Profile of the Professional Restorer, Owner:

Born in 1956, Blake Soule' was interested in woodworking since the age of 13 when he made his first bass fishing lure and refinished a gun stock. Working since 1976 in furniture restoration, Blake put himself through college and graduated from the University of Memphis in 1982 with a four-year degree in Recreational Therapy. His career in Recreational Therapy was short-lived however, as he found furniture restoration to be far more rewarding. Blake has a strong Christian faith. From 1984 to 1987, Blake went to Brazil as a missionary with an interdenominational organization called The Navigators. There, he met his wife Shyrley, and married in 1986. Blake and Shyrley Soule', along with their two boys, now live a suburb of Memphis Tennessee called Germantown. He attends Hope Presbyterian church in Cordova TN.

About the company:

After gaining nearly a decade of experience working for other furniture restoration, repair and finishing companies, Blake Soule' opened his own shop--Soule' Furniture Restoration--in 1987. Initially, Blake and his wife Shyrley operated the shop out of their home, but the business quickly outgrew their home-based shop and subsequently moved to a 3,000 sq. ft. and then to a 5,000 sq. ft. shop. In 2008 built a 6,000 sq. ft. shop filled with a vast range of old fashion woodworking tools and high-end equipment. Blake Soule' has diversified over more than three decades of business and now handles repairs and restorations to not only antiques, but also new furniture that needs to be restored back to it original state. Soule' also makes high end custom furniture along with refinishing and making conference tables. With a staff of around 7 employees--including 1.5 employees dedicated to full-time customer services--Soule' Furniture Restorations is ready to help you with all of your furniture restoration needs. Soule' Furniture Restorations is conveniently located just 5 minutes south of Collierville Tennessee off Hwy 72.

Who do we work for?

We are very diversified. We handle around 1,000-1,500 claims for major moving van lines, each year, which represents about 50% of our overall business. The rest of our work consists predominantly of residential work, interior decorators/designers, commercial business accounts, antique dealers, fire and water insurance claims, and high-end custom millwork finishing.

There are a few things to remember when shopping for someone to restore repair your beautiful or "not so beautiful" furniture.

Remember that you are buying art, not a consumer product. The price you pay may have nothing to do with the quality of furniture restoration, repair or refinishing you get.

How long has someone been in furniture restoration? Experience is everything in this line of work. Almost everything that is done is custom work and every piece has something special about it that only experience can tell one how to handle.

In furniture restoration one develops the skill and ability to do whatever comes up. There is no book or class that can teach this trade. Experience is the classroom.

Always go to the potential craftsman's shop and check out his work first hand. Anybody can sound good on the phone. I will be glad to compare what I do with anyone within 200 miles of Memphis TN.