Framed with Intention: The Portrait of a Craftsman

Meet Nate—a business owner with a sharp eye, a big heart, and a blueprint for bringing dreams to life. For the past decade, he’s been transforming homes and crafting spaces that feel timeless and rich with intention.

He’s also the founder of Skäpar (a Norwegian word meaning “to create, make, or build”)—a high-end remodeling company rooted in honesty, professionalism, and Nordic sensibility. Clients don’t just hire Nate for the renovation—they hire him for the process. The presence. The ability to turn chaos into clarity.

But while he’s been busy crafting dream spaces for others, Nate has also been quietly remodeling something else: his business—and the next version of himself. He arrived at his first-ever professional portrait session to refresh his company’s branding images and to acknowledge the growth of his team.

While in the studio, he also carved out time for something more personal: portraits with his wife, Stephanie—his co-dreamer and partner in life and business.

We began the process with a personal branding consultation. Nate and Stephanie shared their ideas. We talked through wardrobe options and created a collaborative Pinterest mood board that became the visual anchor for our shoot.

For the session, we photographed a mix of branded and casual looks. Some were in the studio, on the stairs, in the foyer—where sunlight spilled across the hardwood floors and wrapped around Nate, anchoring the scene with texture and grit.

We also created a few slightly more formal portraits that carried CEO energy while keeping that grounded, approachable feel.

Once Stephanie’s hair and makeup were done in studio, we brought her into the frame. The mood shifted—in the best way. Playful. Fun. Spontaneous. Their bond did the storytelling from there.

And the real magic? It lived in the in-between moments: the laughter between frames, the impromptu dancing, the quiet ease of simply being together.

That ease—that authenticity—is the shift Nate is bringing into his business, too. His role has evolved. He’s no longer trying to wear every hat: project manager, estimator, problem-solver. He’s stepping into something bigger. Something bolder.

Here’s to letting go of the hats and taking the helm, to renovating homes that reflect your clients’ dreams—and a brand that finally reflects your own.

To the craftsman. The leader. The builder becoming.

And to a business—and a life—built from the ground up.