Juan Ayala, co-owner of Ayala Brothers Furniture Co., leans on a wall at the entrance to the massive antique furniture store in downtown Centralia on Thursday, July 27, 2017.
A woman peruses the selection of antiques in the main entrance of Ayala Brothers Furniture Co. on Thursday in downtown Centralia.
Juan Ayala, who co-owns Ayala Brothers Furniture Co. with his brother, Gerardo, shows off an antique dresser that he just purchased and re-finished at his shop in downtown Centralia on Thursday afternoon.
Juan Ayala, left, co-owner of Ayala Brothers Furniture Co., is seen in the reflection of a mirror near the main entrance of the store as a shopper peruses some of the store's offerings on Thursday afternoon in downtown Centralia.
Although the Ayala Brothers — Juan and Gerardo — started their furniture business in 1989, they opened the doors of the 305 N. Tower Avenue location in 2001.
Dozens of beer taps for sale are seen on Thursday afternoon at Ayala Brothers Furniture Co. in downtown Centralia.
In a day and age when many people buy their furniture in a box and assemble it with the help of an Allen wrench, Centralia’s Ayala Brothers are working to preserve a fading kind of craftsmanship.
“Everything’s so beautiful and well-done,” said Juan Ayala, commenting on the use of wood grain patterns, unique construction methods and high-quality hardware used to accent many of the antique dressers, sideboards and bookcases in the shop along Tower Avenue.
“It’s very rewarding. We feel like we’re saving a lot of stuff,” he said. “If they could talk, there’s so much history to them.”
When Juan and Gerardo Ayala first started the business, they built some of their own furniture. Now, they mostly stock antiques and items bought at auctions, Ayala said.
“We hardly ever build anything anymore because of the economy,” he said. “It’s a different market now.”
The brothers opened their own business in 1989 and moved into their current location in 2001. A few years later, the economy crashed and the family had to work hard to keep the business afloat.
The Ayalas’ mother, Margarita Ayala, owns Centralia’s La Tarasca restaurant, and helped the brothers keep their business operating.
The brothers’ interest in furniture started young.
“We always liked woodshop in high school,” Juan Ayala said.
After going to college, Juan Ayala became a single parent and needed a job. Gerardo was working at a furniture store, and got his brother started there.
“We started working there and learning some of the business,” Juan said. “We liked it. We always have. We like mainly the construction of things.”
The Ayala Brothers store carries a wide variety of antiques, art and curiosities as well as furniture.
Juan Ayala recently purchased an antique General Electric refrigerator in good condition that he plans to refurbish before selling. The appliance looks a little rough at the moment, but Ayala said he and his brother learned the truth in the adage “one man’s trash is another’s treasure” early in their careers.
“It’s like finding treasures,” he said. “Sometimes you lose money too. Still, it’s cool you brought it back to life.”
Vintage T-shirts and antique metal and ceramic signs, such as a large and recently-acquired Olympia beer sign, are also top sellers, Ayala said. Glass and china products used to be popular, but antique buyers have lost interest in those items in recent years.
Random items, such as a rusty tractor grille hanging on a wall, offer an opportunity for antique lovers to think outside the box.
“People are very creative,” Ayala said. “They’ll buy that and make a light.”
The Ayala Brothers building at 305 N. Tower Ave. dates back to 1907 and has hosted a bank, department store, other furniture companies and even The Chronicle in its basement.
The building’s first and mezzanine floors are filled with furniture and antiques.
In addition to their own stock, the building has rental space for other antique vendors to sell their products.
The brothers hope to open the third floor in the future, but for now it is used for storage.
