local designers and stylists. Since then, the couple has expanded the offerings to include architectural pieces and a vast collection of vintage Christmas decor available year-round.
The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge has increased their customer traffic, too. “I really like the expansion of this area. There’s a lot changing down here,” Alan says. In the spirit of change, it makes sense that the Galichias teamed up with friend and client Annie Uechtritz and spent two months converting 2,200 square feet of storage space into additional retail space. The extra space has provided room for vignettes, as well as some significant pieces. “We brought some huge doors back from France—five pieces altogether. The carpenter did a fabulous job incorporating them together in the back of the store,” Alan says. ”It was a really good experience when it was all over.”
