Brought up by a Swedish father and English mother, Kris Nilsson built his first boat, a Caledonian Yawl when he was 18 years old. The experience sparked his passion for woodworking and, perhaps partly inspired by his Viking heritage he went on to study International Boat Building in Lowestoft. After working on a year long project in Sweden building an Enlarged Nordic Folkboat he returned to England to build luxury yachts for Spirit Yachts, Ipswich before founding his workshop Kris Nilsson Craft in Nottingham, where he now designs and makes bespoke furniture.