The Repair Shop's Jay Blades joins forces with Ironbridge's Bolthole
A celebrity furniture restorer and presenter has joined forces with a Shropshire design hub.
Jay Blades MBE – presenter of BBC TV's The Repair Shop – has gone into partnership with The Bolthole in Ironbridge, which will be one of only two UK stores to stock Jay's furniture.
Debra Harris, interior designer and one of the Bolthole’s founders said: “We are excited to be working with Jay and his team and to be stocking his wonderful creations alongside our own range of artisan homewares.
"We have long been admirers of Jay’s ethos and share his passion for creating sustainable pieces with authenticity and creativity and for encouraging the re-use of beautiful well-made vintage items.
"The Bolthole began its life at the Maws Craft Centre in Jackfield, now home to Jay’s workshop, so it’s exciting to be able to build on that relationship by providing a high street outlet for his work."
The Shropshire store will also act as a shop window for the restoration business as well as an agent for customers looking to commission pieces or corporate installations.
Sarah Fennell-Fox, co-founder and textile designer at The Bolthole, said: “Our store was established to showcase the work of small UK-based artisan makers, many of whom upcycle or reuse other materials in their work.
“We hope that by becoming a Jay & Co outlet, customers who may not otherwise have found us will visit the shop and discover the work of these talented makers and recognise the importance of buying second-hand, restored or hand-crafted items.”
The Bolthole – based in Ironbridge Gorge – was established in 2020 through the founders' shared interest of sourcing vintage furniture, fabric and furnishings.
The store showcases unique work by more than 60 local and national artisan makers and includes a retail gallery, an art cafe featuring exhibitions of work and a programme of workshops and events.
Jay Blades, who is based in Wolverhampton, said: “I am thrilled to be partnering up with The Bolthole, an amazing outlet for creativity and craft; it is the ideal shop window for the items we bring back to life in our workshop up the road."
Jay & Co workshop is just a stone's throw away from the store, located in Maws Craft Centre, Telford.
Select pieces from the Jay & Co collection will be available from The Bolthole from November 15.
Customers will be able to purchase a piece from the collection Jay has designed or work with his team to create a bespoke piece for their home or business.
To find out more about The Bolthole visit thebolthole.store.
