The Green Ant
“I had $500 and an idea.” Ron Green’s journey to founding The Green Ant was not meticulously planned. It unfolded naturally, shaped by his love for vintage furniture and an unexpected turn in his career.
Born in Redwood City, California, Ron moved between Utah and California throughout his childhood. He spent his formative years in Carmel, surrounded by stunning architecture, though he never consciously paid attention to it. “I think it was just ingrained in me without me knowing,” he reflected. “Even back then, when I was twenty or so, I was buying cool-looking chairs just for fun. I never did anything with them. I just bought them.”
Ron attended college in Santa Barbara, later moving to San Francisco, where he immersed himself in film. His plan was clear: earn his degree in film studies and return to California. But when his mother fell ill in 1994, he moved to Utah to be with her, intending to stay for just a couple of years. In 1997, he graduated from the University of Utah with a film degree just as the local film industry dried up. With no jobs and no clear path forward, he turned to what had been a steady side hustle during college: buying and selling vintage furniture.
“I worked in the film department, but to supplement my income, I’d go out and buy furniture at thrift stores and sell it to a couple of dealers downtown,” he explained. After he graduated, he kept working in film for a while, but then it became clear; there was no work, and he could not go back to San Francisco. The tech world had exploded, and the cost of living had skyrocketed. "My apartment in SoMa (South of Market District) had been $1,100 for a three-bedroom, and overnight, it tripled. I had no job to go back to, no apartment to go back to. So, I figured, well, I guess I’m hanging out here for a while.”
That pause became permanent. Ron realized his passion for furniture had surpassed his love for film. “I had a come-to-Jesus moment with myself one day. I sat down and asked, ‘What do I love more?’ And the answer was vintage furniture. I always have.”
In May of 1998, Ron officially opened The Green Ant, setting up shop in a small upstairs space above Wasatch Furniture. He had spent months collecting inventory, picking up pieces from thrift stores and yard sales. “Back then, we didn’t even call it ‘Mid-Century Modern.’ That term was not widely used,” he said. “We just called it vintage furniture.”
He quickly outgrew his first location and, within ten months, moved to Sugar House, setting up shop in a more walkable neighborhood. Nine years later, in 2008, just as the recession hit, Ron made another bold move - this time to downtown Salt Lake City. “Everybody told me not to do it. But I knew Sugar House was changing. It was no longer going to be a place for mom-and-pop shops; it was turning corporate. I had to leave.”
Despite the economic downturn, The Green Ant thrived. What began as a one-man operation - picking up furniture from thrift stores and yard sales - grew into a mainstay of Salt Lake’s design scene. Over time, sourcing inventory evolved. “For the first eight to ten years, I’d get up every morning, wait for thrift stores to open, and map out garage sales from newspaper listings,” Ron recalled. “Then, as my reputation grew, people started reaching out to me directly.”
He credits college students for getting him started, and remarkably, many of those early customers have stayed with him. As they advanced in their careers, they returned, this time with the ability to invest in higher-end pieces. “As they did well, so did I,” Ron admitted. Decades later, his clientele remains much the same, a testament to the lasting relationships he has built through The Green Ant.
Ron’s shop is carefully curated, filled with pieces he genuinely loves: chairs, end tables, dressers, nightstands, a bit of lighting, and wall art. He avoids beds, as they take up too much space, but he has a particular appreciation for designer pieces from past decades. He often keeps his favorite finds in his own home until he decides it is time to part with them. “Eventually, everything finds its way here,” he said. “I know it will go to another good home.” That philosophy extends to how furniture circulates through Salt Lake City. Ron frequently sees pieces he once sold make their way back to him, sometimes passed between customers or reappearing at other shops nearby.
Recently married to Ting, whom he met online while she was living in Thailand, Ron’s approach to selecting furniture for their home has evolved. “If we both don’t like a piece, then it doesn’t go into our home,” he said. They make those decisions together, ensuring their space reflects both of their tastes.
After nearly three decades in business, Ron is as passionate about The Green Ant as ever. “I get to hang out and be surrounded by things I love,” he said. Yet, he knows that after so many years, some people might assume his shop is too high-end or intimidating to step into. “As I’ve grown and have higher-priced items, it might scare people off." But he prides himself on an open-door policy. “I love young people coming in, touching things, looking around. I have no qualms about that.” He still makes a point to keep pieces that are accessible to college students or those on a smaller budget, ensuring that The Green Ant remains a welcoming space for all.
Today, most of Ron's inventory is sourced locally. “Nobody believes me when I tell them ninety-eight percent of my inventory comes from Salt Lake. But furniture doesn’t leave this city. Someone’s born here, they live here, their grandparents were here. It just gets pushed deeper into the house. Eventually, it comes up again.
Ron has built his business not just on good taste, but on a deep knowledge of design. When he first started, he did not know much beyond what he liked. That changed when a California dealer suggested he read Mid-Century Modern by Cara Greenberg. “That book started my whole collection. I just started reading because back then, the internet was still young, and everything I learned came from books. What a concept.”
His love for design is evident in the way he curates his shop. “I have a rule—if I wouldn’t put it in my house, why would I put it here? I don’t mean that in a snobbish way; it’s just personal. It’s why I don’t do consignment. I want my shop to reflect how I see the vintage world.”
That personal connection to his work is also why he has resisted expansion. “For years, people have asked me, ‘When are you going to open another location? Why not one in Denver?’ But that will never happen. I don’t want that kind of stress in my life. I love what I do, and I don’t want to not love it.”
Ron’s commitment to The Green Ant goes beyond selling furniture—it is about creating a space for people to connect. “I never want anyone to feel intimidated walking in here. Yes, my prices have gone up over the years, but I always try to have something in here that most can afford. And if somebody really loves something, I’ll have a conversation and see if we can work something out.”
As of 2025, after twenty-seven years in business, what matters most to Ron has not changed. “I don’t even look at this as work. I come in; I get to hang out around things I love. Yes, I make a living doing it, but that’s not what drives me. It’s about being happy every day.”
