New Year’s Sale on ALL Holiday + More

Happy 2018 to all! Kick off the new year with a big sale, 70% off all holiday and more.  That’s right – 70% off ALL Holiday and more, now through Saturday, January 6th.

This includes discontinued patterns from Royal Crown Derby, April Cornell and more.  Call or email for details.

See you soon!

sale, holiday, christmas, ornament

As always, we’ve got our eyes on new products and trends, bringing you the best and latest in design and home.  Follow along on our blog and Instagram as we scope out AmericasMart and Maison et Objet this month.  Cheers to a fabulous month!

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

How to Set the Perfect Autumn Table

Earlier this fall we had the pleasure of collaborating with Lisa Rieves, owner of The Front Porch of Vinings, to design a dinner party bursting with the colors of autumn and BIG on style. The backdrop could not have been more perfect; we staged our table setting in Lisa’s beautiful home and this provided direction of the rest of decor.

As you know, we love starting with floral and the centerpiece for party was no different! Floral was purchased from Trader Joe’s the morning of the event – this really gave us that fall color and helped establish the palette. Our selections included roses, gerber daisies, sunflowers, and little petite daisies.  But we think the actually came from a walk together with Lisa through her beautiful garden gathering hydrangea, ferns, branches and vines. We set the centerpiece in a lovely lichen and moss-covered urn Lisa already had and combined the greens and flowers for an abundant, yet casual arrangement. The floral, coupled with Lisa’s beautiful distressed candlesticks, set the stage for the rest of the tablescape.

We then turned to Lisa’s gorgeous open shelves, abundant with dishes, glasses, serving pieces and more – this is when the fun really began! Lisa purchased her Gien and Le Jacquard Francais from our showroom and it looks just stunning presented this way in her home!

As the base for our placesettings, we chose these beautiful, boxwood placemats, which can be found at The Front Porch of Vinings. The green makes such a lovely, lush grounding for the charger and dishes, coming up next…

We then turned to this beautiful Pont aux Choux (in Cream) as the charger from Gien. We love the detail the scalloped handles provide.

The dinner plate is Gien’s Pont aux Choux in Taupe, which sets an earthy, autumn tone to the overall setting.

The Gien Chanterelle dish acts as our salad plate and offers detail and interest to the overall setup.

We then completed the placesetting with a Chanterelle collection bread plate, Gien soup bowl (in Taupe) and vintage silver-plate cutlery, tied with twine from The Front Porch of Vinings, and a Le Jacquard Francais napkin.

For the beverage service, we used a beautiful cut-glass stem vessel as well as a Ball Mason Jar to add a bit of that down-home, comfortable fall feel.

Here is a quick look at the layers all coming together:

The finished look combined with the floral created a truly magical fall evening!

Together, Steve and Lisa had a wonderful day setting the perfect autumn table!

We want to thank Lisa for opening up her beautiful home and collaborating with us on this fun dinner party.

*All photos by Katheryn McCrary Photography

SaveSave

Dinner Party 101

“Let’s have some folks over for dinner this weekend!” – does the thought of this idea make your palms sweat? Don’t worry, join us on Oct. 7th for Dinner Party 101.  The ever-so thoughtful hostess, Paige Minear of The Pink Clutch blog joins us to give you the tools for an effortless, casual dinner party.

party, cocktail
Dinner Party 101: Saturday, Oct. 7th from 10 – 11:30am

You’ll go home confident, with easy, impressive recipes, design advice for a festive space, ready to reconnect with old friends and invite some new friends.

You’ll make some new friends and learn from stand-out makers such as Cathead Vodka, Schermer Pecans and Merry Cheese Crisps.

Tickets are $20 and space is limited, so grab a friend and get your tickets today! Be sure to contact the team at steve mckenzie’s with any entertaining needs.  See you soon!

A Sensational Spring Tea – steve mckenzie’s open house recap

It’s time to freshen up our tables – spring is here!  Let’s recap the fun from our recent Spring Tea Open House~

brass, staffordshire dogs, acrylic glass
Vintage Touches

Paige Minear of The Pink Clutch mixed vintage pieces dear to her heart, plus custom monogrammed napkins by Emily McCarthy.

brass, staffordshire dogs, acrylic glass
Vintage Touches
Waiting on Martha, The Pink Clutch
Blogger Power! Mandy and Paige

Waiting on Martha‘s, Mandy Kellogg Rye kept a soothing green palette for her table and incorporated topiaries.

Gien, Le Jacquard Francais
Green Goodness table by Mandy

Erika Preval of Charm Etiquette refreshed our manners – start on the outside for the cutlery, leave politics out of the conversation, etc.  She even offers classes for everyone to enjoy – young people, adults, corporate situations – remember good manners will open doors the best education cannot, as says Clarence Thomas.

vintage, brass, custom, Royal Crown Derby
Vintage Finds

We fell in love with the jasmine tea from Just Add Honey and will add it to our next menu. So many flavors; if you attended, please let us know your favorite!

tea, honey, Atlanta, Sweet Auburn market
This guy knows his teas!

A special thank you to Christi, our ambassador of Gien, Terrafirma, Le Jacquard Francais, Match Pewter and Royal Crown Derby, as she brought in so many delicious layers of textiles and plates for us to play with.

table setting, pewter, Gien
Gray goodness with Gien, Match Pewter, Terrafirma and Le Jacquard Francais table linens
So many choices!
Paige Minear, Jermail Shelton, Jill McKenzie, and Erika Preval
Gien, Terrafirma, Le Jacquard Francais
Charming Paris small plates

Our current Gien special of 20% off all new orders ends on April 26th. Call or email us for more details.

Thanks to all who came out for our Spring Tea Open House! If you couldn’t make this event, visit the showroom soon – spring inspiration abounds!!

Tabletop Tuesday – Mikado Modern

Have we got a tabletop for you on the second installation of our Tabletop Tuesday series! The colors, textures and patterns all blend to create an absolutely delectable setting, which will be ideal for any springtime gatherings from Easter and beyond. Today, we’re pleased to share our “Mikado Modern” tablescape with you..

For this tablescape, we turned to what has become a favorite collection of ours, initially introduced a few years ago by Royal Crown Derby, the Mikado collection. Mikado is an updated, contemporary take on a traditional pattern, first introduce in 1894. The individual pieces tell the story of the beloved opera, The Mikado. Respecting its past, yet appropriate for today’s modern lifestyle, is what we love about this pattern. The bright colors solicit feelings of fresh blooms, crisp spring air and bright sunny walks.

For this tablescape’s floral element, we were able to partner again with Erin Weston of Weston Farms. The timing could not be more perfect for us to incorporate the Japanese magnolia blooms, forsythia and redbuds, all combined with Weston Farms’ fantastic magnolias.

Our antique, French table provided a perfect backdrop for our table setting once again.

A lovely Le Jacard Francais runner was the base of our setting.

The RCD Mikado, in a lavender colorway is the base of our place setting.

We then layered the settiing with a turquoise salad plate and a lime bread and butter plate.

This cutlery is what we have at home and, to us, the ivory evokes the feel of a bygone era.

Clear, stemless glasses for the wine and water were chosen, so as not to compete with all the color we already have going on in our tablescape.

For the main centerpiece, Erin put the RCB Mikado canister in blue to use as a vase. It was then coupled with some blue and white ware with a variety of spring blooms

We even incorporated this beautiful crystal votive, in Green Calcite, by Tish Mills of Harmonious Living  and paired it with only the Stamens and Carpels of the magnolia blossoms.

Next, to celebrate the Asian feeling of the china, we added my favorite 3 Emperors bejeweled by Eric Cortina.

In the end, the table appears set for a king, or at least anyone celebrating the upcoming Easter holiday, or any spring occasion!

The full Mikado collection can be viewed here – the color combinations are absolutely fantastic!!

Will you be incorporating any Mikado pieces into your Easter and spring-themed tablescapes?!? We’d love to hear how you incorporate color and we hope we’ve inspired you to think a bit outside the box with your upcoming tablescapes!

Photos by Rustic White Photography.

#FlashbackFriday steve mckenzie’s edition…

We’re throwing it back a bit on this Friday, featuring some recent happenings here at steve mckenzie’s. As always, we’re beyond grateful when McKenzie Designs is featured or when the happenings here at the steve mckenzie’s showroom are brought into the limelight!

steve mckenzie’s appears TWICE in the April 2017 issue of House Beautiful!

That’s the Le Cadeaux “Havana” plate right in the center!

We are pinching ourselves here to have been featured two times in the most recent issue of one of our very favorite shelter publications, House Beautiful – especially to see Steve’s name in “The Experts” section!

McKenzie Designs “Bold, Bright and Beautiful” renovation featured on StyleBlueprint

Click here to check out the full feature of our recent Candler Park renovation and let us know which part is your favorite in the comments below. You won’t be surprised to learn that French Blue range from La Cornue was the top feature for us!

It’s a “Garden Party” in the April 2017 issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

We’re delighted to see our Jardin Extraordinaires collection by Gien in this absolutely gorgeous spread in the latest issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles. This feature is putting us in the spirit of springtime!

You’re invited to our Spring Tea & Open House!

Last, but certainly not least, is our Spring Tea & Open House event at the steve mckenzie’s showroom this Wednesday. As you can see from the details above, it’s going to provide an extraordinary time! We hope you can join us – please share your RSVP with us by clicking here or on either of the event images.

Thank you for joining us on this little #FlashbackFriday of recent press and look ahead at what’s sure to be a pretty fantastic event! We hope to see you in the steve mckenzie’s showroom soon.

Tabletop Tuesday: Jardins Extraordinaires

Welcome to the inaugural post of our new “Tabletop Tuesday” blog series! Seeing that steve mckenzie’s is known for for offering some of the south’s top tabletop products – along with inspirational tablescape ideas and entertaining tips to go along with them – we thought it was high time for a series of blog posts featuring fabulous tabletops.

Now presenting Jardins Extraordinaires, our first ever “Tabletop Tuesday” blog post. We hope you enjoy!

Our first Tabletop Tuesday feature was inspired by the Jardin Extraordinaires collection by Gien, all of the tropical design we experienced at Maison & Objet, as well as the new Justina Blakeney collection for Selamat Designs.

To begin this tablescape we partnered with Erin Weston of Weston Farms, who styled the floral. For this tablescape we used the magnolia topiaries created during our in-store class.

The base of our tablescape was an antique French table, which offered plenty of warmth and character.

Our place setting began with an R. Wood Studio chartreuse dinner plate.

Next, Erin’s floral brings an organic, soft touch to the table.

A cocktail napkin to ground the glasses adds depth and interest.

A blue tumbler introduces a rich hue.

A pretty vintage cut glass tumbler is brought in for the wine – we love going stemless for wine; taking a note from our European friends!

The Jardins Extraordinaires oblong tray juxtaposed with the round dinner plate works!

The Gien wine coaster serves as a bread and butter plate – think outside of the box and consider dual uses for the pieces you already have!

Vintage brass cutlery, found at a flea market offers a sense of history and ties back into the antique table.

A small R. Wood Studio salad plate is added and ties into the dinner plate.

A soup bowl in R. Wood Studio’s blueberry colorway adds another solid blue element.

A Le Jacquard Francais napkin in a cheeky citrus tone brings in a bit of brightness.

The canape plate from Gien completes the look! The Jardins Extraordinaires small plates are offered in sets of four, with each plate depicting a different garden setting… A conversation starter for sure!

See it all come together in a few quick seconds here:

If only it were that quick in real life!

This tablescape makes us ready to jump into spring.  Most products are available in store at steve mckenzie’s or on our webstore. Contact us for up-to-the-minute availability or if you have any questions. Happy entertaining and bon appetit!

 

All Photos by Rustic White Photography

Another Memorable AmericasMart Experience!

This past weekend at AmericasMart was such a whirlwind for us! We were so honored to be selected to participate in their exciting “Retail Meets Design” vignette exhibition, which highlighted the talents of a fantastic group of retailers who are also designers, or vice versa. We were simply blown away by everyone’s creativity!

IMG_4079

Steve took this opportunity to add a little glam into his designs and we couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome! In addition, just about everything was sourced from within AmericasMart, and the items he didn’t find there are all available through steve mckenzie’s.

The vignette Steve designed for McKenzie Design was centered around a banquette table and chair arrangement, with the focal point being that amazing hammered metal pedestal table from Bliss Studio.

IMG_4087

As you’ve probably deduced by now, tablescapes are a specialty of ours here at steve mckenzie’s and Steve’s tabletop design for his vignette certainly portrayed his appreciation for fine wares. Here’s a rundown of Steve’s sources for his tablescape:

IMG_4083

The bar cart, found via Golden Oldies Antiques, was actually an old Viennese pastry cart, which was repurposed, and it acted as the perfect end cap for the banquet – sourced through Lee Industries. The bottom of the bar cart featured a glass cabinet, which was filled with antique brass camel bells. The shield back chairs were found at Aidan Gray, and the nailhead trim on the chairs worked beautifully with the detailing on the banquette seating!

IMG_4077

The console table space was perhaps our favorite moment within the vignette. That table, also sourced through Bliss Studio, is a true work of art, and the bejeweled Buddha perched atop it is as well. After all, it was crafted by THE Eric Cortina. And the floral on the console is by Diane James.

IMG_4078

The lighting above the table and the sconces above the console are all from Currey & Co., each of those pieces added some needed modernity. The vertical artwork was sourced from Wendover Art Group and the horizontal piece is from Art & Frame Source.

You may recognize the wall covering, as it’s based off of Steve’s art and textile design, was transferred to grass cloth and transformed in to wallpaper. It is so exciting to see the loop art used in this way!

IMG_4081

The banquette pillows offered their own touch of glitz and glam and were found via D.V. Kap.

IMG_4090

And that etagere, which added the perfect amount of style and storage was found via Gabby, as were all of those stunning accessories used to style it.

The rug also deserves a mention all its own… The luxuriously soft and beautiful floor covering Jaipur Living, and it was a showstopper!

We also have to share a little shout out to all of the other amazing retailer/designers who designed some brilliant spaces for the “Retail Meets Design” vignettes:

– Kristin Alber of FOUND

– Nina Nash and Jared Hughes of Matthews Furniture + Design

– Susan Victor and John Ishmael of Natina Home & Design

– Rozanne Jackson of The Iron Gate

– Ann Huff, Meg Harrington and Sam Jones of Huff Harrington Home

– Paige Schnell, Beth Nash and Anna Kay Porch of Tracery Interiors

In addition to designing the exhibition vignette, Steve was also invited to speak on a panel about the retail and design business and how to bridge the gap between them, as well as promoting the dual businesses. Kristin Alber of FOUND, moderated the panel and was such a delight to get to know during AmericasMart!

While AmericasMart can be a crazy time, and this year was no exception, it’s always a phenomenal source of inspiration and  a wonderful time to meet and greet with all of our industry friends. And we’re so appreciative of all the praise the vignette exhibit has been garnering on social media – just check out #retailmeetsdesign to get an idea of all the excitement!

Here’s to AmericasMart 2017!!

A Sensational Summit with The Southern Coterie

Steve and Jill attended and presented at The Southern Summit, hosted by the folks over at The Southern Coterie, last month in Charleston – and it was an absolute delight!

summit1001

A highlight for them was the luncheon workshop they hosted, in conjunction with Atlanta Magazine: Home editor-in-chief Betsy Riley, where they shared with guests the basics one needs to effortlessly achieve gracious living and how to tailor seasonal tablescapes without breaking the bank.

IMG_9015

During this workshop, Steve and Jill offered participates a list of items that should always be on hand to create a warm, memorable design for their tabletops. This way, they’d be ready to host with only a moment’s notice.

IMG_9024

Grocery store flowers were taken from “meh” to magnificant during the workshop, in a centerpiece makeover, which guests really seamed to enjoy.

IMG_9026

Four tablescapes were designed for the presentation, one for each season. The summer table setting closed out the luncheon gathering, and wase used as inspiration for the next day’s luncheon for all 325 summit attendees.

IMG_9037

Together, Steve and Jill designed all of the tables for the summit’s feature luncheon, which took place at the beautiful, historic William Aiken House.

IMG_9048

But, as you know it takes a village to achieve such stunning results and a number of vendors came together to make the luncheon space so lovely. They include, Vietri dinnerware, Dot and Army linens, Royal Crown Derby fine china, Le Jacquard Francais table linens, Sasha Nicholas dinnerware, and The Vine, who provided an array of glorious succulents for the centerpieces.

093B29271-634x422

The Southern Coterie is an impressive gathering of Southern entrepreneurs and tastemakers, and we were elated to have been in such esteemed company at The Southern Summit! Some of the other presenters were Eddie Ross, Libbie Summers, Mandy Kellog Rye, Kristy Tiglias of Southern Living, Brian Hart Hoffman of Hoffman Media, Julianne Taylor and Holly Hollingsworth Phillips. Many on this list are friends of our ours, and some have even been tastemakers here, on the blog for steve mckenzie’s – such a fantastic group!!

Steve with Mandy Rye
Steve with Mandy Rye

Mandy Rye – of Waiting on Martha fame – presented on building your brand with social media (a personal highlight for Steve and Jill), and she will be doing an intensive social media seminar here in Atlanta. It’s very limited, and one day only (June 17), so sign up ASAP if you’re interested. steve mckenzie’s will be hosting a kickoff cocktail party the evening before Mandy’s seminar, so put it on your calendar… Details forthcoming.

IMG_9031

If this sounds like fun, that’s because it was! And next year, you should be a part of it! Thanks to all of our friends – new and old – who we enjoyed at The Southern Summit, and thanks to The Southern Coterie for inviting us to participate in this memorable event. We left feeling energized and inspired!

Part 3: Get Ready for Outdoor Living

This third and final installment of our “Outdoor Living” series on the blog for steve mckenzie’s, focuses on the eating/entertaining side of outdoor living. Our previous two posts focused on outdoor furnishings and ideal outdoor textiles, so this subject should round things out pretty well. But, if you still have questions about creating the perfect outdoor living space for your home and family, please feel free to share a comment or even reach out to the team here at steve mckenzie’s!

nappe-enduite_zingaro-enduite_flamenco_amb
Bold outdoor tablecloth by Le Jacquard Francais.

We’re so excited to offer some fabulous new coated table linens by Le Jacquard Francais. The colors, textures and quality are just unmatched and they’re sure to elevate any event, from a casual family cookout, to a grand outdoor meal for twelve to a whole new level!

nappe-enduite_provence-enduite_bleu-lavande_amb
Another lovely new table linen by Le Jacquard Francais in a rich blue hue.

A few other outdoor table linen options from Le Jacquard Francais:

MARCHE AUX FRUITS_TORCHON

torchon_miami-beach_ananas_ps

Think of all the uses you’d have for these weather-ready linens – wrap them around pitchers to soak up condensation, layer a tray with glasses of fresh lemonade, leave a table covered with a fabulous new outdoor tablecloth – topped off with fresh flowers or a lush planter, and so much more!

nappe-enduite_zingaro-enduite_django_amb
An amazing outdoor entertaining set up, made even more magical with the addition of this beautiful Le Jacquard Francais tablecloth.

Don’t forget about all of the wonderful acrylic drink ware available for your perusal now in the steve mckenzie’s showroom! Glasses, pitchers, and other items all ready for your next outdoor meal!

pitcher
Acrylic Pitcher-Federica Blue

As a little bonus, here are two of our favorite recipes to share at outdoor gatherings – both winners, guaranteed! Just click on the image for the recipe…

Artichoke and Tomato Panzanella by Giada De Laurentiis.
Artichoke and Tomato Panzanella by Giada De Laurentiis.
BX0213_Curried-Chicken-Salad_s4x3
Curried Chicken Salad by Ina Garten.

So, are you ready for an outdoor feast?!? Our mouths are watering just thinking about it! Not to mention the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere that comes along with any time spent in a lovely outdoor living space. It’s heavenly and we’re ready for a spring and summer full of great times spent outdoors!