Steve Thomas

Steve Thomas is an American author and television personality. He was born in 1952 in Pomona, California, as the oldest of six children. His interest in construction and renovation came from his father who used to buy and repair old houses. The grandfather of Steve Thomas, Rooney was also a DIY guy and Episcopal missionary in the Alaskan Arctic. Thomas graduated in philosophy at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington While at college, he supported himself as a licensed painting contractor and carpenter. Influenced by his father's passion for fixing up old houses, he undertook his first home renovation project in 1974: a 1920s residence. He continued to perform renovations in the Pacific Northwest until he moved to Massachusetts in 1980. Since then, he has renovated a number of old houses, including the 1836 Colonial Revival in which he resides with his wife Evelyn Blum and son Sam. Thomas has always tried to combine his love of fine woodworking with his passion for the sea and ships. In 1977, he worked as a finish carpenter on a 75-foot ketch in Antibes, France. In the 1970s and the 1980s, he logged more than 30,000 blue-water miles on a variety of sailing ships. He wrote "The Last Navigator" in 1987. A critically acclaimed book, it served as the basis for a documentary of the same name produced for PBS's Adventure series in 1988. In 1989, he received a call from the "Adventure" series publicist who also worked for This Old House (1979). She suggested he talk to the show's producers who were searching for a new host. Ten days later, Thomas was offered the position. Since replacing Bob Vila in 1989, Thomas has helped catapult This Old House (1979) to the top of PBS's list of most-watched ongoing series of all time and the highest-rated home improvement series in television history. He has been awarded a 1997-1998 DayTime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Service Show Host". Thomas has become an "expert in demand" at home shows nation-wide, meeting attendees, present an entertaining show, answering questions and signing autographs. He has appeared on television shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986), Today (1952), Entertainment Tonight (1981) and Good Morning America (1975). In addition to being a successful television show host, Thomas has written the best-selling books, "This Old House Kitchens" and "This Old House Bathrooms". He serves both on the editorial board of, and as a columnist for, This Old House magazine (published by Time Publishing Ventures, Inc.).