Neihart and Bradshaw Create Custom Furniture and Design
Summer 2017
Written By: Brielle Schaeffer
| Images: Jeff Buydos
Whether it’s a custom dining set, stylish sofa, or outdoor furnishings, if you can dream is, The Rusty Nail can make it happen. The custom furniture and interior design business in Driggs, Idaho, has produced hundreds of beds, dressers, coffee tables, and even complete home remodels.
“We start with an empty space and collaborate with the clients to create a home that is an expression of themselves,” explains owner Teneal Neihart.
From there the design process blossoms into beautifully bespoke pieces made by craftsman Jake Bradshaw to fit in any room, along with Neihart’s creative direction and decor touches for a cohesive rustic feel. Neihart incorporated the business in 2005, after working in interior design for several years and Bradshaw began working with her nine years ago.
“It is a passion,” she says. “My degree is in marketing and business management, and I knew with that degree I could go several different ways. I love working with people and surrounding myself with beautiful things.”
Bradshaw got his start in construction right out of high school building homes with his brother in Teton Valley, Idaho. He started dabbling in furniture making and built a bed, which he brought into the store. “People bought it the next week,” he recalls.
That was the beginning of Bradshaw and Neihart’s partnership, which is nine years strong and counting. Since that time, the two have worked on hundreds of homes and even built furniture for Signal Mountain Lodge in GrandbTeton National Park.
“A lot of times if the client
can dream it up we can
design it and build it.”
Jake Bradshaw
Bradshaw’s specialized skills make Neihart’s job a lot easier. “I don’t know how some designers do it that don’t have a Jake,” she says. “He is an important part of the business as we continue to grow.”
If she had to find pieces of furniture to fit in every corner of every home from a catalog or vendor it would be nearly impossible, she notes. But, thanks to Bradshaw, “we have the ability to do and design anything,” she says. “It makes each project different
and every client special. Each piece is created to stand the test of time and tradition.”
One of their standout projects was creating a library with custom built-in shelves and a ladder to slide across to access all the books. The design incorporated leather, old corrugated metal, and barnwood.
“A lot of times if the client can dream it up we can design it and build it,” Bradshaw says.
Recently, Bradshaw has been working on furnishings for a home in Boston after The Rusty Nail completed the client’s vacation home in Teton Valley.
“We have tons of clients who end up being good friends and people who have us working with them at other properties in different states,” Neihart says.
And that friendly feel is why people keep coming back.
