About Barber Woodworking · Nashville
Barber Woodworking is a custom woodworking shop located in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, serving Middle Tennessee since 2006. Founded by designer-craftsman Chris Barber, the shop specializes in high-end custom cabinetry, fine furniture, and specialty millwork, with a reputation for elegant solutions to challenging spaces. Beyond commissions, Barber Woodworking is also a hands-on educational shop, running an apprenticeship and internship program and offering regular woodworking classes for hobbyists and professionals since 2017.
Barber Woodworking has operated out of 1911 Nolensville Pike in Nashville since 2006, when founder Chris Barber launched the business after serving as Lead Cabinet Builder at Custom Woodworks of Nashville (a kitchens-and-baths specialist, 2004–2006). Chris, who describes himself as having 'a lifetime of experience in art, design and woodworking,' has built Barber Woodworking into a small, high-quality shop known for unique designs tailored to each client's needs, a stylistic approach to organizational problem-solving, and fine hand-craftsmanship. The shop produces custom cabinetry, furniture, and specialty millwork for both residences and businesses across Middle Tennessee, and Chris emphasizes honest, thorough communication with clients throughout the design/build process. What distinguishes Barber Woodworking from many other custom shops is its unusually strong educational mission. Since 2017 the shop has incorporated traditional apprentice and intern roles into its daily workflow, and it offers recurring classes and training for woodworking hobbyists and professionals. Course offerings include a 'Basic Woodshop Proficiency' class designed as an intensive jump-start for those starting a career in woodworking or taking up the craft as a hobby, as well as hybrid workshops on topics like classical design proportions and SketchUp 3D modeling. Chris Barber was featured on The Highland Woodworker's 'Generation Next' series (Season 3, episode 16), highlighting his place among the rising generation of American custom woodworkers, and his work has been profiled by Nashville lifestyle blog Building Up Buttercup. Clients and collaborators consistently describe Chris as a detail-oriented, world-class woodworking artist whose custom pieces are sturdy, attractive, and built to last.
- In business
- Since 2006 (approximately 19 years)
- Owner
- Chris Barber — Designer / Craftsman and owner
- Serves
- Middle Tennessee (Nashville and surrounding area)
- Rating
- Approximately 4.0+ based on ChamberOfCommerce.com listings showing 4 customer reviews; specific Google/Yelp star ratings not confirmed
About Barber Woodworking
Barber Woodworking is a custom woodworking shop located in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, serving Middle Tennessee since 2006. The shop is owned and run by designer-craftsman Chris Barber and is known for elegant solutions to challenging spaces, high-quality cabinetry, fine furniture, and specialty millwork. The business describes itself as 'a uniquely educational shop, incorporating traditional apprentice and intern roles into our daily work flow and offering regular classes and training for woodworking hobbyists and professionals.'
- Founded 2006 in Nashville, TN
- Owner: Chris Barber, Designer / Craftsman
- Located at 1911 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211
- Shop hours listed publicly as Mon–Sat 7 AM–8 PM
- Phone: 615-442-7770
Custom Cabinetry and Furniture Commissions
The core of the business is bespoke work for residences and businesses. Chris works closely with each client from initial concept through finished piece, with an emphasis on honest and thorough communication throughout the design/build process. Projects range from kitchens and baths to built-ins, custom railings, tables, and one-of-a-kind specialty millwork.
- High-end custom cabinetry
- Fine custom furniture
- Specialty millwork
- Built-ins and custom railings
- Custom countertops, including reclaimed-wood and book-matched tops
- Residential and commercial commissions
The Commission Process
Prospective clients are invited to start a commission by emailing the shop with as much information as possible — rough dimensions, site photos, and inspiration photos — after which Barber Woodworking will provide a rough estimate. A dedicated commission request form is available on the official site at bwnashville.com/commissions.
- Initial email with dimensions, site photos, and inspiration photos
- Rough estimate provided by the shop
- Detailed design communication through build process
Design Philosophy and Notable Work
Chris Barber is a strong proponent of classical design proportions and is known for teaching on the Golden Mean / Fibonacci ratio ('when in doubt, Fibonacci it out'). His work has included specialty pieces such as a heart pine bar top book-matched from a reclaimed beam salvaged from the old Washington Manufacturing 'Dee Cee' overalls plant in Columbia, TN, and a maple countertop to match a client's maple kitchen cabinets and dining table.
- Classical proportion / Golden Mean design principles
- SketchUp 3D modeling for design and client communication
- Reclaimed heart pine and other specialty wood sourcing
- Book-matched grain techniques
Education: Apprenticeships, Internships, and Classes
Since 2017, Barber Woodworking has extended its mission to teaching, offering structured learning paths for aspiring professionals and hobbyists. The shop integrates traditional apprentices and interns into its daily workflow and runs regular classes open to the public. Class topics have included Basic Woodshop Proficiency and hybrid workshops on classical design theory plus SketchUp 3D modeling.
- Apprenticeship program (hands-on, integrated into daily shop workflow)
- Internship program
- Public woodworking classes for hobbyists and professionals
- Customized business training courses
- Basic Woodshop Proficiency class (listed at $125 on third-party course sites)
- Design theory + SketchUp hybrid workshops
Classes Offered
Classes are designed both for people launching a career in woodworking and for hobbyists who want an intensive jump-start to overcome initial hurdles. Barber Woodworking also welcomes suggestions for new class topics and offers customized training tailored to a specific business's needs.
- Basic Woodshop Proficiency (career and hobby track)
- Classical proportions / Golden Mean workshop
- SketchUp 3D modeling for furniture and home design
- Custom private/corporate training on request
Owner and Team: Chris Barber
Chris Barber is the founder, owner, and lead designer-craftsman at Barber Woodworking. His LinkedIn profile lists roughly 21+ years of total experience, including a prior role as Lead Cabinet Builder at Custom Woodworks of Nashville (a kitchens-and-baths specialist, 2004–2006), and he has run Barber Woodworking continuously since June 2006. He is recognized in the wider woodworking community as a 'world-class woodworking artist' who creates custom, one-of-a-kind pieces.
- Designer / Craftsman, Barber Woodworking (June 2006 – present)
- Previously Lead Cabinet Builder at Custom Woodworks of Nashville (2004–2006)
- Featured on The Highland Woodworker's 'Generation Next' Series 3, Episode 16
- Profile and recommendation quotes from clients (Marc Watkins, Jonathan Wardle) available via LinkedIn
Press, Features, and Community
Barber Woodworking and Chris Barber have been featured in a number of woodworking and Nashville community outlets, including The Highland Woodworker's Generation Next video series and a detailed profile on the Nashville lifestyle blog Building Up Buttercup, which highlighted his teaching on classical proportions and SketchUp for kitchen and furniture design. A Nashville singer-songwriter's apprenticeship at the shop was also profiled in Native Magazine.
- The Highland Woodworker — Generation Next, S3 E16 feature
- Building Up Buttercup blog profile (2018) on Golden Mean design and SketchUp
- Native Magazine profile of an apprentice at the shop
- Carpentry Guy blog (Peter Bales) collaboration posts on heart pine and maple counters
Contact and Visit
Barber Woodworking welcomes commission inquiries and class interest via its official site and phone line. The shop is located a couple of miles south of downtown Nashville, easily accessible from the Nolensville Pike corridor.
- Website: https://www.bwnashville.com/ (also barberwoodworking.com)
- Address: 1911 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211
- Phone: 615-442-7770
- Commission requests via bwnashville.com/commissions
- Education info and sign-up via bwnashville.com/education