The Repair Shop star Jay Blades to open his first furniture store

The Repair Shop favourite Jay Blades is opening his first furniture shop, giving fans of the show the chance to buy his items in person.

Blades has been running an online store for reclaimed and restored furniture, which also takes on special commissions, for eight years, but this will be his first bricks-and-mortar shop.

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Jay & Co is set to open on 13 March at The Dolphin Shopping Centre in Poole, Dorset, which houses other independent businesses including Blades' collaborator Steve Wyatt's business Restored Retro.

Blades said: "Restored Retro was our first stockist, we started selling our products through his shop nearly two years ago, and it has not only been fruitful for both parties, we have become good friends, our business values are aligned and it is the right fit for us."

His work has already been stocked in other stores around the UK and uses artists, fabric companies and other restorers to prolong the life of furniture.

The Repair Shop is beloved by viewers for its heartwarming stories of furniture and other family heirlooms with sentimental value that are restored to their former glory by Jay and his team.

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Blades has starred in the BBC One show since it launched in 2017 and has become a favourite with viewers.

Last year, he and his expert team met the King for a special episode of the programme as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations, and in May 2022, Blades was made an MBE for his work in promoting heritage craft and restoration in the UK.

Jay & Co's Dorset shop will continue Blades' enthusiasm for working with other craftspeople by using other restoration experts on pieces for sale and will also sell its own original items made from sustainable materials.

Last year, Blades was a guest on Desert Island Discs where he explained the life-changing effect the show had had on him.

He said: "The Repair Shop has fixed me because what it’s done is actually brought me into another family, that’s people in front and behind the camera, who have looked after me and understand my kind of, I’ll call them differences, and just accepted them."