art studio Archives – McKenzie Interior Design
Coffee makes the world go round. 
Big swig of caffeine at The Southern C Summit in Charleston. 
Pops of orange in the McKenzie kitchen. Photo credit: Anthony Masterson 
Deliciously rich aroma fills the kitchen as the cold brew steeps. 
For sure! Photo credit Kalyn Johnson of Effie’s Papers
Plein Air Painting with Steve
Apertivo, yes please!
Soldata Romano II
One of the benefits of being in one place for a longer period of time is you make friends with the locals. This was especially helpful as Steve wanted to make copies of historic rare books and ephemera at the local rare books archives, to incorporate into his paintings. With some patience and help with translating, he got more than he needed, including the Roman soldier seen above, an atlas of the region from 1785, and a lawyer’s goat skin bound book of contracts from 1635, all incorporated into various works of art.
It wasn’t all painting, there was cooking to be done, in Annette’s fabulous kitchen, plus visiting local museums, sites and an artists’ co-op. Check out Annette’s many workshops here.
A new favorite, Mutti tomatoes mixed with simple garden produce were the base for many suppers.
One of the artists shared some scrap chunks of Carrara marble with Steve. What an amazing new conduit for his art, another blessing from travels and learning from new friends.
Sculpture by Steve McKenzie – Carrara marble 
Italian seaside
Umberto Beach Club at Forte dei Marmi
Charming village
Steve and Jill enjoying the vista at La Fortezza
Folks frequently ask about Steve’s studio – and lucky for us, he loves sharing his happy place with others! It’s perfectly situated to fuel his creativity. Back in April, Paige Minear shared a visit to Steve’s studio on her blog, The Pink Clutch.
We thought we’d take this opportunity to share some of the same tour and offer a behind the scenes look of where the magic that is Steve’s art happens…
Steve’s studio is located in the loft above the steve mckenzie’s showroom. He can be a bit messy, so it’s smart to contain the work in a space that can be somewhat hidden. Up in the loft, he has various areas set up for working. A large easel is built on the wall and is the spot where Steve works on his larger pieces.
Commercial, stainless kitchen carts easily roll with Steve as he works.
An antique drafting table serves as his workspace for ink and watercolor drawings. This is also the place where Steve’s fabric patterns are created.
The curated objects in Steve’s studio are what inspire him most to create… Here are a few. Note the Illy coffee – nothing like an Italian espresso to keep you going!
Lately, Steve has been spending a lot of time in the studio, creating works for some upcoming shows, fabric lines and more!
Come visit the steve mckenzie’s showroom and experience the art of Steve McKenzie for yourself; and stay tuned for some exciting things coming up for Steve’s art!
*All photos by Marc Mauldin Photography