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This year, we’re helping you cross off any and all recipients who may be remaining on your holiday gift list with our rundown of the top five gifts of 2016, currently available at steve mckenzie’s. No matter who they are, what they enjoy or what their age may be, there’s a fit for everyone on our 2016 top gifts list (and maybe a little something to gift yourself with as well :-))…

PUZZLES! Y’all, who doesn’t love a puzzle?! And this one just happens to feature holiday highlights from across the United States. We think this finished puzzle would even make a fun piece of seasonal wall art! Not to mention all of the fun that’ll be had putting these 1,000 pieces together. It’ll give and give for hours on end!
Acrylic Wine Glasses. We don’t have enough good things to say about these glasses! They’re gorgeous, first of all, and coming in at a close second is they’re virtually unbreakable AND dishwasher safe. While these glasses will add a beautifully refined touch to any celebration, we think the recipient on the other end of these glasses will be celebrating the glasses themselves!
Catchall tray. These fun lacquer coated fabric trays are like small works of art for your flat surfaces… They feature a Steve McKenzie’s work of art in an indigo loop pattern and because of pattern placement are all a bit different. Put on an entryway table, on a bedside console, even a dining room buffet, there are endless uses for these fantastic trays!!
Christmas serving plate and bowl set. Think Santa would mind enjoying a bit of crudité instead of cookies this year?? When served on this delightful set, we think not! Chips and dip, veggies and hummus, crackers and cheese and oh so much more will be thoroughly enjoyed this holiday season on such fun dishes!
A beautifully packaged, lusciously scented candle. A green fresh cut grass herbaceous blend, topped with a fruity bouquet, of citrus, bamboo, lilac, rose, clove and musk notes. If that scent description doesn’t make you want to run into the showroom and pick up five or six for your go-to gift stash, we don’t know what will! Plus, there’s no need to know a recipient’s size for this gift and after filling their home with a scrumptious scent, it’ll disappear!

And there you have it – steve mckenzie’s Top Gifts for 2016. So, we need to know… Which of these items would top your gift list?!?

Don’t forget, we offer complimentary gift wrapping, so we literally are a one-stop-shop for all of your holiday gifts this season. We look forward to seeing you in the steve mckenzie’s showroom soon!

If you follow steve mckenzie’s on other social media sites, you may have seen us mention Michelle Workman, a phenomenal interior designer, based out of Los Angeles and Chattanooga. Steve was recently commissioned to custom paint the walls in her space for the Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles 2016 Holiday House and we’ve been fortunate enough to get to know Michelle and her work over the last year and she’s an absolute talent! We hope you enjoy getting to know Michelle in this latest installment of our Tastemaker series…

Born in Los Angeles, California, Michelle’s penchant for the craft was almost immediately apparent. Some of her fondest childhood memories were of her mother chauffeuring her about the neighborhoods to take in the endless array of visually arresting homes. As a budding young designer, Michelle frequently took pleasure in envisioning and fashioning her very own custom designed forts.

Described by those who know her as an “easygoing perfectionist,” Michelle’s philosophy is that interior design should embody the spirit and architectural style of the individual whose home is being transformed – literally, a physical manifestation of the client’s most inherent attributes. Michelle’s signature style is a mingling of the modern and vintage. And her engaging personality, calming demeanor and exquisite attention-to-detail continually instill confidence in her clients as she brings into being for them their one-of-a-kind dream home.

1. Three words that describe your aesthetic?

Elegant, Glamorous, Exuberant

2. Would you please share a little about your favorite space/project to date?

Hmmmm. Not sure I have a favorite, each project is so unique and a new adventure, they all have aspects to them that are favored!

3. What’s the source(s) of your inspiration?

Usually the client is the inspiration, but when I do a showhouse or exhibition I make up a person that I want as a client and I design for them.

4. Name three people (alive or dead) you’d invite to your dream dinner party…

Marie Antoinette, I have so many questions for her, politically, but also she was a revolutionary when it came to style. Ginger Rogers, she seems like not only talented but down to earth and bubbly and wise.. I bet she would have great stories about old Hollywood. Alexa Hampton, she’s a great designer but is also very well read and knows everything about design and design history, and she’s one of the funniest people in our industry. I think that would be a lively dinner party!

5. A piece of/type of furniture you couldn’t live without?

A chair. and another chair, and two more chairs, and then one more chair. I like chairs… oh and lamps too.

6. Do you follow a particular set of rules when mixing textures, finishes, etc. – how do they work for you?

I work very hard to bring disparate elements into harmony, the overriding rule is balance.

7. Trending… What is something you are currently “into” and something you are “over?”

Into… ART DECO. Over… gray and beige and taupe, drab, drab, drab.

8. How does artwork fit into your designs?

I try to use local and emerging artists. I love to get original pieces for clients even if they are not investment grade – I like to support young new artists this way.

9. What would be the one thing you would have if you were stranded on a deserted island?

A kindle with wifi.

10. Please share a piece of advice you’d offer to someone looking to break into the interior design industry.

Avail yourself of museums, and historic tours, and anything that will show you the finer things in life. Try to find things for your clients that are unique and one of a kind… not from big box stores.

Thank you Michelle! It’s been such a pleasure working with you and being a part of your outstanding designs!!

Right before Thanksgiving, we were fortunate enough to be treated to a media preview tour of the 2016 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse and it was a stunner. Truly. Every detail at every corner of every space was just impeccable and totally inspirational!

Photo by David Christensen

We urge you to plan a visit if you haven’t done so already – it will instantly put you in the holiday spirit, and if you’re already feeling festive, then you’ll just be envisioning even more sugarplums this season.

But – we cannot keep you in total suspense. See some of our favorite highlights below…

Photo by David Christensen

Michelle Workman’s amazing space was an obvious favorite for us. After all, our own Steve McKenzie created her walls, which we happen to think are pretty spectacular.

Photo by David Christensen

Truly though, her bedroom design is absolutely transportive and welcoming all at the same time. Her mixing of patterns, colors and textiles is sensational.

Photo by David Christensen

The holiday house kitchen by Shaylyn Woodbery was glamorous, but absolutely welcoming. Her touches of gold and brass throughout are perfect for the holidays and beyond.

Photo by David Christensen

And you know we can’t pass up a fabulous table setting!

Photo by David Christensen

Musso Design Group created a master bedroom space we immediately felt right at home in. Its streamlined and modern, but fits right in with this classic home.

Finally, the home’s office by Heather Roberts, for Ivy and Vine, was an absolute show stopper. That chair caught our attention first, but what kept us coming back for more of this space was her use of color. The same blue hue on the walls, mouldings – even the ceiling.

There’s just a sampling of what you can expect with this spectacular holiday home for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and as you can imagine, there’s so much more seasonal eye candy for you. We hope you enjoy the home as much as we did… Happy holidays!!

Tis’ the season, we suppose… And we’re only busier from here! See steve mckenzie’s allover Atlanta this month. We’re out and about sharing our fabulous home accessories, art, holiday decor and more – make plans to see us soon!

Sneak Peek at the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Home for the Holiday Show House, opens Nov. 18th!

But, the first stop is one you can make right now to a recent post, where you can learn our top tips for creating and sending holiday cards, effortlessly. Be sure to enter the giveaway, which ends at midnight tonight!!

Next stop, Decatur, for the Decatur Art Walk:

Find Steve and his art at Trinity Mercantile onFriday, Nov. 4th from 5-9pm.
116 East Trinity Place / Decatur, GA

Next up is the Holiday Gift Show:

NMP Holiday Gift Show

Unique home accessories, gifts and more at the NMP Holiday Gift Show

Friday, Nov. 11th, 9-4pm and Saturday, Nov. 12th, 9-4pm

Finally, we’re headed to West Elm Ponce City Market:

Meet Steve and see his NEW art prints and stationery

Sunday, Nov. 13th, 12-5pm

675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE

Phew! We already need a cocktail :-)) We’re so excited to be out and about through the month of November and hope to see you soon, wherever we may be!

If you follow steve mckenzie’s on Instagram or Facebook, you know we’ve been busy! It’s been wonderful and this fabulous fall weather we’ve been experiencing – albeit a bit warm – only adds to the fresh feeling the change of seasons brings.

We wanted to take a moment to give you a quick rundown of the four latest happenings at steve mckenzie’s…

First up – the press! We couldn’t be more thrilled for the fantastic mentions, features and product shout-outs we’ve recently received. Thank you to those who’ve taken a moment to recognize steve mckenzie’s and/or read about us in the news!!

It was such a delight to open the Sunday AJC and see a fantastic feature about steve mckenzie’s nestled in the pages of the Homefinder/Lifestyle section by our friend Linda Jerkins. We hope this fun feature gives you a better glimpse into what steve mckenzie’s is all about!

A new greeting card line. That’s right – we’re offering an all-new greeting card line based off Steve’s original artworks. There’s something for everyone here! They’re whimsical, celebratory and even masculine; which can be a difficult style to capture in a greeting card. We hope you love them and love to gift them!

steve mckenzie’s new art print line. You no longer have to purchase an original work to bring a piece of fine art by Steve McKenzie into your home! Our art print line is now available for purchase at a price point that makes living with fantastic art accessible for anyone.

Lastly – Halloween Happies! Come in to the steve mckenzie’s showroom today and be inspired for the spookiest holiday of all… We have so many fanciful items that will put you in the Halloween spirit!

There you have it. The latest happenings at steve mckenzie’s! And get prepared, as the holiday season approaches, there will be more going on. So be sure you’re keeping up with our Facebook and Instagram sites and checking back with the blog. We don’t want you to miss a thing!

We’re thrilled to be hosting an art show for Daniel Motz at the steve mckenzie’s showroom, beginning next Friday!

Born in Romania and emigrated to the US in 1978, Daniel Motz has explored mixed media and photography during his career as a professional artist.

For his “Pastoral Musings” show, Daniel takes the viewer on a journey through southern France and Spain, as he created his pastel abstract landscaped plein air.

To kick off this fantastic showing, we’re inviting all to join us for the opening night on Friday, May 13th from 6-8pm.

Guests will enjoy refreshments and conversation with Daniel – please register here if you can make it. Just as a reminder, the steve mckenzie’s showroom is located at 999 Brady Avenue Northwest #1, Atlanta, GA 30318. We look forward to celebrating this exciting show with you!

Recently, Jill went to NYC to visit she and Steve’s oldest daughter, Molly, who lives and works in the city with her husband. While there, the duo visited the Whitney Museum, which is now located in an amazing new building (designed by Renzo Piano) in the Meatpacking District, at the start of the High Line. Whitney Museum

Some of the highlights of the museum/their visit…

It’s not too big, not too small – an ideal size to feel as if you can take the time to enjoy everything, while still making a bit of a special trip.
The museum features American art, along with public exhibits that will change out. While there, Jill and Molly enjoyed Laura Poitras’ “Astro Noise.”

There are lovely outdoor spaces, where you can experience the neighborhood, which includes One World Trade and the Empire State buildings.
Fantastic for families for all of the above, plus food is available within the museum with several food cart options right outside on the street.

It’s very accessible for all – including those who use wheelchairs or strollers.
There are plenty of very pleasant and knowledgeable staff members circulating throughout the Whitney Museum, who are happy to answer any questions.
The pair’s favorite viewings included all the Edward Hopper works, George Bellows and the Calder Circus!

If you’re planning a vacation to the Big Apple, or are fortunate enough to reside there, but haven’t yet been to the new Whitney Museum, we highly recommend planning a visit – enjoy!!

As you all may remember, we were lucky enough to attend and host a fantastic group of Design Bloggers at the 2016 West Coast Art & Frame Expo (WCAF)… We’ve shared a bit about all of the unique things you can have custom framed, and now we’d like to offer some top tips on creating a truly fabulous gallery wall.

We’ve been seeing an explosion of beautiful gallery walls for quite some time now, and while many may seem haphazard, there’s definitely a few tricks to making them work. During our time at WCAF, we noted a number of similarities between the gallery wall displays we found most effective, and thought we’d pull our notes together and share them here with you:

image via House & Garden

Keep the art in the same tone – With as many pieces featured in the space above, things could have gotten chaotic quickly. This large gallery wall works because the art is all in the same black and white tone. While the sizes vary slightly, they pieces all appear to be pencil drawings in tones of black, white and grey. Keeping the art in the same colorway allows one to appreciate this gallery wall as a whole and as individual pieces. image found via Pinterest
Use same sized artworks – By using artworks that are all the same size, you’re able to create a symmetrical grouping, no matter how many pieces are a part of the overall grouping. The gallery wall above features an array of what looks to be Audubon bird art, all of identical size. Although there are may colors in the works of art, the sizing of the pieces laid out in this grid, allows for a visual appealing gallery wall. image found via Setting for Four
Feature identical custom frame designs – Your custom framer can get creative with their custom frame designs for your gallery wall, as long as they’re all the same. The above image features a black and white photo gallery wall. But, what’e really special about this space is the unique frame design. Although they stuck to classic black frames and white mats, the custom framer bottom weighted the mats. This provides a truly custom look that offers a stylistic element this otherwise basic design craves. image found via Home DIT
Use frame mouldings of similar width and finishes – The above gallery wall features the ever-popular “salon” style grouping, which incorporates different types of art all in different colors, styles, textures, etc. While glancing at each work individually, you may not think it could work in a grouping with all of the other pieces, however, using custom frame mouldings in similar widths and finishes unifies a potentially mismatched grouping. image found via One Kings Lane
Know when to vary the frame finishes – Changing up the finishes of the custom frame mouldings in a wall grouping can be tricky. The trick to making this look work is hanging a thoughtful layout. The space pictured above showcases different types of art, framed in many different ways, however it works because they utilized the horizon line hanging technique. Note the bottom edge of the bottom row of artworks all hit the same sight line. This gives reason and rhyme to a totally unique collection of custom framed art.

*Bonus tip – your Interior Designer or custom framer will be happy to do the dirty work, and hang your gallery wall, just as you desire… However, if you’re looking to DIY this step – say, if you’re collecting framed art over time – cut butcher paper to the same size of each pieces you’re hanging, and lay them out on the wall with tape. This will give you the ability to move things around, and visualize the final product without lots of unnecessary holes in the wall.

We hope we’ve inspired you to get a bit more creative with your art arranging and displays, just like our trip to WCAF inspired us to share these tips with you. Gallery walls can provide a space with tons of style and personality, we encourage everyone to find just one place in their home for a gallery wall.

If you need assistance creating a gallery wall for your home, please contact the team at steve mckenzie’s and we’ll be more than happy to create something perfect for you and your space!

In an effort to commemorate their latest exhibition, Van Gogh’s Bedrooms, the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) – in partnership with Airbnb and ad agency, Leo Burnett – created a replica of the artist’s iconic bedroom, as seen in three of his most remarkable works.

Vincent van Gogh. The Bedroom, 1889. The Art Institute of Chicago, Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection.
Van Gogh’s replica bedroom – available to rent via Airbnb! The replica bedroom is actually available for nightly rental, via Airbnb, for only $10/night! Although it appears to be sold out through the close of the exhibit, May 10, 2016. Detail shot of Van Gogh’s replica bedroom. The AIC’s “Van Gogh’s Bedrooms” exhibit offers visitors a view of all three versions of Van Gogh’s “The Bedroom” for the first time in North America. Detail shot of Van Gogh’s replica bedroom. From the feature article on AdWeek:

“We thought the best way to help people understand Van Gogh’s life was to invite them to spend a night in this room,” said Burnett associate creative director Pete Lefebvre. “What better way to give people a glimpse into his mind than to create a truly immersive, one-of-a-kind experience like this?”

Detail shot of Van Gogh’s replica bedroom. We love interactive art experiences like these, as they seem to bring out the “Art Geek” in all of us – although some of the team here at steve mckenzie’s may not have to try very hard… Detail shot of Van Gogh’s replica bedroom. Airbnb’s description of this rental reads:

This room will make you feel like you’re living in a painting. It’s decorated in a Post-Impressionist style, reminiscent of Southern France and times gone by. Its furniture, bright colors, and artwork will give you the experience of a lifetime.

And the “host” is none other than Vincent himself!

Vincent van Gogh. Self-Portrait, 1887. Joseph Winterbotham Collection. If you’ll be in the Chicago area by May 10, be sure to check out “Van Goh’s Bedrooms” and experience his works in a way not possible in the US before!

Here’s to the “Art Geek” in all of us, and to one of the greatest Dutch artists of all time – Vincent Van Gogh!

We’re so happy to have steve mckenzie’s Team Member, Xavier Neuner, back with us today, sharing his most recent Library Friday post! This time around, he’s offering his take on “Roy Lichtenstein In His Studio.” Read on to learn what his thoughts are on this book about the iconic pop artist…

Xavier Neuner

I am very excited about this book review! I’ve always loved Lichtenstein’s work.

Roy Lichtenstein in His Studio
by Laurie Lambrecht

Thanks to Laurie Lambrecht the bar has been raised to a new level of favoritism. Lambrecht was lucky enough to be Lichtensteins assistant during the early 1990’s.

Laurie Lambrecht

One day he told her to bring a book to keep occupied while he was working. Instead, she brought her new Hasselblad camera so she could experiment with composition and lighting. Roy was more than supportive in her creativity learning.

Roy Lichtenstein

My mother always said, “Great opportunities come only once.” In Laurie’s case, being allowed to take photos of a Pop Art legend during his last few years changed her life. Her collection of photographs let the viewer see a glimpse into an artist’s creative process from inspiration to rough sketches, to the final product.

I personally thought Lichtenstein must have had a very steady hand to have such crisp edges in his paintings, but actually he covered his canvases in painters tape. After the paint dried he slowly pealed the tape to reveal oversize comic book inspired work.

Again, as I flip through the pages I can’t help to think, if you approach a cross roads… Go for it. They could add to some of your most unforgettable moments in life .

Go for it, for sure! We love seeing these books through Xavier’s eyes, and are so grateful to him for sharing his thoughts here with us.

So, what’s your take on this Library Friday selection?! Are you a Lichtenstein enthusiast like us?

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