Thomas Michna

Thomas Michna completed his first job in 1978 — a 2,000 square-foot Cape Cod-style house nestled in the woods of Connecticut — at the early age of 10. It was a stealth job, occurring while the homeowners were on vacation. Instead of raiding the fridge and firing up the Atari as most housesitters are apt to do, Thomas performed his own kind of rebellion: redesigning the living room. While Cleo the dog stood watching, Thomas swung the living room sofa away from the window to face the fireplace. Dust jackets came off the books and a rug was moved in to anchor the room. When the owners returned from their trip they were surprised and thrilled with Thomas’ handiwork. It was pretty remedial stuff as far as interior design goes, but Thomas learned two things: he enjoyed the company of hounds, and he was hooked on the process of re-imagining a space.

Thomas attended the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated in 1990 with dual degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Soon after, he joined Fred Fisher and Partners Architects in Santa Monica for four years, and the Barbara Barry Inc. in Beverly Hills for another four years before starting his own practice in Silverlake in 2000. Today The Studio of Thomas Michna creates homes through the harmony of architecure and design.