Business Owner And Architect Michael McKinley Builds A Life In Stonington

It’s a late foggy morning in the borough and Architect Michael McKinley meets me with a warm smile and a handshake. His business, , is located in a historic cottage with coastal and nature inspired hues of stone, butter, cornflower blue and terra cotta. Filled with renderings, blueprints and framed credentials this little business clearly packs a punch.

Originally from the Midwest, McKinley attended Brown University and received his degree in architecture from Rhode Island School of Design. He says he came here for school but fell in love with the coast and decided to stay. 

McKinley sought employment, which he calls his apprenticeship period, with architectural firms in Boston, which offered a high level of exposure on national and international projects. One such project was the planning and designing of the Providence Convention Center and Hotel. 

Drawn to Stonington through freelance work with an architect in the borough, McKinley decided to build a life here.

McKinley met his future wife Cathy in Stonington. At the time Cathy was an anchorwoman for Channel 26 and lived above what is now Milagro. Captivated, he asked her on a date and their Stonington Borough romance, as he calls it, began to flourish at Noah’s over coffee.

“My lovely wife Cathy was the main attraction but second to that, the borough was an enclave of artists and musicians at that time,” McKinley said. “It was a wonderful place. It was a hotbed of activity full of some very well known artists like photographer Rollie McKenna, Jimmy Merrill and that whole crowd.” 

McKinley feels this area to be swelling with grass roots support for the arts.

“All the New York musicians love to come here because it’s a genuine audience, very enthusiastic and warm,” McKinley said.

A musician, himself, McKinley is formally educated in the saxophone, but plays the flute in a traditional Irish band. Locally, he’s played venues such as the Harp and Hound, La Grua Center and most recently a packed the house atSaltwater Farm Vineyard. 

As an architect and musician, McKinley is thrilled to share his most recent design, a raw bar and music venue. With a well designed corner for jam sessions of course, the upcoming restaurant, purchased by Chef Dan Meiser, . The expansion is bold and tasteful with the intention to respectfully revive the west bank of the river.

Although McKinley focuses mostly on costal residential design, commercial designs include Mystic’s McQuades and the Kirk Engineering Lab at University of Rhode Island. The firm strives to introduce personalization and fresh perspective to each project and considers giving back to the community important.  McKinley has provided volunteer services for the Stonington Como, Mystic YMCA and the Architectural Design Review Board of Stonington.

Now in business for 18 years, McKinley’s wife Cathy handles public relations and media development for the firm. Together they are involved in the community and parent two daughters who attend Mystic Middle School.

”If you place a house where it should be with the respect for environment, you have an enduring product,” McKinley said.

It’s a perfect metaphor for McKinley, his business and the life he’s artfully built with his family and community in Stonington.