Giving Back Archives - McKenzie Interior Design

Motivation and an Update

Published on January 23, 2018January 23, 2018 by steve mckenzie'sLeave a comment

Sometimes We Need a Little Motivation

This year, we are motivated to be present in the moment, thanks to a recent sermon from our minister, Dr. Bill Burch. Present in the moment means focusing your attention on your companion, your conversation, your surroundings, and not checking your phone. All kinds of good things happen when this happens – better listening, better thinking and better relationships. The 2018 focus for our church is “All In”, based on the book All In by Mark Batterson. I plan to read it purposefully and mindfully.

On the flip side, sometimes you can’t be present with someone because they aren’t here. Perhaps they moved across the country, moved on with a new job, or are gone forever.

You may remember our post last spring about our son’s fraternity brother, Weston Lee, who was killed in action. This young man is sorely missed by his family and friends. That’s an understatement, I know. Now here’s the update — our son, Carter, is running the Publix Half Marathon on March 18th in memory of Weston with a GoFundMe and all money donated will benefit the University of North Georgia scholarship in Weston’s memory.

The irony of this? Carter admittedly hates running, which he readily admits, and hopes to motivate others to keep Weston’s spirit and his dedication to service alive. He knows Weston would be urging him on as he doggedly trains for this race.

Another reminder to cherish the time with your friends and family…

That’s what life is about, isn’t it? Connecting, making friends, having adventures together, motivating each other to be your best self.

On a lighter note, preparations are underway for our son’s wedding in two weeks! We’re motivated by love to host the rehearsal dinner for this wonderful couple, their supportive friends and family. Casual, comfortable and special is the mantra for the evening with the Southern Crust food truck, table decor by Steve and more surprises. Stay tuned for details!

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Getting into the Holiday Spirit + Giving Back

Published on November 7, 2017November 7, 2017 by steve mckenzie's1 Comment

It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas! We’re getting in the holiday spirit this week as we prepare for the NMP Holiday Gift Show, this Thursday evening – Saturday. You’ll find over 90 of the South’s most sought-after designers, artists, makers, food and more.

Here’s a quick preview of some what we’re bringing to the NMP Holiday Gift Show…

appetizer, plate, red — Melamine Appetizer Plates Allegra Red set/4

scripture, Bible, cards — Small Squares with Mighty Words by Thimblepress

As a true partner in the Atlanta community, this 34th annual event directly supports the preschool’s scholarship program. We are honored to be part of this talented and dedicated group, and look forward to seeing you there, and at steve mckenzie’s!

Join us as we Design, Wine & Dine in Macon!

Published on June 6, 2017June 5, 2017 by steve mckenzie's1 Comment

Once again, we’re proud to have an opportunity to participate in the Design, Wine & Dine, supporting historic Macon, Georgia! In addition to the many exciting experiences taking place June 15-25, a feature will be the designer showhouse; in which, a dining room by McKenzie Design will be a highlight!

This year’s home is truly special – it’s the Porter House on Wesleyan College’s campus. Historic Macon worked with Wesleyan College to move the Porter House from its original location in South Macon when it was donated to the college in 2013. The house has elements of the Tudor Revival and Chateauesque styles. Wesleyan has retained many of the house’s features, including the original ceramic tile roof, wooden floors, built-in cabinets, casement windows, and intricate wormy chestnut woodwork.

The Porter House was built in 1928 for James Hyde Porter and his family as a summer retreat. The house was designed by architects W. Elliot Dunwody and William F. Oliphant. The Porter family donated the house to Wesleyan College, the first women’s college in the United States, in 2013. After moving the structure from its original location in South Macon to its campus, Wesleyan College completed an extensive restoration of the house with help from Dunwody Beeland Architects.

Now Steve, alongside a slew of talented, local designers, will revitalize the interior of this fantastic home, thanks to some high design. Steve’s space, partially seen in the above image, is a fantastic, blank palette of a dining space, which will be transformed into something spectacular!

Here’s a glimpse of what’s to come in the Porter House dining room – a quick, behind-the-scenes shot taken during install.

And a little sneak peek of the tablescape being designed for the showhouse… Just dreamy!

Check back soon to see the big reveal, and be sure to plan a visit to Macon soon to enjoy all their Design, Wine & Dine events have to offer!

Sharing Something Personal

Published on May 18, 2017May 18, 2017 by steve mckenzie's1 Comment

We want to share a personal, yet somber, highlight from last week. Two weeks ago our 24-year-old son, Carter, a first year high school history teacher, tragically had an active duty fraternity (Sigma Alpha Epsilon) brother killed in Iraq. This rocked his, ours, and many others worlds’.

Within hours of his passing, our son and his close friends determined that they’d like to honor Weston’s memory with a scholarship at their school, the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, using a gofundme account. The goal is $100,000 and to date, $60,000+ has been donated.

Being a man of action, Carter took this story to his history students at William and Reed Academy, in Johns Creek GA, reminding them we have active duty soldiers in harm’s way despite being in a peace-time setting. He challenged them to collect items for care packages to send to these service members. Listen to what happened next:

What’s the takeaway of this story? Cherish your friends and cherish your freedom.

One person can make a difference and that one person is you. Listen to what tugs at your heart.

Simple things and handwritten cards brighten a service member’s day

Read here to learn more about Lt. Weston Lee, his ultimate sacrifice and what’s being done to honor and remember this young soldier and remember to thank the next service person you see.

Support a great cause while saving with the Camp Twin Lakes Partners Card!

Published on October 2, 2016September 30, 2016 by steve mckenzie'sLeave a comment

For the third year in a row, steve mckenzie’s is honored to have the opportunity to support Camp Twin Lakes with the Partners Card promotion!

The Camp Twin Lakes Partners Card is one of the camp’s largest fundraisers of the year – it gives folks a chance to give back while saving 20% at more than 400 stores in preparation for the holiday season. So, get those gift lists written up and save big while you give big!

A bit of info from Camp Twin Lakes:

Since its opening, Camp Twin Lakes has welcomed more than 100,000 children and volunteers. Each year, thousands of campers and volunteers head to CTL-Rutledge, CTL- Will-A-Way, and CTL-Camp Dream for week-long summer sessions and year-round weekend retreats.

As our Director of Camping Services Dan Mathews puts it, “CTL campers constantly comment on how powerful it is to feel normal, to be one of the group, and not to stand out because of their various illnesses or challenges. Kids build camaraderie and friendships that will last a lifetime, not to mention support systems that will see them through their hard times back at home, which often entail doctor’s appointments, hospital visits and ongoing treatments.”

A medical coordinator is on permanent staff and all camp programming is overseen by a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. CTL Program Staff are specially trained in adaptable and accessible programming. We collaborate with each Camp Partner to ensure every child’s needs, medical or otherwise, are attended to.

Cards are $60 and 100% of proceeds go straight back to Camp Twin Lakes. steve mckenzie’s will have cards available for purchase starting October 3rd and can be used toward saving at these local, Atlanta-area retailers from October 28th to November 6th.

We hope you’ll join us in supporting this very worthy cause – all while getting in some fantastic holiday shopping! Reach out to steve mckenzie’s with any questions.

Sneak Peek of the steve mckenzie’s Space at the Magnolia Designer Showhome…

Published on September 18, 2016September 18, 2016 by steve mckenzie's1 Comment

As you may have noticed, we’ve been up to our elbows in designer showhomes – and loving it! They’re such fun ways for our team to flex those designer muscles, work with some of our favorite brands and taking an opportunity to enjoy our industry friends while designing in the same home.

The Magnolia Designer Showhome, located in lovely Cartersville, GA, is a really special project because it benefits Advocates for Children, a non-profit organization dedicated to the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect. Advocates for Children strives to create a world where all children are respected, loved, happy, and thriving. Their goal is to bring hope and comfort to over 3,000 children and families every year in Bartow County and the surrounding North Georgia areas.

Now, the showhome doesn’t open until October 19th, but we’ve been working for some time to create an amazing space on the private terrace, off of the master bedroom. We were thrilled to have an opportunity to design an outdoor space since our showroom has been able to carry some truly fabulous outdoor furnishing brands – including Selamat and Kannoa, both of which are put to use on this terrace! Here are a few sneak peeks into our design of our Magnolia Showhome space…

Delivery day! Here, you can get an idea of our blank canvas. It’s really quite large, and one of our biggest challenges is creating a space that feels both intimate – after all, it is located right off the master suite – while providing a great use of space.

Our goal on the terrace is to create an intimate entertaining space with multiple seating areas. A cozy corner will be the ideal space for a couple to curl up, but it will easily transition to a place to host a generously sized soiree. Outdoor area rugs from Jaipur and a custom rug by Delos, based off one of Steve’s paintings, help to achieve this goal.

The overall feel for our Magnolia Showhome terrace is to offer an updated traditional style for this historic home, which will be warm and welcoming, and will allow the homeowners to use it in many different ways.

Our design will be on showcase with a slew of other amazing interior designers, including our friends Beverly Baribault Group, Peace Design, Michel Smith Boyd, Joann Kandrac and Kelly Kole of Kandrac and Kole Interiors, Yvonne McFadden and so many more!

Magnolia Showhome - Cartersville, GA — Magnolia Showhome – Cartersville, GA

We hope you’ll plan a trip to visit this beautiful home and support such a worthy cause – plus, we can’t wait for you to experience the Master Terrace of the Magnolia Showhome by the McKenzie Design team!!

A Sneak Peek at steve mckenzie’s 2016 Serenbe Showhouse Space

Published on September 8, 2016September 7, 2016 by steve mckenzie's1 Comment

Once again, it’s almost time for the unveiling of the annual Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Serenbe Designer Showhouse – and this time, steve mckenzie’s is showcasing a signature space all our own!

You may remember, we’ve worked with other designers in past Serenbe showhouses, and even designed two Serenbe artist cottages, alongside our friend, Kerry Howard. Suffice it to say, we’re Serenbe fans!

We are thrilled to design the Entrance Hall to the fabulous Penthouse of a one-of-a-kind textile loft, which is this year’s Designer Showhouse! Knowing our space will offer visitors a first glimpse into the amazing designs of fourteen other designers is absolutely wonderful, certainly humbling and slightly scary. But, we’re up for any challenge!

Above is a shot of our blank canvas when installation was first beginning. A stunning light fixture by Currey and Company is hidden beneath a bit of protective wrapping, but will be revealed tomorrow – on opening day!

Another sneak peek into the luxurious life of an interior designer… Packing, securing and transferring furniture, artwork and more to the penthouse for installation.

We cannot wait for the first guests to arrive and be greeted with this brilliant wallpaper design by Mitchell Black. It’s dramatic, luxe and oh so sophisticated.

As we mentioned above, the house officially opens tomorrow, September, 9th and is open through Sunday, October 2nd. All proceeds from the designer showhouse will directly benefit the Art Farm at Serenbe, a cause we believe is so worthy. Buy your tickets here – you won’t be disappointed with a visit to this outstanding showhome!

Check out this link for a rundown of all the 2016 Serenbe Showhome designers. We’re so grateful to be in such brilliant company!

Support Dress for Success by Shopping the O Magazine Collection at Talbots

Published on March 3, 2016March 2, 2016 by steve mckenzie'sLeave a comment

Last year, we introduced our blog readers to Dress for Success, a non-profit organization that does a tremendous job of providing interview suits, confidence boosts, and career development to low-income women. They’re back on our radar now, with a fantastic promotion in conjunction with O Magazine and Talbots.

Seven new pieces were designed for Talbots in collaboration with O Magazine‘s Creative Director, Adam Glassman, and 30% of the net proceeds will go to benefit Dress for Success!

In addition to these proceeds going to Dress for Success, Talbots is also offering other ways to support this fantastic organization – you can bring in excellent condition, wear-to-work items to any Talbots location March 3-6, and they’re also offering to accept monetary gifts for the organization through April 3.

If you’re looking to do any shopping – or donating of work-appropriate clothes – please consider a visit to Talbots in support of Dress for Success!

steve mckenzie’s Partners to Design Serenbe’s Tiny Artist Cottages

Published on February 12, 2016February 11, 2016 by steve mckenzie's2 Comments

If you follow steve mckenzie’s on Facebook, you may have seen that over the past few months, Steve has been working with our friend, and fellow designer, Kerry Howard to create inspiring interiors for two brand new tiny cottages for Serenbe, slated to be used for their Artist In Residence (AIR) program.

With Steve being an artist himself, this project has been especially rewarding, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to share the completed design with you all! We first announced our participation in this project in this blog post, which offers a bit of background on Serenbe’s AIR program their partnership with Auburn University’s Rural Studio, where the goal of creating low-cost and inspiring living solutions began.

Many people had to join together to make this project a reality – after all, there were some lofty goals put in place for all involved! Not the least of which was designing the cottage interiors in a way that would inspire a plethora of artists who are fortunate enough to participate in Serenbe’s AIR program, while maintaining a realistic view of what future cottages would look like, when not given the opportunity to work with interior designers.

Because these cottages will work as examples for future Rural Studios dwellings, Steve and Kerry wanted to ensure their designs work to make the most of these unique dwellings. They donated their time designing and installing the interiors, while a number of vendors, including Verde Home, Selamat Designs, R. Wood Studio, Cherry Hollow Farm, Cosentino, Bosch, Workstead Design Shop, Marmoluna, TOTO, Top Shop stone, AuthenTeak, and Robert Allen, all donated products and materials to make the team’s designs come to fruition.

For a full look at Serenbe’s new artist cottages, check out this article from Atlanta Magazine. To learn more about Auburn University’s Rural Studio’s program and how these cottages provided a real-world example for them as the program expands, see this story on inhabitat.com. Finally, this article from Mother Nature Network beautifully highlights the cottages themselves. We’re so grateful this collaboration has been so well received and we’re honored to play a role in the project’s success!

If you love the artsy, eclectic feel of these cottages, and would like to bring a bit of this lovely look into your own space, please contact the steve mckenzie’s design team today!

Changing Lives – Dwell With Dignity’s latest Atlanta project!

Published on December 10, 2015December 10, 2015 by steve mckenzie's2 Comments

Our team here at steve mckenzie’s was honored to have been able to be a part of Dwell With Dignity‘s latest Atlanta project, installed last month. We feel so lucky to play a small role in bettering one family’s life right before the holidays – there’s truly nothing better!

A BIG thank you to Lisa, Kim and everyone we worked with on this fantastic DWD project!!

TaverionInstall-459 — Our crew with the wonderful receiving family after the big reveal.

As you may recall from past blog posts, Dwell with Dignity, is an amazing organization which supports families struggling with homelessness and poverty one beautiful design at a time.

Here's the family first walking in to their new space - we think they're thrilled with their new home! — Here’s the family first walking in to their new space – we think they’re thrilled with their new home!

This time around, Steve worked with THE Egypt Sherrod, and together, they teamed up with Americas Mart, Dena Stormer for the DIY portion of the design, as well as Nancy Foster and other volunteers to bring this happy – and beautiful – home to a very deserving mother and her two children.

steve mckenzie's team member, Xavier neuner, working on some finishing touches. — steve mckenzie’s team member, Xavier neuner, working on some finishing touches.

Before, the three bedroom apartment was dull and uninspiring. After the design and installation it felt welcoming, bright and vibrant – a place where people can truly thrive! Here are some photos of the space before and after…

Dining area after - a perfect place for the family to gather, kids to do homework and for everyone to make some special memories! — Dining area after – a perfect place for the family to gather, kids to do homework and for everyone to make some special memories!

Master bedroom before... — Master bedroom before…

Master bedroom after - a beautiful retreat, with plenty of places to snuggle up with the kids or just relax. — Master bedroom after – a beautiful retreat, with plenty of places to snuggle up with the kids or just relax.

One of the kid's rooms before... — One of the kid’s rooms before…

And the kid's room after - an awesome space to inspire confidence and give this little one a spectacular place to call their own. — And the kid’s room after – an awesome space to inspire confidence and give this little one a spectacular place to call their own.

They always say you get what you give, but in this case what we got was tenfold. Seeing the joy on the faces of these family members and knowing we helped make a difference in their lives was the experience of a lifetime!

After seeing her new home for the first time, the mother shared, “I am living a dream, more than a dream, I never ever dreamed I could have a home like this.” Wow. Design does powerful things.

There are so many people who helped make the project possible, and we’re lucky to have worked with such a wonderful bunch! Thank you to our fabulous photographer, Thomas England. All photos are his work.

To learn more about Dwell With Dignity, and how they make a difference with design, as well as learn about ways you can help please visit DwellWithDignity.org.

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