It’s hard to miss the giant purple Adirondack chair marking the entrance to Knock on Wood Furniture Inc. in Lincoln.
Ironically, the landmark is one of the only furniture items not made of wood. It’s a composite material, says owner Michael Gordon.
“You can’t have wood for outdoor stuff; it doesn’t hold up,” Gordon said.
Inside, it’s a different story. Wooden bed frames, dressers, tables and desks fill the two-floor showroom, the oaky smell hanging heavy in the air. You won’t find any particle board or veneers here.
Authenticity is at the heart of Gordon’s business philosophy, both in the product and the service.
“You can make a call and actually talk to a human being,” he said.
Often, the person picking up the phone is Gordon. He carries a cordless phone with him as he strolls the showroom, stopping periodically to answer calls from customers. To one asking about when an order will arrive, he reassures them, “I haven’t forgotten you. It’s coming.”
It’s a frequent refrain these days, with shipping delays extending the arrival time for big orders such as dining sets from a few weeks to months. Price hikes have hit his business hard, too.
But waiting longer and paying more hasn’t created too much angst among his customers, many of whom are longtime buyers not easily dissuaded by the time or cost of the product.
“I am selling to the children of parents who I sold to when I first opened,” Gordon said.
Most of his business comes by word of mouth, including referrals from salespeople at big-name retailers such as Raymour & Flanagan and Cardi’s Furniture + Mattresses.
“I should shake their hands for bringing me so much business,” Gordon said jokingly.
He doesn’t view these retail giants as competition, though. Nor is he threatened by online sellers such as Amazon.com Inc. The niche he’s carved out for his business sets him apart.
“You can come here and see it, and touch it and smell it,” he said of the furniture he sells. “And you can’t get that customization elsewhere.”
The business offers custom finishing and even manufactures furniture out of a small workshop below the showroom.
Gordon, who studied woodworking at a vocational high school, dabbles in the shop to keep his skills up to date but leaves most of the craftsmanship up to his employees, many of whom are family members.
Occasionally tensions arise. Gordon acknowledges it can be hard to have a family member as a boss.
But he’s quick to add that his leadership role was earned through hard work and dedication.
He got his start as an 18-year-old selling custom-made picnic tables out of the yard behind his Central Falls apartment. In 1985, he opened his first store Unfinished Furniture, progressively moving into larger spaces before buying the building that would house Knock on Wood in 1997.
Even now, he’s in the shop six days per week, placing orders, rearranging the showroom, making a sale or lending a hand with the finishing process.
“I am married to it,” he said. “This is my identity. I don’t mind it because it’s what I love to do.”
