RUTHANN GOULARTE
DREES
Drees is a mercantile of sorts for the home. The shop carries products ranging from fine paper and great cards, seasonal decor, personal accessories, soaps and lotions, candles, table linens and home accessories, lamps and furniture.
Years Downtown:
Drees has been in downtown Olympia since 1929 and Ruthann Goularte has been at the helm since 1976.
Little Known Fact:
Ruthann shopped at Drees when she was in grade school as her father’s shop, Panowicz Jewelers, was located at the corner of 5th Avenue and Washington Street where State of the Arts Gallery is now. She reconnected with Jimmie Drees when she purchased the shop in 1976. She celebrated Drees 50th anniversary in 1979 with Jimmie and Doris Drees as guests of honor.
Our Story:
The shop has been in Olympia since 1929, now located in a 1905 historic building in downtown Olympia that has survived two major earthquakes!
“I bought Drees in 1976, when it came up for sale. I was 25 and home after a surgery; it was one of those odd time and place decisions. I knew Mr. Drees, and hated to see the shop go away. Although he was quite elderly at the time, he shared many stories and retail truths with me during my first years of owning the shop. Drees has gone through several evolutions over the past 30 plus years. The common thread for me has been quality. I have always wanted people to love and keep the things they bought at Drees for a long time, like friends.”
Drees mix of products is Ruthann’s recipe; it is a collection of gifts and furnishings hand picked from many sources. With input from husband David Goularte, whose interior design studio is next door, furniture has become an important component for Drees.
What I Love About Olympia:
It is a real downtown, it is not a suburb. It has it’s own sense of place and history in it’s architecture. I also love its geography; a little jewel, sitting on the lake and sound.
