About Cavender's LLC - The Interior Company

Ernie has been working in the interior design field since 1975. Ernie is an alumnus of TTU, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management degree in 1970. Ernie served our country in the United States Navy from 1971 to 1975, where he worked in personnel for the Patrol Squadron V. While Ernie was in the Navy, he was stationed in Jacksonville, FL and would have 3 to 5 month deployments to Europe. Ernie attributes both his Navy experience and several moves during his childhood to teaching him life lessons in meeting people and facing challenges with confidence. Ernie developed an early interest in sales and salesmanship, especially in retail. When it comes to design, Ernie receives great satisfaction in solving design issues for clients. Ernie states, “No matter what products you sell, you have to be in the people business first and foremost.” Ernie is most proud of his family. Ernie and Beverly have been married since 1969. Ernie is the father of two children and their spouses, a Poppy to 4 grandchildren, and an elder in the Lord’s church. When Ernie is not working at Cavender’s, you might find him fishing, traveling, spending time with his family, or spending time with his church family. Ernie began this business in 1994 with a dream to provide excellence in design and customer service to the Upper Cumberland region. The legacy of this business continues to be strong today thanks to Ernie’s continued leadership and contribution to the Cavender’s team.

Kyle has been working in the interior design field since 2004, along with an additional 20 years of “family dinner-table experience” by growing up as a Cavender. Kyle is an alumnus of Freed-Hardeman University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with concentrations in Accounting and Finance in 1997. Kyle began his post-collegiate career as a Certified Public Accountant with a large regional CPA firm. This background not only prepared Kyle for Cavender’s daily managerial needs, but also prepared him to offer clients a higher level of professionalism, which may set Cavender’s apart from many others in this industry. Kyle was taught honesty and integrity in business early in life when he would tag along with his father, Ernie, on appointments with clients. During high school and college, Kyle helped in the business by assisting on installations and working in the warehouse. When it comes to design, Kyle is most passionate about the details which create both function and style. When Kyle is not working at Cavender’s, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife and two children in a variety of places depending on the season. During the winter months, Kyle enjoys coaching his children’s basketball teams. In the warmer months, you will most likely find Kyle and his family kayaking on a river somewhere or boating on Center Hill Lake. On Saturday’s in the fall, the Cavenders believe there is no place quite like Neyland Stadium. Kyle’s leadership experience along with the love for interiors instilled into him since childhood makes him a strong addition to the Cavender’s team.

Rebecca has been a part of our design team since 2005, following her student internship with Cavender’s. Rebecca is an alumnus from TTU, earning a degree in Human Ecology with a concentration in Housing and Design. Inspiration through art was part of Rebecca’s daily life throughout her childhood. Rebecca shared her mother’s joy of art by painting, drawing, and creating house plans together. Now that Rebecca is a designer professionally, she is most passionate about cabinetry design, and putting patterns and colors together to inspire clients to create beautiful spaces. In 2009, Rebecca was featured in the national magazine, Signature Kitchen and Bath, inspiring their readers with one of her beautiful kitchen designs. Rebecca’s husband is also in the home improvement profession, building homes and remodeling. When Rebecca is not working at Cavender’s, she is enjoying time with her two sons, antique shopping with her husband, and spending time with friends and family. Rebecca brings extensive experience in design combined with her own elegant style to perfectly diversify our design team to fit anyone’s lifestyle or design needs.

Kelly has been in the field of design since 1999. Kelly is a graduate of TTU, where she earned her degree in Human Ecology with a concentration in Housing and Design. As a child, Kelly always gravitated towards art and design, but it was a floor plan assignment given by her 5th grade teacher that ignited Kelly’s passion for creating functional floor plans and beautiful living spaces. Prior to moving back to her hometown of Cookeville in 2013, Kelly had a lengthy work history as a designer at several cabinet companies in Hermitage, Mt. Juliet, and Murfreesboro where Kelly was their lead designer. Kelly’s biggest accomplishment is her family. Kelly and her husband have two beautiful children together. As most parents of small children know, binge watching Netflix shows and playing games together as a family is the highlight of most weeks. Kelly’s favorite family hang-out is where you feel the ocean breeze and the sand between your toes. Kelly’s extensive design experience, computer aided design skills, and nurturing personality make her a perfect fit to our Cavender’s team.