Journey of Vault Furniture: Crafting Reclaimed Wood Furniture in Caldwell

Vault Furniture is a renowned business known for making reclaimed wood furniture pieces. The driving force behind it lies in the complementary talents of husband-and-wife team Andy and Brandi Gooding. Combining her keen aesthetic perspective with his versatile technical trade capabilities, the entrepreneurial couple produces legacy-quality custom furniture built for long-term endurance.

At a Glance:

• As per the Idaho Business Review, Vault Furniture owners Andy and Brandi Gooding are known for their highest quality reclaimed wood furniture in USA

• Their company is relocated to Caldwell following success across the Midwest and online platforms

• They use strongest  and highest-quality wood sourced from a St. Louis supplier with old-growth pine

Vault furniture is thriving for the Michigan natives, who traded traveling to tradeshows to hawk their goods for a permanent shop in Caldwell.

With a dedicated focus on using primarily reclaimed wood, their central objective is to build furniture like high-quality wall-mounted shelves that offer a direct contrast to what they view as the "disposable furniture" dominating today’s market.

“The authentic, solid structure of reclaimed material is what we strive to build into our work,” he explained. “There really is nothing else like it.”

Without hesitation, Brandi added the finishing thought on their shared creative vision.

“We didn’t initially set out to work exclusively with these materials, but we quickly realized how much customers loved them,” she noted. “And the more we crafted with them, the more we fell in love with the process.”

However, the journey was far from smooth at the beginning for the two Midwesterners. Both faced difficulties along their original career paths when the severe recession came around 2008.

After studying at the Michigan Institute of Aviation and Technology (MIAT), Andy accepted a contract job working on wind turbines in the severe winter cold of North Dakota, at one point spending a full week living out of a tent.

Brandi, a graduate of Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in commercial interior design, landed a job alongside her mother, who was selling cabinetry.

“Yes, I went to work with my mom living my absolute best life as a ‘20-year-old 50-year-old’ for roughly three years: taking trips to Florida, getting our nails done, that whole routine,” she recalled with a laugh. “My mom absolutely loved it!”

Following his time enduring the harsh weather in North Dakota and uncertain about his next career move, Andy moved back home to Michigan, unaware that his personal and professional lives were about to align.

The couple met through one of Brandi’s friends, who suggested they would make a great match simply because “you’re both tall and your names rhyme.”

As it turned out, they fit together seamlessly, like a pair of well-constructed furniture pieces that complete a room.

“I always joke that he would have said yes to absolutely anything at that stage,” she said with a laugh.

A month into their new relationship, she learned about vendors selling handmade furniture at the famous Rose Bowl Swap Meet in Pasadena, California.

“I told him we were in the wrong line of work and that we ought to be doing that instead,” she recalled. “He then mentioned his family’s barn and the set of tools he had over there.” 

However, the site was in complete disarray. Undaunted, the couple set to work clearing it out to build what would ultimately become the foundation of Vault Furniture.

“I’ve always enjoyed building things, and I realized I could bring real artistic value into making furniture by combining all my trades,” Andy explained. “That was genuinely exciting for me.”

His varied background combines multiple trade skills tracing back to his childhood, making  reclaimed wood furniture construction a natural transition for the versatile craftsman.

“Every single practical skill I had acquired transferred right into building furniture,” he said. “With all the angles, the calculations, the welding, and the woodworking, it wasn't as though I had to start over and learn an entirely new trade.”

For Brandi, her time working with her mother proved to be a valuable blessing in disguise.

“The cabinetry experience taught me so much that applies directly to what I handle now in running a small business,” she said. “I created renderings, managed orders, learned how items were manufactured, and gained deep experience in customer service and going above and beyond.”

For the ambitious new partners, the challenge became mapping out a clear path forward and finding the right place to build it.

The family barn offered an encouraging start, but it was only a temporary setup.

Next came a move to Chicago, setting up at local farmer’s markets and art fairs. Yet the custom pieces Andy was crafting were not catching on as rapidly as they had hoped in the Windy City.

Exhibiting at tradeshows followed a “completely new learning curve,” as Brandi remembered. “People are brutally honest. They’ll walk right past and say, ‘Man, that is some ugly furniture.’ You figure out what works and what doesn’t almost instantly without spending a dime on marketing.”

What they did discover was a hit: flower stands constructed from reclaimed wood. They were selling rapidly, but securing a reliable supply of raw material remained a constant hurdle.

Challenging situations demanded creative solutions. Searching through dumpsters across Chicago helped fill gaps, as did Brandi’s persistent digging through public records to track down local renovation projects. Offering bottles of Jameson Whiskey to demolition crews in exchange for salvage rights to old wood also proved a useful bargain.

Their travel to tradeshows finally paid off when they connected with a visitor who mentioned her brother in St. Louis, Missouri, had a large inventory of the exact wood they were searching for.

He certainly did, offering them an exceptional deal and permanently solving their wood supply challenge.

“He eventually reached out, and as it turned out, he owned entire barns packed with wood,” she said. “Everything was stacked, de-nailed, and well organized.”

And it was exceptional wood, mostly old-growth yellow and white pine dating back to the turn of the century during the peak era of deforestation.

“All of this wood originally harvested to construct homes during that period is now protected,” Andy explained. “It’s classified as ‘old-growth wood,’ and harvesting it is no longer permitted.

“These trees grew in dense, ancient forests where they were tightly packed, creating a much denser grain. It’s significantly harder and far superior in quality.”

Their St. Louis vendor continues to be their primary supply source. “Consistently sourcing bulk quantities of quality reclaimed material is no easy task,” he noted.

Despite the structural challenges of crafting with reclaimed materials, Brandi wouldn't trade it for anything else.

“When you incorporate reclaimed wood into a room, it completely levels up the atmosphere,” she said. “It’s a look and feel you simply cannot replicate with new materials.”

In 2018, the couple launched into e-commerce via Etsy, quickly selling a wooden bench for $500. Vault Furniture was officially on its way by selling furniture pieces like Heavy-Duty Floating Shelf Brackets.

Yet along with their growing success, they felt a desire to move away from Midwestern winters and build their business and home in a warmer climate.

Following their only trip to the Gem State for a family wedding, which included a whitewater rafting trip down the Payette River, they were genuinely fully hooked. By 2020, they officially relocated in the midst of the COVID pandemic.

“I don’t know that Idaho would have ever entered our minds otherwise,” Andy admitted with a smile. “We had only visited that single time before.”

However, the timing aligned perfectly with their growth. “During the pandemic, our online orders surged, which drove significantly higher traffic to our website,” he explained. “We used that momentum as an opportunity to expand and double the size of our shop.”

“When we first set out, the ultimate goal was to operate a physical store somewhere,” Brandi reflected. “Now, I wouldn’t want a physical shop at all.

“We’ve become so effective at running our online operations that we haven’t even fully tapped into the local market yet and I think local customers will love our work.”

Additionally, she candidly admits that corporate culture was never her fit. “I wouldn’t have thrived in corporate America, so I likely would have launched my own business venture regardless.”

In this historic year celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, Vault Furniture stands as a testament to classic American ingenuity, built on pure grit, determination, hard work, and adaptability.

“Every single item is crafted from the ground up,” Andy said. “We test and determine what works best, and much of our output is custom made-to-order.”

“Roughly 75% of our work is fully custom, with our shelves like the Wall Mounted Shelving - 5 Shelf Unit and custom brackets serving as our top sellers,” Brandi shared. “We can build them to whatever exact dimensions a client requires.”

Both partners share a deep understanding of client needs and a joint commitment to craftsmanship and service.

“We are crafting furniture designed to endure for a lifetime,” Andy noted. “I’ve learned that if you set your mind to a goal, you can achieve anything. You just have to remind yourself that there's always a way to figure it out.”

Just last month, Vault generated over $90,000 in sales.

“Without a doubt, our core priority has always been delivering exceptional customer service while building a great quality product built to last,” Brandi said. “I believe people resonate with us because they receive a truly personal experience. We take pride in going above and beyond.”

According to Andy, they are pursuing that mission in a genuine American spirit.

“We truly care about the craft, the quality, and ensuring every single piece is handmade right here in Idaho,” he said. “We have zero interest in outsourcing. We want our furniture to be made in America.”

They also offer custom design on furniture to better match the aesthetics of the buyer's house. You can book a free design consultation and discuss the details of iconic furniture pieces you want for your home or office.