In 1939, Lou Butcher, Sr. opened Louis Butcher Furniture Service in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, where he repaired, refinished and reupholstered chairs, tables and sofas for customers on the city’s bustling south side. A young Lou Butcher, Jr. learned the family business at his father’s heels, observing the team of European furniture craftsmen who worked in his father’s shop and their commitment to old-world quality.
After taking the reins of his father’s business in the 1970’s, Lou Jr. opened a location on Plum Street in Michigan City, Indiana, later moving to Michigan Blvd., and finally settling at its current location on Highway 20 between Michigan City and Chesterton.
Over the past 80 years, Furniture Werks is proud to have developed a lasting reputation for extremely high attention to detail, quality of work and impeccable customer service. That standing continues to this day as Furniture Werks is known throughout Chicago, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan as the go-to furniture restoration service for those seeking to give special care and treatment to well-loved family heirlooms, antiques and even the occasional unusual piece.
Our Furniture Craftsmen
Lou
Furniture Werks’ President and Owner is a hands-on guy. From greeting customers through delivery of the finished piece, Lou ensures that expectations are met and exceeded, coaching his team to deliver exceptional results and customer service every step of the way.
Carol
From wear ratings to fiber makeup, Carol is Furniture Werks’ resident fabric expert. With over 15,000 fabric selections in-house, she is a pro at helping customers find, narrow down and make fabric selections that fit their taste, the piece and their lifestyle.
Since joining Furniture Werks about five years ago, Carol has become known for her high level of care, professionalism and attention to detail.
Art
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Art came to the U.S. to play baseball for the Houston Astros. After suffering knee injuries, Art found it was time to change careers and asked Lou for his first job in furniture repair, telling him “You won’t be disappointed.”
Twenty-five years later, Art is one of Furniture Werks’ most skilled craftsmen, specializing in furniture repair and refinishing.
Ed
With a passion for producing high quality work, Ed is Furniture Werks’ upholstery specialist.
After learning the trade at school in Pennsylvania, Ed worked at a number of high-end furniture manufacturers in Pennsylvania, as well as furniture upholstery shops in downtown Chicago, and has been with Furniture Werks in total for almost 10 years.
Jerry
As Furniture Werks’ backup upholsterer, Jerry has done a range of upholstery work, from vehicles to residential furniture.
It has been during his 10 or so years with Furniture Werks, though, that Jerry has really honed and perfected his expertise in high-end and antique furniture upholstery.
Brian
Furniture Werks’ newest team member, Brian joined the team in 2019 and is primarily responsible for deliveries and pickups to and from customers.
If you meet Brian, you’ll find a friendly face, happy to walk through all the details of your piece with you to make sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed.
