THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT CHAPTER I: establishing alignment
The story of Studio Thomas starts long before the idea for the firm was born. For Kristen, it begins in the aisles of hardware stores and walking job sites with her dad, who worked as a real estate developer. It was because of her dad that she first learned to look past what something is and to try to envision what it could be. He instinctively saw possibility. Where others saw worn carpet or outdated window treatments, he saw potential. He would encourage Kristen to look beyond the surface and imagine what could unfold in a space if someone gave it the care and patience it needed.
The smell of fresh lumber, the excitement of a hardware store on an early morning, and spending time together to create spaces where people could gather with those they loved and feel at home are fond memories for Kristen. “My dad was all about people,” she shares, “he was always focused on relationships and genuinely loved people.” These tender moments shared with her dad gave Kristen a foundation of how she would later approach design, led by the philosophy that the true luxury in life is found in connection with others.
“My dad was all about people,” she shares, “he was always focused on relationships and genuinely loved people. ”
These moments would take on a different weight with time. On her wedding day, she chose Butterfly Kisses for her father–daughter dance. Not long after, her dad passed away when Kristen was only twenty-one. Since then, butterflies have always been a gentle reminder of him. Whenever she would see one flying through a garden, resting on a window, or passing by unexpectedly, it would immediately bring her back to him.
At the time, she was living in California with her young family, a place she had loved since she was a child. The distance from her family made the loss feel even more profound. After his passing, she needed a way to feel close to him again, so she began to create things. The first piece was a mirror that she built from scraps of wood in her small condo. It was simple, imperfect, but it was something she made entirely on her own. Creating with her hands brought her back to him.
What started as a way to process the loss of her dad slowly became a way to move forward. Friends began asking her for help to elevate their homes, choosing paint colours or finding the right piece of furniture for a room. Slowly she found herself drawn into the design world, falling in love with the details of design that bring a space to life. “I never planned to build a business; I just loved design and people,” she shares. Kristen eventually took the leap to attend design school, where the idea for her own firm first took shape.
Alongside this foundation was another thread that had always been there: California. Kristen has always had a love for the coast. As a child, her family would make the drive each year before school began, driving up and down the shoreline. Kristen was drawn to the rhythm of life here: mornings spent outdoors, people running along the coastline, and the community’s instinct to gather together. This energy stayed with her long after she returned home.
Over time, this admiration for California remained quietly tucked in the back of Kristen’s mind while Studio Thomas was growing in Colorado. Our team continued to expand, systems became solidified, and projects became increasingly layered with the philosophies that Kristen’s dad taught her from a young age. To Kristen, California was the personified version of everything we believe at Studio Thomas. It was a lifestyle rooted in wellbeing, community, natural materials, and indoor-outdoor living, all principles that shaped our own philosophies.
What began in hardware stores and on job sites slowly evolved into a firm dedicated to intentional living. The simple act of creating and helping friends turned into a love for designing homes that support how our clients gather, live, and rest. The lessons Kristen learned from her dad – seeing the potential in what others might overlook, valuing pieces made to last, and always leading with genuine love for people – have become our way of seeing the world.
As time passed and the roots of Studio Thomas continued to grow, so did the pull to California. There was a sense of alignment she couldn’t fully articulate, but Kristen felt confident this is where she wanted to be.
Studio Thomas was never about building a firm in the traditional sense. It was an extension of something much more personal to Kristen: a continuation of the way her dad had taught her to see the world. And his influence never left our process. It’s reflected in many of the philosophies that guide our work today. It’s in the belief that design shouldn’t be about accumulation, but about intention. It’s in the understanding that true luxury is about the quiet confidence to be authentic. It’s in our desire to genuinely connect with others and build spaces that truly represent who they are.
