About

Mark Eckstrom swears he came out of the womb knowing where to place an ottoman. He grew up in his mother’s interior design studio before deciding on—and ultimately dropping out of—architecture college. Mark majored in journalism and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He spent the next 20 years based in New York City. Honing his skills at Spin Magazine, Mark worked with Quincy Jones’s launch team at Vibe magazine and was publisher of Out. In 2008 Mark pivoted to sales and marketing for a Fortune 100 food company helping grow annual revenue from $50 million to $200 million. Mark’s “Act III” has been a return to form. Mark launched Studio Eckstöm with his husband Mikal. As head of creative, Mark’s restrained yet exuberant approach to pattern and scale remains a hallmark of the design firm’s approach. His deep affinity for the decorative arts and art history helps inform his instinctual style.

Mikal Eckstrom earned his doctorate in history from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018. Recognized by the Ford Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Mikal has published in numerous academic presses and public venues, including The Wall Street Journal. In 2016, Mikal, along with his husband Mark, co-founded Maison MxM. Mikal primarily works on the operations part of the business and maintains close working relationships with vendors, artisans, and global sourcing partners. For Mikal, interior design is much like telling history—it’s an assemblage of parts to tell a larger story.