Debunking Cabinetry Folklore
by Lori Currie
Cabinetry is not merely a utilitarian necessity; it is the vessel through which we navigate the intimate rituals of daily life, wherein functionality merges seamlessly with beauty. This sentiment is perfectly encapsulated in the designs of Old Goats Hard Goods, a luxury cabinet maker committed to redefining the traditional take on cabinetry and creating hand-crafted spaces for their clients throughout the Mountain West.
With locations in Whitefish, Montana; Hamilton, Montana; Sun Valley, Idaho; and soon Park City, Utah, the team at Old Goats Hard Goods brings a fresh perspective to custom cabinetry. “We’re not like a typical cabinetry showroom where you walk in, and there are 12 displays. We are truly a design studio,” says owner Ethan Petro. “Our job is to work with builders, designers, and architects and really capture the customer’s vision and not force them into something.” The name Old Goats has become synonymous with innovative and cutting-edge design, like putting leather or stone veneer on cabinets. “These high-end details are what has taken us to the next level,” says Petro.
From design consult to installation, Old Goats adheres to a client-centric approach. “We try not to focus on cabinetry in our first meeting with a client,” says Petro. “We want to get to know the client and hear about their likes and dislikes. Most of the time, they have a designer with them, so it becomes very collaborative. The initial meeting is focused on the client’s goals and how we can help them achieve those goals. These meetings are definitely not something we want to rush because cabinetry is such an important part of a home. It’s a component that’s in almost every room. Sometimes it needs to be the star, and other times it needs to be in the background, so it’s really trying to find the balance there.”
“We try not to focus on cabinetry in our first meeting with a client. We want to get to know the client and hear about their likes and dislikes.””
–Ethan Petro, Owner, Old Goats Hard Goods
During the initial meeting, clients answer detailed questions about how they intend to use the space. For example, will they be cooking every day, or are they eating out most nights because, for some clients, the kitchen is “more for show,” says Petro. “The last thing we want is for someone to move in and there is something didn’t get thought through or talked about, and all of a sudden, they have a Vitamix they can’t use because it doesn’t fit.”
When working with clients who are in a later stage of life, Petro creates spaces designed to help “age in place,” where it makes sense to design with “a lot more drawers than doors” and find ways to make things like cups and plates more accessible so the client is not having to redesign their space in five years.
Because Old Goats is doing work across the Mountain West, they have the ability to see what’s going on in multiple markets and bring certain trends to new places. For example, Sun Valley is very much a “’paint and place’ cabinetry market,” says Petro. “You install the cabinets unfinished, and then you paint them onsite. And that’s what everybody does. But in Whitefish, that’s not what happens. A lot of the time they’re finished and then you install them.” Regional preferences can extend to materials. According to Petro, “Hickory was the thing for a long time, especially in Montana, and then it went away completely. Now we’re seeing it making a comeback, but in darker tones.”
“The last thing we want is for someone to move in and there is something didn’t get thought through or talked about, and all of a sudden, they have a Vitamix they can’t use because it doesn’t fit.”
–Ethan Petro, Owner, Old Goats Hard Goods
Petro and his team look for design cues not just from the markets they’re in but also from all over the world, which helps them stay current on national as well as global trends and traditions. For instance, in Europe one of the big trends is concealing the kitchen behind pocket or sliding doors, which creates a cohesive space when the kitchen is not in use. The kitchen is viewed as not just a utilitarian space but an extension of the living space. Another big trend is natural materials and earth tones. “Think cabinetry with materials like bronze, marble, terrazzo to create timeless looks,” says Petro.
“Think cabinetry with materials like bronze, marble, terrazzo to create timeless looks.”
–Ethan Petro, Owner, Old Goats Hard Goods
“We thrive on pushing the boundaries of creative design and showing clients what’s possible.”
–Ethan Petro, Owner, Old Goats Hard Goods
Part of the job at Old Goats is to educate clients on the limitless design options available today and debunk the entrenched beliefs of what Petro calls “cabinetry folklore,” where certain design conventions “get passed down, or maybe it was in your childhood home, so you think that’s the way it has to be done,” says Petro. “We thrive on pushing the boundaries of creative design and showing clients what’s possible.”
In addition to challenging the status quo, the Old Goats team tries not to say “no” to clients. “If someone comes to us with an idea we haven’t heard before, our goal is always to try to figure it out,” says Petro. They are currently working on a project in Whitefish where the client wanted 12-foot, grain-matched panels throughout their home. Only 10-foot panels were available in the U.S., so Petro’s team had to source the panels from Europe. “I think that’s the breath of fresh air we bring,” says Petro. “We like to say, ‘It probably can be done. It might cost more money and take more time, but it probably can be done.’”
“We want to create a better customer experience and really give people what they want in that process.”
–Ethan Petro, Owner, Old Goats Hard Goods
The Old Goats team can have as many as 50 to 60 projects going on at once. When you’re managing that many projects, you become efficient at managing process. The Old Goats process is different from their competitors in one critical way. “A lot of cabinetry makers are woodworkers who are trying to build a business. We want to create a better customer experience and really give people what they want in that process and not force them into a box, no pun intended,” says Petro. “Our goal is to continue to build a business out of woodworking.”
That’s one thing clients have come to appreciate about Old Goats Hard Goods. “There’s a level of confidence we’ve developed,” says Petro. “We’re not doing run-of-the-mill subdivision work; we’re doing high-end custom projects. No two projects are the same. You get to the end of a project, and it’s so rewarding.”
