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What’s in Your Neighborhood, Karen Konzuk?

Karen Konzuk is no stranger to the world of Design Milk. In fact we’ve featured her Bloom collection and heard about some of her favorite things in our Friday Five column. KONZUK’s jewelry is available on our sister site, Adorn Milk, and Karen is a regular seller at our Milk Stand pop-up shops, including at this year’s ICFF. In other words? We’re big fans.

Karen’s line of jewelry – KONZUK – uses restraint and modern architectural elements to create pieces with balance and minimal form out of industrial materials. Inspiration comes from the western sky, astronomy, nighttime views, and stargazing. Through the use of steel and concrete, Karen pays homage to the way two astronomical bodies’ gravitational force can create an orbit. Each handmade piece of jewelry symbolizes the attraction of one person to another through her classic yet contemporary aesthetic.

We reached out to learn more about Karen’s favorite parts of her neighborhood in British Columbia.

Photo taken from the top of Mount Daniel

We are lucky enough to live on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, which is a 40-minute ferry ride from Vancouver. The area we live in is called Pender Harbour and is an hour north of the Ferry. This photo was taken from the top of Mount Daniel, which overlooks the Harbour. This is one of our favorite places to hike, it’s an intense 45-minute climb to the top but gives you an incredible view of the harbour (our neighborhood), the Strait of Georgia, the Salish Sea, and Vancouver Island.

Painted Boat

We love to eat at the Painted Boat resort’s restaurant. They have an incredible menu of fresh and local foods and the best outdoor patio to watch the gorgeous sunset.

Hodgson Islands

Hodgson Islands is a small group of five islands that we love to canoe to from our home. We affectionately call them Seal Islands, as there are always lots of seals basking in the sun on the rocks. This photo shows the Agamemnon Channel in the background and the coast mountains in the distance.

Chatterbox Falls in Princess Louisa Inlet

The third is a photo of Chatterbox Falls in Princess Louisa Inlet. You can take a boat tour or float plane to the falls, which is an incredible journey through the fjord-like Agamemnon Channel.

As you can see, it is a pretty naturally inspiring place to live! It’s hard to believe someone who works in concrete can be so inspired by nature, but it has been the driving force behind all of my diamond dust and concrete collections – namely the vast horizon and stars in the sky.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.