Steve Thomas (television)

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Steve Thomas is an author and television personality from the United States. He was the host of the PBS home renovation series This Old House from 1989 to 2003.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Education

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

[edit] Sailing and construction

In 1977, Thomas worked as a carpenter on a 75-foot ketch under construction in Antibes, France. Thomas also logged many nautical miles sailing a 43-foot wooden sloop from England to San Francisco via the Panama Canal, Galapagos Islands, Marquesas, and Hawaii. He moved to Massachusetts in 1980. In the early 1980s Thomas journeyed to the remote Micronesian island of Satawal to learn the ancient technique of star path navigation under the master navigator Mau Piailug.

[edit] 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.

Thomas was cast as host of This Old House to replace Bob Vila after being discovered by This Old House producers and hosted the show from 1989 through 2003 when he left. He was replaced by Kevin O'Connor.

Since leaving This Old House, Thomas has contributed to programming on The History Channel, hosting and co-producing (now producing) the Save Our History series, including one program showing George Washington's estate and another in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. He is still on the DIY Network in This Old House Classics. He can also be seen hosting a new DIY Network show about Habitat for Humanity. The This Old House official website reports that Thomas' departure was purely voluntary, enabling him to concentrate his creative energies elsewhere in television.ยน Steve describes This Old House as "one of the best adventures of my life."

Thomas maintains a consulting practice on renovation and new construction nationally. He is especially interested in green, energy efficient, and low maintenance technologies and materials.Thomas remains a very sought after expert on television shows such as The Today Show, Oprah!, CNN, Entertainment Tonight, and Good Morning America.

Thomas renovated an 1836 Colonial Revival in which he resides with his wife and son in a seaport town north of Boston, Massachusetts. His latest project involves a renovation of one cottage and construction of another on a small island off the coast of Maine. One of the cottages was sold to United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in 2006. [1]

[edit] Awards

Thomas received the 1997-1998 Daytime Emmy Award plus nine nominations for "Outstanding Service Show Host."

[edit] Books

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

[edit] External links

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