Our History

Braden’s Furniture was founded by McKinley & Mildred Braden on May 1, 1956, in Knoxville, TN. From 1956 to 1992, Braden’s Wholesale Furniture Co., Inc., functioned as a true wholesale furniture distributor, operating a designer showroom in downtown Knoxville and a traveling sales business in seven states selling smaller independent retail furniture stores. In 1982, the Braden family purchased Fowlers Bros. Furniture Co. of Knoxville and in 1989 opened Knoxville’s largest furniture store at 110,000 square feet on North Peters Road. In 1985, upon returning from a trip to China and Taiwan, Gary Braden started Associated Furniture Importers (AFI), which brought in furniture parts and provided assembly and cartoning in Knoxville, selling to retail dealers, including Sam’s Wholesale, around the southeast. In 1986, Braden’s started a bedding company, “America’s Best Bedding,” also here in Knoxville, manufacturing mattresses and box springs and selling wholesale to retail stores and showrooms. This business was sold in 1992 to a regional bedding competitor. Braden’s also sold Fowlers Furniture in 1992 to Rhodes Furniture Co. and subsequently opened the downtown location to the public for the first time. Carrying lines like Theodore Alexander, Henredon, Century, Drexel Heritage, Stickley and others, Braden’s sold at 40% off MSRP directly to the public. In 2004, the Bradens saw the development of Turkey Creek and opened a Contemporary Store called Braden’s Lifestyles. This was a great growth period for our company until the two year I-40 road closure in 2007, which caused us to sell our downtown location.

In 2009, Braden’s Lifestyles was changed from its contemporary model to a blend of contemporary, traditional, casual and transitional. Braden’s also brought its huge patio and outdoor business, as well as its oriental rug department, to Turkey Creek.

Braden’s Lifestyles, voted again as Knoxville’s best furniture store, features Knoxville’s only Stickley gallery, America’s first solid wood and upholstery manufacturer; Ekornes Stressless gallery from Norway, the most comfortable seat in the world; an Eastman House & Aireloom mattress gallery, American Leather, and many more.

Here at Braden’s, we strive to provide supreme quality products at affordable prices. We represent over 200 individual vendors, giving us the unique ability to find the exact style and price point our customers desire. The showroom changes daily, and we are consistently shopping area furniture markets to monitor trends and style, bringing our customers everything from traditional, classic furniture styles to contemporary and modern brands.

We operate under a family name and care greatly for our reputation. That’s why we take customer service very seriously and stand behind our products. We’ve enjoyed many years of making Knoxville houses homes, and we look forward to many more years to come.

MEET OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

GARY BRADEN

CEO
Gary Braden is the owner and president of Braden’s Lifestyle Furniture in Knoxville, TN. Gary is a 2nd generation and 36-year veteran of Braden’s Furniture that was started by his father, McKinley Braden, in 1956. He took the helm of the business in 1977 and has been the past President of the National Wholesale Furniture Association and member of the Association of Furniture Distributors. Gary was a member of the University of Tennessee Football Team from 1973 to 1976. His affiliations include: Board Member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and served as a Deacon at Sevier Heights Baptist Church.

RAY WILSON

ASSISTANT MANAGER
Ray Wilson is the Assistant Manager of Braden’s Lifestyle Furniture and a 30-year veteran in the furniture business. Ray also handles customer service and the Patio & Rug Department. He is an avid sports fan that loves the University of Tennessee and Grace Christian football programs and attends 1st Baptist Church.

NICK BRADEN

OWNER | STORE MANAGER
Nick Braden is the Vice President of Braden’s Lifestyle Furniture and manager of the Turkey Creek location. Nick graduated from Carson Newman University in 2002 where he was a three-year team member of the football team. He is a member of Concord Baptist Church and is an avid sportsman that loves hunting and fishing.

MEET OUR DESIGN TEAM

CATHERINE CUMMINGS VERNETTI

Catherine grew up in Charleston, SC and graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Arts degree as a studio art manager. Catherine paints both portraits and landscapes using oils or water colors. She carries her love for beauty into her work in furniture sales. With an eye for color and detail, Catherine has created some beautiful rooms for her clients and welcomes the opportunity to assist you in creating your ideal home.

CARRIE SIMS

Carrie, a Knoxville native, has been with Braden’s Lifestyles Furniture for the last five years, since her return to Tennessee after a brief stint in Northern Ireland and travels throughout the UK, parts of Europe and even Asia. She attended Northern Arizona University, where she earned her degree in Photography and Environmental Journalism. In addition to her appreciation of composition (written, photographed and designed) she enjoys learning more about Jesus Christ and watching her son play soccer (when not working!) She loves everything home décor, especially fabrics, and would love to partner with you on your next project.

View my portfolio HERE

“Please Call For An Appointment”

LORI CARDWELL

Originally from Bowling Green, KY, Lori has lived in Farragut since 1993. She has been married to Frank (at Mercedes of Knoxville) since 1998 and has two grown sons. One resides in Knoxville and one is a young entrepreneur living in the Big Apple. Lori began her designing career by word of mouth. She earned extra money by doing home designs all while being a busy stay at home mom. She quickly realized she had a knack for creating beautiful home environments for her friends, family and now clients. She has great style and the ability to put together colors, patterns and textures. She can help you solve your design dilemmas. Her goal with her clients is to always help them create a beautiful, functional space. Call Lori for your preferred design reservation today!

MEET OUR SALES TEAM

KEVIN NEWTON

ASSISTANT MANAGER
Kevin Newton is a native of East Tennessee and is an Assistant Manager at Braden’s Lifestyles, where he has been a member of the sales team for 28 years! When he is not hiking in the Smokies, Kevin is helping people make their homes more comfortable with quality furnishings they can enjoy for years to come. Kevin enjoys his work with Braden’s and the opportunity it affords to make new friends. Learn more about Kevin here!
"Hope to see you soon!"

MARTHA WOODRUM

Martha is a 37-year veteran of the furniture industry and has extensive experience and furniture knowledge, which allows her to offer much assistance to her customers with their homes and furniture purchases. Martha enjoys establishing relationships with her clients and partnering with them to create the most beautiful home environments.

ROGER CANADA

Roger has been working in furniture sales for over fifteen years. He’s an avid photographer and particularly enjoys landscape photography in the Great Smoky Mountains. “I always enjoy working with clients to help them find just the right furniture and look for their house and lifestyle.” With his keen artist’s eye for composition and color, Roger can help his clients develop the exact look they are striving to create. Learn more about Roger here.

DENIS LOWE

Denis Lowe started his furniture sales career at Braden’s and has returned after a few years away. He has lived in East Tennessee since 1988 and is married with a daughter living in Atlanta. Denis has a wide range of experience in sales and management, as a car dealership principal, an over-the-road truck and trailer broker, and owner of bicycle stores operating in two states. Denis loves great furniture and appreciates quality in all things. He’s excited to work with clients to help them realize their dreams for their home and lifestyle. Denis is very happy to be back home at Braden’s and vows never, ever to leave again!

DARLENE MEYERS

Coming Soon

KEVIN O'CONNER

Coming Soon

MARIE SHOCKLEY

Coming Soon

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY ABOUT US...

Our recent experience in furnishing our beach home in South Carolina at Braden’s can only be described as outstanding!  Our customized order was handled with professionalism and expediency.  Braden's personal ownership of managing the ordering and shipment process and the advice in selection the customized features of our purchase was invaluable.  When a minor discrepancy in the factory manufacturing process was discovered upon delivery of one item at our distant home, Braden’s was quick to resolve the issue and provide a solution at no cost to us immediately.  We have since purchased additional furnishings from Braden’s and continue to work with them in all of our home decorating projects. In all, we considered Braden’s a trusted retailer and will consistently shop at their firm for the foreseeable future. We find true value at Braden’s and would recommend them to anyone.

Pam Y. & Tom K.

SC

I would like to take a moment to thank you so much for all your help on our projects! I know that our new cabin and the remodel of our 60 year old lodge would not be what they are today without your help, guidance and attention to detail. You were there every step of the way from design to delivery. You took our project and treated it like your own. For that I would just like to let you know how much my family appreciates you and the whole Braden family. Thank you so much!! I can’t wait until we start our next project!

Bobbie Jo G.

Crossville, TN

Hours of Operation

Mon: 10am – 7pm
Tues: 10am – 6pm
Wed: 10am – 6pm
Thur: 10am – 6pm
Fri: 10am – 7pm
Sat: 10am – 7pm
Sun: CLOSED

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