Nolen was born and raised in rural Wisconsin, spending most of his childhood in the maximalist homes of his mom and grandma. Nolen moved to New York City in 2015, planting his roots in Bushwick. After several lost years of bopping between uninspiring jobs, Nolen stumbled upon the Design world via one of New York’s leading home staging firms, Interior Marketing Group. Progressing from an Intern to a Senior Project Manager, Nolen oversaw projects in some of New York’s most iconic buildings including The Woolworth Building, 520 W. 28th St, Central Park Tower (Penthouse), 432 Park Avenue, Hudson Yards and more.

Nolen launched Tourmaline House in December 2022, becoming a registered LLC in NewYork State in 2023. He lives where some would call Bushwick and some would call Ridgewood.