30 YEARS WITH 2 DANES · STORY 01
30 Years with 2 Danes:
Our Nashville Story
2 Danes opened in Nashville in 1996 with a showroom half the size it is today. For our 30th anniversary in 2026, the family looks back on choosing the first pieces, doing things our way, and the customers who made it possible.
From Chicago to a store of our own
Before there was a 2 Danes in Nashville, our founders had spent years working in furniture retail in Chicago during the 1970s and 1980s. They had seen wonderful designs they wanted to share. What they wanted next was a place to do that on their own terms.
Opening their own store meant choosing what to show, deciding what belonged, and bringing their own point of view to the showroom.
Nashville became the place to make it happen.
Furniture with something to say
Some things have changed since opening day. The reason a piece earns its place here has not.
“We have always gone after designs that talk to us. We believe that furniture can talk, so all we have to do is to listen.”
From our 30th anniversary interview
That curiosity still shapes the showroom. To hear more about the design, quality, and function we look for, watch how we choose furniture at 2 Danes.
The customers who became part of the story
Some of the people who visited when we first opened are still coming through the door. Now their children come in, too.
For the family, those relationships are one of the real joys of looking back. Customers have returned as their homes and lives have changed. They have told friends about us, brought family members along, and made room for 2 Danes in their homes.
Our founders’ daughter, Jackie, has also joined the business, helping carry their approach forward. As her parents put it in the interview, she understands what they are trying to do and is carrying it on with a smile.
Thank you, Nashville
We are proud to have done things our way. We are just as grateful that Nashville has made room for it.
Whether you have been shopping with us for years or are only now getting to know the store, thank you for being part of the story.
There are a few stories we still laugh about, too. One involves a sectional that fit perfectly and a grand piano that suddenly became difficult to reach.
A few good questions.
When did 2 Danes open in Nashville?
2 Danes opened in Nashville in 1996. The showroom celebrated its 30-year milestone in 2026.
Is 2 Danes a family-owned business?
Yes. The founders opened the store to share their own vision for furniture, and their daughter, Jackie, has joined the family business.
How has the showroom changed since it opened?
The store has expanded three times. At the time of the 30th anniversary interview, it was twice the size of the original showroom.
Read the video transcript
Transcript lightly edited for punctuation and readability. Speakers are not individually labeled.
It’s a little cold.
No, we have been very blessed being in Nashville. We’re happy we ended up here. Yes.
We had been in retail in Chicago for a number of years in the ’70s and ’80s. We were working for somebody up there, and now we wanted our own so we could have our own vision in terms of what we would like to show to our customers. And we have seen so many wonderful designs out there that we really wanted to share.
It was only half the size as it is today.
It was also a little scary because we needed so much. But just being able to go and pick what we really thought would, well, be the 2 Danes that we wanted to build, that was like going to a candy store because we needed everything.
We have always gone after designs that talk to us. We believe that furniture can talk, so all we have to do is to listen.
We have been fortunate. So we needed more space, and we have expanded the store three times over the years. So today it is double the size that it had when we started in 1996.
We have been fortunate enough to have customers from when we first opened our store. They are still coming to our store, and their children as well, and that has been a real joy.
Yeah, and we are proud that we have succeeded in doing it our way.
And I’m so happy that our daughter, Jackie, came, joined us, understands what we are trying to do, and is carrying it on with a smile.
We’re so thankful for Nashville and for all of our customers, that they’ve continued to be loyal to us and spread the word and come in and see us even as their lives have changed. We’re just thankful for them because we are not here without them.
We have been very blessed being in Nashville. We are happy we ended up here. Yes.
THE FURNITURE IS BETTER IN PERSON.
Come be part of the story.
Visit our White Bridge Road showroom. Take a look around, try a few pieces, and tell us what first brought you to 2 Danes.
These interviews were created for our 30th anniversary in 2026. Explore the 30th anniversary page for more of the celebration and the store’s history.
30 YEARS WITH 2 DANES
