Knilans' History

In 1955, Bob and Virginia Knilans’ purchased the old leather shop on Brady Street in Davenport, IA and so began Knilans’ Furniture. They were committed to offering their clients the finest craftsmanship in solid wood furniture and excellent customer service. There was no interest in selling throw-away products - Only Quality, Custom Design and Lasting Comfort.

Bob & Virginia Knilans in 1955.

Bob & Virginia Knilans in 1955.

Pete & Judy Schlicksup outside Knilans' in 1990.

Pete & Judy Schlicksup outside Knilans' in 1990.

About a dozen years later, my dad, Pete Schlicksup, then a student at St. Ambrose College, answered an ad for a part-time job at the store. In 1974 my parents, Pete and Judy, purchased the store and continued with the Knilans’ model of excellence and then began to hone our craft. They built an Interior Design team to help our clients create complete room makeovers and they found great value in showing furniture in homelike settings opposed to a big box showroom. After a series of five expansions (purchasing the two neighboring houses on Brady Street), Pete and Judy created a quaint shopping experience. Today you will find 40 unique rooms and over 10,000 square feet of fine furniture!

I joined the family business in 2004 and continue the commitment to sell the best in quality and provide 100% customer satisfaction.”  

- Tim Schlicksup, Knilans’ Store Owner

Current owner Tim Schlicksup and family.

Knilans' Service

The Knilans’ niche is our combination of a Complete Furniture Showroom and Professional Interior Design Service.  Our professional experience and personal attention enable us to bring your vision to life and take the worry out of the selection process.  The result is your beautifully designed space with quality and comfort to stand the test of time. Find everything you need for your project, right here!

Great Customer Service! The friendly voice on the phone…the helpful smile in the office...the ones who work behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly.  For the occasion when we do fall short, we take the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to true customer service. Product warranties mean very little… exceeding customer expectations is paramount.  

White Glove Delivery! Anyone could wear white gloves during a delivery, but they are only as good as the men wearing them.  Our delivery team is second to none. We care for your furniture. We care for you home. We care for your time (9AM means 9AM!).  We remove/relocate your existing furniture. We place and arrange your new furniture exactly where you want it. Perfect Gentle(delivery)men.

 

Knilans’ Team

It is no wonder Knilans’ has been in business all these years. From start to finish, on both of these projects, we have been more than happy with the quality and beauty of furniture and the wonderful staff.  Our purchase in 2014 included a beautiful sofa which had to be recovered because of mill-defective fabric. Knilans’ made sure we found new fabric and loaned us a sofa while ours was being re-covered! What a great place to buy furniture. Thank you!
— Jim & Linda, Port Byron, IL

Knilans’ Quality

It is very common hear the words “top of the line” during a visit to most any furniture store.  Most often “top of the line” means the best that a given store offers its customers.  The products at Knilans’ are actually the top of ALL lines. There is nothing that is made better. For example:  This Stickley dresser drawer that Tim is standing in is constructed with the most robust techniques in furniture joinery.  Its sheer strength and beautiful hand rubbed finish makes it the finest of its kind. This investment will serve you and many generations to come

Quality you can stand on! Owner...Tim Schlicksup

Quality you can stand on! Owner...Tim Schlicksup

It's what's inside that counts!

It's what's inside that counts!

The cut-away view shown on the sofa gives you a peek at the elements that make our upholstery so comfortable, but also shows the level of craftsmanship required to build lasting comfort.  It starts with a solid hardwood frame and an 8-way hand tied spring seating system.  The 8-way hand tied seating base provides forever support for you and your seat cushions.  This method of construction is most effective because all of the springs in the sofa our tied together and work together to support your weight.  When you sit on one side the sofa, the springs on the other end are also engaged in supporting your weight. In addition, we offer varying degrees of support built into the seat cushion, blending high density foam, springs, down and/or dacron wrap to customize the appropriate level of firm/softness for your taste.   Our durable fabrics and 100% top grain leathers are hand sewn to the cover the complete work of art.   Beautiful and robust covers combine with lasting comfort and support make our upholstery the top of ALL lines…inside and out.