tablescape Archives - McKenzie Interior Design

Home Tour: Summer Collection

Published on July 9, 2020July 8, 2020 by steve mckenzie's2 Comments

Several folks have asked how we came up with our Summer Collection x Creative Candles. We’re happy to share our thought process and hope you enjoy the tour. It all starts with flowers, of course, playing off the colors we most often use in our home. You know how much Steve loves floral design (I’ll brag, he’s won a national award), hence summer floral is our launching spot for our Summer Collection.

Steve McKenzie floral — Summer Collection floral by Steve McKenzie using Trader Joe’s flowers. This wallpaper by artist
Walter Knabe offers a timeless background for every season.

Our personal home colors are gray, orange, greens and golds, on the softer side. Creative Candles has such a wide variety of artisan colors, it made it easy to gather a gorgeous grouping for summer. While Paris Gray was our year-round favorite in our suburban home, this Summer Collection branched out to embrace Barely Blush, Terra Cotta, Maize, Moss Green, Wedgwood and Roman Bronze. These luxurious, hand-dipped candles come in a variety of lengths and shapes too.

Steve McKenzie summer collection — McKenzie Design Summer Collection works beautifully together

Desert colors, warm summer colors and sunsets also inspired the collection. Look at how the Terra Cotta, Barely Blush and Maize candles play off each other like a summer sunset. Dear Keaton baskets gave this alfresco table some texture and a cute vessel for the kalanchoe flowers. Those extra long tapers added a fun flair to the background monstera plants.

alfresco table — Table for two on our 25th floor balcony

As lifelong learners, be bold and add some new colors to your table settings, coffee table and patio with candles, pillows and plants. Feel free to contact McKenzie Design with any questions and/or design needs. Be well and have fun!

A Magical Tabletop for the 2017 Atlanta Food and Wine Festival

Published on August 24, 2017August 24, 2017 by steve mckenzie'sLeave a comment

This past June, Steve had the opportunity to style a private dinner for 70 as part of the 2017 Atlanta Food and Wine Festival.

The theme of the dinner, “Dining by Personality,” was conceived by the talented Jason Tesauro of Modern Gentleman, also our host for the evening.

Also making the evening supremely memorable were four incredibly talented chefs – Asha Gomez of Spice to Table Cardamon Hill and Third Space, Kevin Ouzts of The Spotted Trotter and The Cockentrice, Kevin Ashworth of 610 Magnolia and Milkwood in Louisville, and Kelly Fields of Willa Jean in NOLA.

The dinner concept was loosely based on the Myers Briggs personality test, and each guest actually took at test at the beginning of the meal, which determined what they were served for each course, as well as what it was served on.

When Steve first encountered the concept of the dinner, it reminded him of the Rorschach (ink blot) Test – that’s where his styling began. He set about painting 70 individual paintings for the guests, using his ink drawings. Here is Steve’s Styleguide for the dinner, designed by Dena Verdesca and Erin Weston:

Steve was lucky enough to partner with Mayesh Wholesale, who provided the floral for the evening, along with Erin Weston of Weston Farms to provide the greenery – the beautiful plaster vases are from Accent Decor.

The natural, country feel brought to the tables is much thank to these cases, along with some of Steve’s favorite florals from the night, lilacs, peonies and budding magnolias.

The base of the tablescape was Steve’s gingham fabric, translated into a custom black version, adding another layer of comfort to the decor for the evening.

Perched at each place setting was a black napkin folded to showcase the menu, and then sitting atop this was the painting done for each guest. This really created an elegant atmosphere for the evening.

This truly translated into a magical evening – it was a dream come true to be partnered with so many talented friends and partners. Absolutely inspiring!

Click here to view the complete Atlanta Food and Wine Styleguide and enjoy tablescapes from other dinners by Erin Weston, Dena Verdesca, Natalie Reddell, Windy O’Conner and Mary Catherine Folmar. Such fantastic company to be in!

It was such a treat to be able to style a tablescape for the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival and we feel so fortunate to have been able to enjoy it with so many friends and colleagues!!

*All photos by Bertrand Ducuing

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steve mckenzie’s Showroom Re-Do – And a New Colorway After the Holidays!

Published on January 16, 2014January 15, 2014 by steve mckenzie's2 Comments

For many, a New Year means resolutions – cutting back, saving more, etc. And although we have our resolutions for 2014 in place, we’ve also been feeling the need for a fresh look in the store. Enter cue for a showroom re-do at steve mckenzie’s… Not only have these showroom updates inspired us to introduce some new items in a beautiful way, they’ve also encouraged us to get creative. If you can’t come in and experience our showroom re-do in real life, take a look below to experience the digital version and get some ideas to freshen your space for the New Year:

Do we spy blue?!? Spring may really be on the horizon, even if our thermometers disagree. Blue offers us an easy, soothing transition into spring. This new table setting in our showroom incorporates spring blue with natural elements, and even a few polished items, offering a sense of casual elegance. We’ve also mixed up seating at the table with a painted blue chair situated at the head.

Here’s a little tighter closeup – the wintery green tone is made fresh with birch candle holders (our homage to wabi sabi) and bright acrylic glasses. The napkin rings bring a touch of bling with them. We always suggest mixing textures when creating any tablescape. From the mottled look of the handmade dishware, to the weave of the layered green place mats, mixing varying textures helps achieve interest and depth in design.

Our new vignette of Julie Wear’s Kentucky horses china mixed with r wood’s pottery in blueberry and vintage anchor dessert plates also plays off the blue hue introduced throughout the store.

Sparkle is added with our mercury glass centerpiece filled with winter greenery. After all, any makeover, whether in a home or store showroom, needs a bit of bling! And this centerpiece was simple to create… Bring together a dramatic vessel and fill with delicate greenery and moss. Utilize it as a focal point, or place in a corner to add a touch of softness.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our tour of our revamped showroom – hopefully we’ve inspired you to make some spring-inspired updates to your home.

Cheers to the new year and a fresh look at steve mckenzie’s!

*Click here to view the wide range of dining and entertaining products available at steve mckenzie’s.