# Room & Board: John Gabbert. A Broken Deal, a Family Rift, and the Birth of a Furniture Giant

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2026-05-11
- Length: 1h 01m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture

## Summary

John Gabbert, founder of Room & Board, explains how a 1972 trip to IKEA inspired him to create a modern, American-made furniture brand after his father reneged on a deal to sell him the family business, Gabberts. Gabbert details his strategic pivot from flat-pack particle board to high-quality, steel-framed solid wood furniture, leveraging small New England manufacturers to compete with imports. He emphasizes his refusal of private equity and outside investors, choosing instead to grow organically and eventually transition the company to employee ownership via an ESOP.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture#t=0) Introduction: John Gabbert and Room & Board
- [4:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture#t=247) Gabberts: The Family Business and Traditional Furniture
- [13:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture#t=810) The IKEA Inspiration and Design Philosophy
- [18:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture#t=1114) The Broken Deal and Family Rift
- [35:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture#t=2104) Design Inspiration: Steel Frames and Modern Art
- [46:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture#t=2789) Making Furniture in America and Logistics
- [55:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture#t=3310) Refusing Private Equity and Organic Growth
- [1:01:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture#t=3704) Transition to Employee Ownership (ESOP)

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Gabberts (company)
- IKEA (company)
- Walker Arts Center (other)
- Martin Currier (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [STL INT: Interview with Garrett Wade founder Garry Chinn](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2020-10-02-stl-int-interview-with-garrett-wade-founder-garry-chinn) (Shop Talk Live)
- [Afterschool Podcast, Episode 1 - Rich Brilliant Willing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2013-08-19-afterschool-podcast-episode-1-rich-brilliant-willing) (Core77 Podcast)
- [STL 93: Nick Offerman's Dream Shop](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2015-09-11-stl-93-nick-offermans-dream-shop) (Shop Talk Live)
- [134: Kevin Kelly Remains Undefeated](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2026-06-24-134-kevin-kelly-remains-undefeated) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [A Behind-The-Scenes Look at Custom Ski Manufacturing with Mike McCabe](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-12-27-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-custom-ski-manufacturing-with-mike-mccabe) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-05-11-room-board-john-gabbert-a-broken-deal-a-family-rift-and-the-birth-of-a-furniture. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.