Karen Okner, founder, started a company that helps people create beautiful environments of natural stone and tile and select furnishings. Artful Living is the culmination of her 15 year career that has included all aspects of design, fabrication and installation of natural stone products.

An accomplished watercolorist in her early years, Karen pursued the study of applied art at California Polytech State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in graphic design.

She began her professional career as a gallery manager and art consultant in the Carmel and San Francisco Bay areas, eventually transitioning into real estate project management. Her real estate experience led her to the stone business where she held sales and marketing positions with several of the West Coast's leading stone distributors.

Since relocating to Palm Desert area from northern California in 1999, Karen has managed the installation of stone, tile and architectural elements in collaboration with the area's leading designers and architects. A partial list of her completed projects include The Vintage, Bighorn Golf Club, The Quarry, The Reserve, The Hideaway, Thunderbird Heights and PGA West. In addition, she is in demand at homes on the Monterey Peninsula including Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley Ranch, Pasadera, Monterra Ranch Estates and Rancho San Canos Preserve.

Through Artful Living, Karen is now able to give homeowners, designers and architects a one-stop resource for a wide array of exclusive products designed to make the home or office space a unique and aesthetically appealing environment.