Nicolas was born in Tours, France and raised in Chateau Du Loir, 2 hours south west of Paris. At the age of 15 he began an apprenticeship with a family friend and local stone mason, Yvon Boyer.
Nicolas quickly developed a passion for the craft and at 17 enrolled as a student with the Companion du Devoir, the French craftsman and artisan training organisation dating back to the middle ages.
At the heart of the Companion is the Tour de France. Each 6 months to a year, students travel to and live in a new region of France to learn that regions expertise and methods. In Angers Nicolas studied renovation, in Saint Etienne it was concrete and construction, in Bourges castle restoration and in Lille it was brick work.
Nicolas spent a total of 9 years in training through Monsieur Boyer and the Companion du Devoir.