Casa Antigua’s rustic and Mexican colonial furniture was selling well when Jesus Gonzalez decided six years ago to branch out into upscale contemporary furniture and opened Niu Urban Living.  “Nobody else was doing it and that’s when I saw the potential, said Gonzalez, who has an MBA from the University of Texas.   Now he is preparing to move Niu Urban Living into the three story Home Design Center he’s built on McAllen’s Tenth Street.

“I would not be able to do this without my wife, Rosario,” Gonzalez said.  “She is the creative mind, the one with the taste. She is the one who shops.  I’m more the business side which balances out, because you need to ground your creative partner to reality.”

Niu Urban’s reality is seen in chairs upholstered in fabric that resembles a waterfall, in square, glass-topped dining tables that seat eight and innovative lighting pieces.  Overall the inventory at Niu Urban evokes a futuristic, less mundane approach to home décor.  Gonzalez considers their stock the Mercedes of the furniture world.

“We carry the most exclusive brands and imported lines. They require a lot of explanation,” explaining to customer the better grade of leather used and the uncommon details. Furniture is arranged the way it would look in a home. “We want to make it easy for them to visualize.”

The store once hired sales people, but Gonzalez said that didn’t work out, because of the level of service required.  “This furniture requires a different personality, an artist.  They have to be creative before they learn sales.  Customers come back and tell me, ‘Your wife wouldn’t let me buy a lamp I liked.’ That’s because it would compete with art they just bought.”

For more of this story by Eileen Mattei, pick up a copy of the March edition of Valley Business Report, on news stands now, or visit the “Current & Past Issues” tab on this Web site.