Whether your taste is contemporary or classic, you’ll find furniture, home accessories and unusual gifts to covet at Atlanta’s Steve McKenzie’s.
The store: Steve McKenzie's opened in 2012 and moved to current location on Atlanta's Westside two years later.
Owners & background: Steve and Jill McKenzie met in college at Butler University in Indianapolis. In 1991, the couple moved to Atlanta, where Steve, a painter for 30 years, worked for Larson-Juhl, a custom framing company. Growing up, Jill's parents had retail stores featuring Scandinavian furniture and imports. That early love of wood and mid-century lines influenced the couple's aesthetic, especially their upholstery collection.
The main goods: The shop is the southeastern showroom for Grange furniture, handcrafted in France, and Selamat Designs. Also offers furniture from O & G studio (Rhode Island) and The Old Wood Co. in Asheville, N.C. For fabrics and wall coverings, find Cotton + Quill, Mitchell Black (wall art too) and Kimberly Lewis.
Tabletop favorites: Le Jacquard Francais (linens); Royal Crown Derby china; Gien earthenware; Athens-based R. Wood Studio pottery; Terrafirma Ceramics (New York); and Salisbury Pewter (MD)
Services: Interior design; color consultations; wedding and gift registry; and a corporate gift service.
Known for: Mingling styles, embracing color and showcasing Steve's original designs, including his colorful fabrics (on pillows, chairs and bags), and abstract expressionist paintings.
Popular gifts: Blenko Glass water bottle in a choice of 10 colors ($53); the Jill shopping bag ($60); and a monogrammed mint julep cup from Salisbury Pewter ($49 and up).
People would be surprised to learn: The shop offers new and crusty vintage pieces along with stationery cards, notepads, calendars and planners.
Always on the hunt for: Small vintage tabletop pieces, such as salad plates, to blend with your current dishes.
Favorites
Blogs: Waiting on Martha; Southern C; StyleBluePrint; and Freunde von Freunden.
Instagram: Eric Cortina; The World of Interiors; NY Times fashion; Valentino; and artrascal.
Magazines: Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles; Atlanta magazine HOME; Veranda; Elle Décor; and Cabana.
Atlanta area home/design stores (other than our own): Verde Home, Pieces and Erika Reade Ltd.
Design pet peeves: The art has to match the sofa.
Current design obsession(s): Large paisleys and florals.
New or re-emerging design looks we like: Wallpaper. Also blue and white.
… and looks we are glad to see go: Ikat and chevrons.
Most unusual request: To have a house smudged by a medium to cleanse it of the energy of the former residents.
Biggest design mistake we've made: Had a custom bench made for our dining room table. Then we changed tables but didn't check to ensure that the bench fit the new table. It didn't. Thank goodness this was in our home and not a client's.
… and mistake homeowners make: Not bringing in a professional at the beginning. Working with an interior designer, even on a small project, can save you time and money. A designer also has a wider range of designer resources.
Latest projects: Entrance hall at the recent Serenbe Showhouse; the outdoor entertaining space at the Magnolia Showhouse in Cartersville (Oct. 19 to Nov. 13); a Park Place condo renovation; and a rug collection with Verde Home.
What's new: Steve McKenzie art prints ($20 and up), available online shop@stevemckenzies.com. Also Steve McKenzie's trays and ice bucket ($32 and up).
Find Steve McKenzie’s at:
Website: www.stevemckenzies.com
Facebook: Steve McKenzie's
Instagram: stevemckenzies
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