Mike began experimenting with lighting in his early teens, swapping out ceiling fixtures in his childhood home, which sparked a fascination with light and shadow. His passion for craft and design led to the VCU Arts program for Interior Design. Midway through, Mike stepped away from design, and pursued a 25 year career in science. In his spare time, he continued to practice art, design, and woodworking.
In 2016, Mike returned to his roots and completed a Masters in Design. His thesis work explored how interior design could provoke mindfulness. He created movable partitions to adjust privacy and light levels - which required user input - a proven way to inspire mindfulness. Additionally, Mike installed raw wood surfaces, based on studies which described the mentally restorative powers of nature and natural surfaces.
Springing from these ideas, and following a year of concept realization, Mike Scribner Designs was launched in the fall of 2020 bringing the aspects of woodcraft, natural surfaces, light, and shadow together in the Wedge Lamp, Paper Lantern, and Split Light.