Building With Community: Meet Will Nickerson of signs + wonders

Inside+Out Upstate NY is pleased to present an ongoing series of exclusive interviews in support of Kingston Design Connection and Ulster Habitat For Humanity’s Building With Community Series. To kick-off the 2024 series we caught up with Will Nickerson of signs + wonders. With 15 years experience in the sign industry and a lifetime of building, making & creating, Will started signs + wonders in 2014. His services include the creation of complex sign packages, the design and build of custom furniture and fixtures, and bringing your interior design dreams to reality.

Stop by the Fuller Building this Wednesday, April 24th at 6PM to learn trade secrets from Will Nickerson as he shares tips on beautifying your walls.

DECOR SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR WALLS | signs + wonders
A Home Improvement Speakers Series | Kingston Design Connection
Date: Wednesday, April 24th
Time: 6pm – 7pm
Fuller Building | 45 Pine Grove Ave, Kingston, NY

And now, let’s get to know Will Nickerson…

INSIDE+OUT Upstate NY: Will – Tell us about yourself: Where were you born; how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Will Nickerson: I’m originally from Ada, a small town in southern Oklahoma, but I moved to Denver, Colorado, when I was 18. I moved to NYC in 2005 and bought a property in Shokan, NY, in 2019 with my wife Nicola. It was originally just supposed to be a weekend retreat with friends and family kind of spot, but those plans and many others swerved in 2020 along with everyone else. Thanks Covid. I now split my time between upstate New York & Brooklyn, depending on where my work takes me.

What inspired your interest in sign-making and wall decor? What was your personal journey?

While living in Denver, I was employed at a woodworking facility & was asked to make crates to ship signs around the world; this transitioned into making the signs themselves, which was much more enjoyable! After moving to NYC, I continued in the sign industry. I found that the skills I’d developed in installing vinyl wall murals translated into commercial wallpapering. A long-time friend realized my skills would be useful in her residential interior design business and introduced me to a network of other interior designers.

How did you come to partner with Kingston Design Connection?

I had been working with Ana Claudia Design in NYC when she found out I was a part-time resident of the Hudson Valley. She asked if I’d be interested in participating in the 2020 Kingston Design Showhouse. I ended up wallpapering the stairway and the Listening Room for Jennifer Salvemini, and I’ve been involved in every showhouse since.

What type of projects do you prefer and who are your clients? How do your clients find you?

I love working in historic homes. The process of restoring and rehabilitating an old property is extremely satisfying. Older homes in disrepair give you the biggest transformation experience; stripping off years of neglect to bring back original details is very satisfying.

We work mostly with interior designers but also directly with homeowners, and I haven’t really felt the need to advertise. My business is mostly referrals, but we have a lot of repeat clients. People often like to renovate their homes in stages, and we’ve worked with some clients over many years to finish their spaces.

What was your favorite project to date? What would be your dream assignment?

We worked with Jennifer Savemini to renovate a staircase in an 1870s farmhouse in High Falls, NY, that was in poor shape after years of neglect from previous homeowners. The process of repairing the walls, cleaning up and matching the varnish color on the original millwork, and installing era-appropriate wallpaper was very rewarding. It was an amazing transformation, and the clients were thrilled with the final result.

I would love to work on a home listed on the National Register of Historic Places, where the focus is on historical accuracy and original finishing techniques. So many older properties were built to last, so it would be great to become part of the property’s history and enjoy it with future generations.

What is the most rewarding and most challenging part of your job?

It’s really rewarding to transform spaces for clients, especially when they opt for a dramatic change. Out of the ordinary design choices are always fun to work on. A highly patterned wallpaper or bold paint color choice can vastly change a space, and it’s always great to see the client’s reactions when they see the finished product.

Being a wallpaperer and painter, I’m usually the last contractor in the space, so timing can be challenging. We have to keep a very fluid schedule to allow everyone before us to finish up their piece of the project.

The Hudson Valley is rapidly growing. Is that a good thing for your business, and if so, in what ways?

The shift of people moving up to the Hudson Valley from NYC or purchasing a second home has meant an increase in work. With work-from-home becoming more prevalent, we’ve done many space conversions into home offices. In the city, where space is at a premium, I’ve also worked in many spaces that need to serve dual purposes.

What are you working on now that you’re excited about? Any new plans?

I’m due to start a project in Kingston, NY, shortly: redecorating the living room of a newly purchased home. The interior designer, Jennifer Salvemini, has chosen a bold color palette of painted shapes on double-height walls and across the ceiling, inspired by beloved artwork owned by the client. It will be a fun project to work on; I can’t wait to see the progression from ideas on paper to fully realized designs on the walls.

What local businesses do you rely on to be successful?

I have relationships with many local vendors. The Door Jamb on Route 28 in Shokan has an amazing selection of products, and I get the majority of our paint supplies from Herzogs in Kingston. They have great service. We also work with local craftsperson Alison Zavracky of Alison Zavracky Design Studio, who makes great custom furniture along with her own line of unique hardware.

What is missing in the area that you wish we had?

Walkability! After living in NYC for many years, I’m used to being able to walk to everything and that’s just not a thing in the Hudson Valley unless you live right in town. I miss sidewalks.

If you weren’t a sign artist/maker, what would you be doing?

I love music and have a collection of vintage vinyl records. I would love to open a listening cafe where patrons could grab a cup of coffee and hang out while listening to great music on vintage hi-fi systems.

What is your current state of mind?

Cautious optimism.

Photos Courtesy of Signs + Wonders | @signsandwondersnyc
Connect with Will Nickerson of Signs + Wonders via Website | Instagram

BUILDING WITH COMMUNITY

DECOR SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR WALLS
A Home Improvement Speakers Series | Kingston Design Connection
Date: Wednesday, April 24th
Time: 6pm – 7pm
Fuller Building | 45 Pine Grove Ave, Kingston, NY
For more information, just click HERE.

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