My dear friend Eric Haydel recently hosted a table at the Heading Home To Dinner design to dine event in Boston. The event was part of a three day extravaganza to raise money for Heading Home, a Boston non-profit organization that "re-houses and provides a supported pathway to self-sufficiency for young families in the Boston area". Each designer invited was given the choice of designing a bar cart or dinner table and in true Eric Haydel fashion he chose the dinner table and truly knocked the design details way out of the park.
One of my favorite things about Eric is his huge love of plaid. It's like we were plaid twins separated at birth, his love and mine meet somewhere in the middle of plaid heaven. Eric used his passion for plaid, classic design and all things sports related to create a fabulous Ivy League themed table. The table oozes with so many things he loves and truly speaks to his preppy loving heart. I swear you google Preppy Designer and there is a full page ad with his darling face on it. This table could not be a better expression of all the things Eric embodies. His love for his southern roots and for evenings spent around a table are mixed so well with his incredible eye for details and multilayered designs.
When I asked him to describe his vision for the table he eloquently shared this ...
The timeless Ivy League education evokes a romance between the past and present. It is in this monopoly of Lily Pulitzer and Vineyard Vines, we find ourselves truly yearning for the experience of the Modern Ivy. The spirit of plaid and wool come alive in this re-imagination of the vintage preppy male, which gives us no further look than the #untiedbowtie. Dinner guests will be invited as captains of the varsity team!
Could you not just get lost in the never ending details? I am dying over the custom bow ties mixed with the custom bag as the center piece and the fabulous plaid table covering. It is truly a wonder of color, pattern, classic prep and all things Ivy League. BAM! Well done talented friend!
Sign me up for a seat at this table every single day!
Let's just pause here for the moment and take in some of the details he included. The antique china is monogrammed with his initials is such a fabulous addition to personal side of his table design. The jacket includes a custom designed E and H he had made from a plastic set of letters I gifted him on one of his visits to Atlanta. He included the plaids he loves in so many of the details and all the plaids and other fabrics were sourced from Holland and Sherry, a London based mill known for creating fine fabrics for over 200 years. Wine glasses and vases holding the stunning roses were purchased from Chairish, one of my favorite online sources for all things vintage.
The helmet, 48 star flag and rackets were purchased from Everything But The House which has truly taken the market by storm with their fabulous auctions. I know I have spent many hours perusing their inventory. Great pieces at sometimes drop dead prices.
And, by far my favorite detail, each guest received their own little piece of Eric Haydel design, a wrapped candle from his latest release. The candle entitled "untiedbowtie" can be purchased in their showroom in the Boston Design Center or by calling to purchase. I love that the plaid wrapping paper is tied with custom branded ribbon. Staying true to his brand is one of my favorite things about Eric.
Setting aside the incredible table, my favorite part of the event is the money that was raised to help the needy in the Boston community. Eric shared with me non profit raised 100k (yes! One Hundred Thousand Dollars) which will be put to immediate use for those young families needing the assistance. I can only imagine how that must feel to so many who worked so hard to put together the entire extravaganza.
You can see more of Eric's work by perusing his portfolio on his website and by
I am sure this incredible table has your mind racing just as mine is on how to mix even more plaid into my life and definitely into my Thanksgiving table. I will need to get on that STAT.
Happy Thursday all!
All images via Michael J Lee Photography
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