After graduating with a degree in Mathematics and Physics from Tusculum College in Greeneville, TN, I spent seven years in public education as a teacher and school administrator.  During that time, I was fortunate enough to teach drafting and woodworking for two years.  The next 35 years were spent in the financial services industry. 

In the late 1970’s, my wife and I undertook our first major renovation adding a second floor to our home, including a turning staircase, which I have often said was the largest piece of furniture I have ever built.  Most recently, we remodeled the kitchen in our 100-year-old home including reinstalling a rear staircase along with opening up and refacing a hidden fireplace.

Since my father was a home builder, I’ve been around wood my entire life.  My first remembrance of someone making something out of wood that was not part of a house, was a neighbor who gathered all the neighborhood kids in his garage on a rainy day.  He made a model sail boat out of redwood, then sailed it in a rain filled drainage ditch.  It made a lifelong impression that no doubt triggered my interest in creating a wide range of things from wood from small turnings to furniture to a motorized car for my daughters when they were young.

Over time my woodworking interests turned from functional woodworking, such as cabinetry, to the more artist side with a focus on furniture and accessories. Interests other than woodworking include golf, painting and drawing with an emphasis on pen and ink.

 

Email:

Wade Nystrom

(In partnership with Ron Campbell for tabletop artwork)