Our Philosophy
It all starts with the wood. Each species comes with its own character and beauty. Our job is to work with the wood to create furniture that is functional, elegant, and built to be enjoyed for many generations to come. By studying the master furniture makers of the past and present, we have learned what it takes to make furniture that is beautiful and will last. We take the time to carefully match the grain and color of the wood, create dovetail drawers, and use mortise and tenon joinery. This is the way it has been done for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Furniture built in this fashion last, as any museum or antiques shop will show. It is only when short-cuts are taken that furniture fails. If you the build furniture correctly, it will last for centuries! And, it’s the unexpected. Who says all furniture needs to look the same. As the Shakers furniture makers use to say, “Form follows function”. A chair seat should be 17” off the ground. A dining table top needs to be 30” tall. But, once you have addressed that, why not make the piece fun and unique as well.? That’s where the creativity shines. Making something that is both functional as well as original. We love that challenge.
Meet Our Team
“I grew up in a small California mountain town working summers for my dad’s plumbing company. He taught me how to use tools and instilled in me a fine attention to detail. I always enjoyed the finish work, as I was able see the various woodworkers and trim carpenters putting the final touches on many of the custom homes we worked on. I went off to college, earned a degree in Aviation, a commercial pilots rating, and met my wife. We bought a house in San Diego and began the process of fixing it up. This is when I truly began my love affair with wood. I began to hone my skills and take in as much as I could about the craft. My skills continued to improve and we soon moved to Tennessee where I was able to grow my shop and take on projects that were more complex and used traditional joinery methods. Neighbor and friends took notice and soon I was completing projects for them. Before I knew it, I had a business and called it Knock On Woodworks. In April of 2015 Knock On Woodworks LLC purchased Harpeth River Woodworks, which had a long history of making fine wood furniture and cabinetry. Now with a small team of woodworkers we moved the shop to Nolensville TN and make our furniture and cabinetry under the name of Harpeth River Woodworks. I continue to strive to maintain the attention to detail instilled by my Dad while looking for new and exciting challenges, which push my skills to the next level. I truly love what can be done with wood and how it can bring warmth in any number of applications. I look forward sharing that excitement with others and receive so much joy in watching reaction of my clients thrilled with our work. I hope to be able to share that joy with you.”
– Rick Williamson Owner / Master Craftsman
Our Process
We consider everything we do to be collaborative endeavor. With our clients our first step is always to listen. We need to understand what they want, how they will use it, and where it will go. Then we must design it to be functional and visually appealing. Before we cut the first board we make drawings to review with the client. It’s much easier to change things on paper. And, it gives the client something to study for however long it takes to “see” the piece in its place. We then provide color samples and even door samples, if needed, for clients to again “see” what the piece will look like.