Written by: Noah Nelson
It all starts with a conversation about style, functionality, and how the best work understands that the two are inseparable. About how quality isn’t something added at the end of the process as a final cherry on top, but something that’s woven into every step. It is a conversation about materials that age gracefully, finishes that maintain beauty, and joinery that stays smooth and quiet for a lifetime. Most importantly, this conversation is a chance to listen. For Ethan and Joni Petro, co-founders of Old Goats Hard Goods, these early conversations are how they understand every factor that will shape how a client interacts with their custom-made, handcrafted cabinetry tomorrow, as well as decades from now.
The Luxury of getting it Right
“Our role is to translate what we learn in those conversations into cabinetry that feels like it was always meant to be there,” says Ethan.
Old Goats Hard Goods has become a premier choice of custom cabinetry for luxury residences across the West. From the very beginning, Ethan and Joni made sure that their claim to fame would be an extreme attention to detail—every detail. They welcome clients who demand precision and refinement, because that is what they can confidently provide.
Clients are often blown away by the level of craftsmanship that comes out of the Old Goats Hard Goods workshop. And years down the road, they continue to notice that cabinet doors function smoothly, drawers close quietly, and surfaces wear with dignity.
“OUR ROLE IS TO TRANSLATE WHAT WE LEARN IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS INTO CABINETRY THAT FEELS LIKE IT WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE THERE.”
This is timeless craftsmanship, on display.
“The difference between good work and exceptional work lives in the details that most people will never consciously notice, but will always feel,” Ethan says. “These aren’t just craft details—they’re decisions that determine whether something will perform flawlessly in year 20 as it does on installation day. The joinery methods we choose, how we account for wood movement, the hardware we specify, and how we install it—these decisions compound over time. The level of attention we bring to detailed work isn’t about perfectionism for its own sake. It’s about creating pieces that reward daily interaction over decades. When that experience is consistently excellent, it becomes part of what makes a house feel like home.”
For Ethan, Joni, and their team, the custom work they strive to provide is defined by the highest quality craftsmanship. This includes both perfect function and an ideal aesthetic match for any client. To Ethan, these two elements are intrinsically connected.
“Perfect function creates its own aesthetic,” Ethan says. “When everything works exactly as it should—when the interaction is intuitive and the experience is effortless—that’s not just mechanical. It’s elegance. The beauty is in how naturally everything works together. When storage is intuitive, when hardware feels natural, and when every detail serves both purpose and beauty, that becomes part of the overall experience. People feel quality even when they can’t articulate what makes it different.”
That’s why those early conversations are so important. The Old Goats Hard Goods team visits job sites at different times of the day. They bring material samples, not to sell clients on a specific finish, but to understand what resonates. Some clients respond immediately to a particular wood grain or hardware finish, while others need to see things in architectural context before they can articulate their preferences.
“These aesthetic conversations are equally critical,” says Ethan. “We work with materials from multiple sources—some local, some international—and knowing which direction to go requires understanding not just what looks good on its own, but also what fits the broader architectural vision. We’re not trying to make a statement. We’re trying to make the architecture sing.”
“WHEN EVERYTHING WORKS EXACTLY AS IT SHOULD WHEN THE INTERACTION IS INTUITIVE AND THE EXPERIENCE IS EFFORTLESS THAT’S NOT JUST MECHANICAL. IT’S ELEGANCE. THE BEAUTY IS IN HOW NATURALLY EVERYTHING WORKS TOGETHER. WHEN STORAGE IS INTUITIVE, WHEN HARDWARE FEELS NATURAL, AND WHEN EVERY DETAIL SERVES BOTH PURPOSE AND BEAUTY, THAT BECOMES PART OF THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE. PEOPLE FEEL QUALITY EVEN WHEN THEY CAN’T ARTICULATE WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT.”
When it comes to style and aesthetic, Old Goats Hard Goods understands that luxury doesn’t need to cry out for attention. Quality work speaks for itself and doesn’t need to rely on anything overly flashy. True luxury carries quiet confidence—it will be heard, even when singing in soft tones.
“The result doesn’t announce itself,” Ethan says. “That’s the balance we’re after—spaces that are quietly brilliant rather than showily complex.”
Quietly brilliant is an understated way to describe the work that comes out of Old Goats Hard Goods. Clean lines are met with sturdy and smooth joinery, creating cabinetry that functions as seamlessly as it looks. In some homes, the wood grain and metal finish elicit a sense of locality, reflecting the rugged peaks and deep forests that their clients call home. From being a statement piece to the x-factor that quietly pulls a space together, Old Goats Hard Goods produces handmade cabinets that complement any room, for a lifetime.
Supporting Ethan and Joni’s business is the network of professionals who contribute to maintaining the overall quality and schedule of any project. These are people like architects, builders, interior designers, and the many craftspeople who all have a hand in realizing the client’s dream.
At Old Goats Hard Goods, the attention to detail and high-quality work is never an excuse to miss deadlines and delay a project, Ethan says. Within their team, there is a clear understanding that these homes represent years of planning and millions of dollars of investment. Therefore, every trade must honor that by delivering excellent work on schedule. Ethan, Joni, and their team make sure cabinetry does its part, beautifully crafted and precisely coordinated on schedule.
“Exceptional craft and operational excellence aren’t opposing forces—they’re inseparable requirements,” Ethan says. “We believe that the same principle applies to the entire project experience. The architect who gets clear answers immediately, instead of waiting days for a callback, experiences that reliability. The builder who never has to chase us for schedule updates because we communicate proactively experiences that professionalism. The designer who knows we’ll solve field condition issues quickly and effectively experiences that responsiveness.”
“EXCEPTIONAL CRAFT AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AREN’T OPPOSING FORCES THEY’RE INSEPARABLE REQUIREMENTS.”
This philosophy traces back to Ethan’s previous work experience. Before founding Old Goats Hard Goods in 2019 with his wife Joni, he spent more than a decade solving problems across a wide range of industries, from transportation to complex water management to defense technology.
Across those fields, Ethan learned a critical lesson that wasn’t tied to any specific industry but affected them all. He learned how things break down when a team doesn’t understand operations, and when the people in operations don’t understand a customer’s reality.
“That gap creates all kinds of problems,” he says. “Especially when you’re working with clients who have zero tolerance for surprises. I kept seeing the same pattern across different industries—talented people doing quality work, but without the systems to deliver it predictably at scale.”
These lessons are why Ethan prides himself on taking every step possible to communicate professionally and account for every factor possible when scheduling their projects. They have built lead times and processes to accommodate the level of attention they bring to their work. They identify long-lead items early and build contingencies into their schedules. They communicate proactively about anything that might affect project timing, allowing them to maintain quality standards while still hitting deadlines.
“Our role is to be a reliable partner in that larger ecosystem—someone who understands that our delivery date isn’t just about us, it’s about keeping electricians, plumbers, tile setters, and painters on schedule,” Ethan says. “Early conversations establish not just what we’re building, but how we’ll integrate into the project’s critical path. We need to understand the dependencies, identify potential conflicts early, and build our production and installation schedule around the realities of the jobsite.”
Those realities are fresh in the minds of Ethan, Joni, and their team. They understand well that cabinets lie in the middle of the overall build process.
“THAT COMBINATION OBSESSIVE ATTENTION TO CRAFT BACKED BY GENUINE OPERATION-AL EXCELLENCE IS WHAT ALLOWS US TO SERVE THE CLIENTS WE SERVE, AT THE LEVEL THEY EXPECT, ON THE TIMELINES THEY REQUIRE. THAT’S WHAT KEEPS THEM COMING BACK.”
“You can’t finish the electrical until the cabinets are in. You can’t install countertops. You can’t complete tile work. You can’t do final paint,” Ethan says. “When cabinetry slips, everything downstream cascades. Understanding the entire ecosystem matters more than optimizing any single piece.”
Old Goats Hard Goods manages to do both. They understand the overall project ecosystem and the importance of keeping things on schedule, and they still produce some of the highest-quality cabinets around. There is no compromise at any point in their process for either the client or their professional partners. Every detail matters, from the first conversation to the finishing touches on any job.
“That combination—obsessive attention to craft backed by genuine operational excellence—is what allows us to serve the clients we serve, at the level they expect, on the timelines they require,” Ethan says. “That’s what keeps them coming back.”
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