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--- Extraordinary Eccentricities --- M Kate’s in Orange Beach, Alabama presents a cornucopia of creativity.

By Elizabeth A. McCutcheon, contributor to Southern Breeze Magazine - Summer 2004 Issue - Compass Marketing, Inc. - Gulf Shores, AL

As I drive down a tree-lined street in Orange Beach, Alabama, a bright art deco sign supported by two zebra-striped posts catches my attention. I follow the sign to hand-painted chairs, miniature old-fashioned cars, weathervanes and the whimsical world of M Kate’s Excentricities.

Inside, plush purple carpet sinks under my feet. The room is splashed with color. Every nook and cranny brims with inviting items: serving dishes, mosaic tiles, decorative martini glasses, quirky cocktail napkins, exquisite Fabergé eggs and Rosenthal china. I take a deep breath—there’s time to linger.

Owner, artist, muse and mother, Mary Kate Shepard Dumont opened her emporium in Fairhope, Alabama in 1988. After four years by the bay, the Gulf of Mexico’s salty breeze proved too tempting, and M Kate’s moved to Orange Beach.

Since then, M Kate’s has evolved into a place of artistic intrigue. In addition to their unique furnishings and gifts, the store now offers interior design services. Their showroom features lifestyle vignettes that jazz up contemporary, modern and traditional design with Mary Kate’s “excentric” touch.

I am drawn by the scent of an impressive collection of Lampe Berger, beautiful glass jars filled with delightful aromas. Each lamp intertwines fragrant beauty and fine art. I stare in wonder at the Venetian, hand-blown Ogetti Luce lights and their swirls of color suspended above the room.

Moving on, I marvel at mosaic tile tables designed by a local artist and grand D’Argenta statues that shine with a luster created by a cold casting technique that uses precious metals. The store’s extensive collection of Rosenthal Julia plates—made famous on Will and Grace—captures their namesake model in several interesting perspectives.

I find the complete Andy Warhol dish line a treat, and the Mary Frances handmade purses are so intricately created they could be family heirlooms. Interesting items throughout the store, such as martini olive pillows, Alpaca teddy bears and hand-painted bottle toppers, underscore the store’s “excentric” attitude.

Pampering patrons is a way of life at M Kate’s. “We handle everything from the everyday unique to the extraordinary,” says M Kate’s designer Lisa Pearson Hicks. Whether picking out a birthday gift or furnishing your home, the customer comes first at this boutique.

As I leave M Kate’s world of whimsy, Oggetti Luce lights and Fabergé eggs dance through my head. I know I’ll be back.

M Kate’s Excentricities 888-731-2953 www.mkates.com.

Elizabeth enjoys perusing the coast for unique boutiques whenever she can.

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