The natural beauty
of figured wood is highlighted in each piece designed by Bill and Nan Bolstad.
They specialize is using Maple Burl and other unusual pieces of wood.
They hope each box or table becomes a family's heirloom, reflecting the passing
of time with continuous use. The craftsmen at Bolstad Boxes Limited would
like all their creations to enhance the everyday lives of customers. The hallmark
of their work is the use of highly figured wood grain and burl wood. Each
piece of wood is carefully chosen to feature its natural characteristics.
Bill has been making and selling his wooden designs for 50 years! (He started
at age 12.) He grew up in northwestern Montana. A woodcarving he made at age
7 as a gift for his grandmother is now a family heirloom. Through high school
and college he continued to make wood projects, and spent summers working
for his father as a carpenter. He pursed a degree in industrial arts with
an emphasis in wood from Montana State University then went on to receive
a M.S. in Industrial Education from Iowa State University. He taught school
for nine years before turning to woodworking full time.
Nan Also grew up in Montana; she earned a degree in English, then became an
editorial assistant for a publishing house. She later managed a craft gallery;
and then was an administrative assistant before devoting her full time to
Bolstad Boxes.
Bill and Nan Bolstad are known for the fine craftsmanship displayed in each
piece as well as the sophisticated shapes of the boxes and tables they design
Each piece is designed to be functional as well as beautiful. Each has tight
fitting joints, is finely surface sanded, has been hand finished and polished,
and boxes feature interiors ready for the finest treasures. They have recently
been working with larger pieces of stabilized and colored spalted Maple burl.
The Bolstads' home and studio is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley,
in Talbot, Oregon.
"Nan and
Bill have become known for their rare ability to create designs with the perfect
marriage of form and function. Years of carefully listening to what people
want in a jewelry box enable the Bolstads' to respond with boxes that incorporate
all the most useful storage features. The Bolstad's have incorporated one
of the most practical systems for ring, necklace, and chain storage ever designed."
- Tony Lydgate, The Art of Making Elegant Jewelry Boxes.
