Steve Thomas (television)

Steve Thomas
200px Thomas at the UP Experience 2010
Born	Stephen Thomas 1952 (age 71–72) Pomona, California
Residence	Rockport, Maine
Education	Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington
Occupation	Television show host
Years active	1989 - present
Known for	Host of This Old House, 1989-2003; 3 books
Awards	1997–1998 Daytime Emmy Award
Website	www.stevethomashome.com

Stephen Thomas (born 1952; known as Steve Thomas) is an American author and television personality. He was the host of the PBS home renovation series This Old House from 1989 to 2003 and of Renovation Nation, on Discovery's former Planet Green channel, for two seasons (2008–2010) until its cancellation.

Biography

Thomas was born in 1952 in Pomona, California, and is the oldest of six children.

Education

Thomas received his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. While at Evergreen, he supported himself as a licensed painting contractor and carpenter.

Sailing and construction

In 1977, Thomas worked as a carpenter on a 75-foot (23 m) ketch under construction in Antibes, France. He also logged many nautical miles sailing a 43-foot (13 m) wooden sloop from England to San Francisco via the Panama Canal, Galapagos Islands, Marquesas, and Hawaii. He moved to Massachusetts in 1980.

Television

In 1989, Thomas returned to Satawal to film a documentary with Piailug for the PBS series Adventure. In 1989, while researching his next book, on his family's history in the Alaskan Arctic, Thomas was approached by people from the PBS series This Old House who had already screened more than 400 candidates. He was cast to replace Bob Vila and hosted the show from 1989 through 2003.

Since leaving This Old House Thomas has contributed to programming on The History Channel, hosting and producing the Save Our History series, including one program showing George Washington's estate, and another in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

Habitat for Humanity International

Thomas currently is Spokesman and Ambassador for Habitat for Humanity International with special emphasis on Women Build, Builders Blitz, and ReStore.

Public speaking and personal appearances

Thomas is a popular speaker on green renovation for builders and homeowners. He is especially interested in green, energy efficient, and low maintenance technologies and materials. He has appeared on television shows such as The Early Show on CBS, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Jon & Kate Plus 8.

Renovation

Thomas renovated an 1836 Colonial Revival for his family in Salem, Massachusetts. He now resides in St. George, Maine, with his wife and two standard poodles. A recent project involved renovating a cottage and building a timber-frame barn on a small island off the coast of Maine. This became a two-part special on Renovation Nation. He recently renovated a 1000 square foot adobe in Santa Fe, NM, which was the cover story in the January 2013 issue of Su Casa magazine. Now he's renovating Sea Cove Cottage right in the middle of a charming fishing village in Maine.

Awards

Thomas received the 1997–1998 Daytime Emmy Award of 'Outstanding Service Show Host' for This Old House, plus nine nominations for the same category.

Books

• The Last Navigator : A Young Man, an Ancient Mariner, the Secret of the Sea (1987)
• This Old House Kitchens: A Guide to Design and Renovation (1992)
• This Old House Guide to American Houses (1999)

External links

• Steve Thomas' official web site
• Renovation Nation at PlanetGreen.Discovery.com
• Steve Thomas at the Internet Movie Database
• Steve Thomas' bio at TV.com
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