Nomadic Designs infused with determination

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/04/2022 (1291 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mike Liambas played professional hockey in the NHL and AHL for 12 seasons until an injury in the 2018-19 season forced him into retirement, Mike Liambas returned to his other passion in life, woodworking.

During hockey off-seasons Mike would often immerse himself, as a hobby, in creating and designing custom wood products such as furniture and household accessories.

His hobby became more serious in 2016, while Mike was visiting his mother in Toronto. She showed him a picture of a wood-framed mirror she wanted to buy and he took it upon himself to make the mirror for her. That was when the seed for Nomadic Designs was planted. Soon he was designing and building wood furniture friends and family, taking a name inspired by his years as a hockey player, travelling like a nomad from city to city.

Mike and his cousin, Brent Morden, worked in a warehouse on Dufferin Avenue a few years ago with a few other woodworkers and cabinet makers. In July 2021, the cousins set up their own shop in the same warehouse, and called it Nomadic Designs.

Brent gained his woodworking skills through the intense, four-year Red Seal cabinetry course at Red River College. His family is from Manitoba – in fact, the town of Morden takes its name from an ancestor named Alvey Morden. He said he spent time in B.C. but came back to Manitoba in 2011. He also had cancer a few years back but fortunately won the battle.

“We are both super-driven, hungry and passionate people. Together we can attain anything,” said Mike of the partnership with his cousin.

It’s quite amazing what drive and determination can do. Using mostly salvaged wood products from Manitoba trees to design their products, the two cousins take pride in their work. They also love nature and respect the environment and everything that Mother Nature provides for mankind.

As well as making their own unique creations, they also sell woodworking supplies such as Ecopoxy, Walrus Oil, epoxy, finishing supplies, and DIY-friendly wood for other woodworkers. Their passion for their craft extends to encouraging others to develop their woodworking skills.

To find out more about their thriving business and original creations, check out their website at www.nomadicdesigns.ca