“If you can think of a place that a cabinet would work, we will build it.”
For over 40 years, StarMark Cabinetry has been bringing craftmanship to the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area.
“We started as a very simple company with two species and three stain colors,” says Dale Goetschius, StarMark Cabinetry show room general manager. “Typically, back then you’d see maybe one or two wood species and oak was the primary one. There were also only about two or three stain choices then, too, and very limited colors.”
Dale says back then the colors were more natural like a honey oak. Then, trends started changing with darker colors migrating into a lot of red tones with different stains.
In the 80s, maple, cherry and other stain colors started making their way into the market.
“In the 2000s, painted finishes really started to get popular, but still then that was very limited,” Dale reflects.
After that, Dale says that paint became the next big thing.
“That was about ten years ago and everyone was really, really into paint colors. Now, the pendulum has swung back into wood tones and lighter colors.”
Today, StarMark’s selection is a lot more diverse.
“We have one of the best selections in my opinion,” Dale adds. “We have paints, distressing techniques, custom finishes, stains or paints and glazes.”
When it comes to styles…
“We have everything from slab doors, to flat or raised panels, or emboss moldings. We just recently introduced the skinny shaker door where the outside frame of that door is an inch wide. It’s a very unique look, but it is something that is trending,” Dale says.
To wood species…
“We recently introduced the quarter sawn white oak. We’ve always done quarter sawn oak, but it’s been in red. We recently brought that back as a white oak. The look is a little bit different because some of the attributes of that white oak really lend themselves to the arts and crafts and contemporary design.”
Dale says sometimes customers will bring in a sample from other manufactures that is a unique color or distressing technique and StarMark will work to duplicate it.
With 37 standard paint colors in-house, there is no problem finding the best fit for you.
“There is a larger variety of different whites and off-white selections. Some may have some taupe creamy colors. We have greens and blues, some red and a tremendous number of grays,” Dale explains.
If a painted color isn’t your vibe, StarMark has you covered.
“We offer a couple of new stain colors with a Scandinavian look. Often times it isn’t a dark stained color. It’s more of a natural look which often has a little bit of a wash color to it. So, we have some new colors that play off of that. We use that on hickory and oak and that looks really nice. It’s also more affordable and you can get a nice current look with that.”
StarMark’s product is also unique – it’s always a custom product meaning everything is built to order and nothing sits on the shelf ready to sell in the show room.
“We don’t build a cabinet until we receive an order from our customer just because there is such a wide variety of colors and finishes. We also think it’s important not to have premade cabinets because homeowners are going to be able to select what is best for them. When they come in, everything they select is made in about four to six weeks after they make their selections. We feel that is important so we can be more responsive to their needs, whether it is designing a product, delivering it or servicing it.”
Dale says having cabinets built to order allows customers to see what their design will look like in a display in the store.
“We have different countertops like quartz or laminates, so we really work with the homeowner to understand what their desires are and their budget. Additionally, sometimes people think they want a particular style and they come in with a sample, but they change their minds after working with our software.”
So where do homeowners get their ideas from?
“I think people get ideas in a lot of ways. Many times, inspiration might be from the parade of homes – they may get some different ideas there. Certainly, TV and HGTV programs often give people inspiration on colors and some design attributes. There are also people just coming into our store. Some people come in with no idea with what they want and other people have photos or research.”Dale says one of the most exciting things is to work with generations of families.
“Being here as long as we have, we get the opportunity to see people come in buying their second or third set of cabinets from us. We also get to see those people’s grown children come in and purchase our product, too. You know many grew up with it and their parents said this is where you need to go. That’s really neat.”
Dale says when you build a quality product, people will come back time and time again.
“We are also an environmental stewardship company. We are focused on safe practices and the environment.”
That philosophy led them to be awarded the Safest Manufacturer in South Dakota in 2023.
“That award is a big thing for our company. We want people to go home the way they arrive to work. We want a safe workplace. We have a lot of machines and things that can be very dangerous. So, we do a good job with training our employees and we want them to come to work, build a great product and be able to safely go home at the end of the day.”
