When interior designer Eric Haydel decorated his bedroom in the Victorian he shares with friends in Dorchester’s Ashmont neighborhood, he was loath to cast aside the dark brown furniture set he bought after college. “It pains me that so much is thrown away,” he says. “I love my bed.” With the bed as a starting point, Haydel gradually built a layered scheme, adding pieces as he found them. The last step was painting the walls Benjamin Moore Clover Green, chosen both to unify the room’s various elements and for the moods it evokes. “In the morning it’s bright and cheery,” says Haydel. “At night, it is soothing.”
1 The tortoiseshell finish of the side table adds a layer of pattern. “Every room needs a touch of animal print,” Haydel says.
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2 Haydel stumbled across the chartreuse velvet armchair at a vintage store in New Hampshire. “The weird color ties in with the bit of green in the curtain,” he says.
3 Marble-patterned draperies complement the abstract artwork. Rattan shades nod to the plantation style Haydel grew up with in Louisiana. “They filter light instead of blocking it,” he says.
4 The vintage chandelier, spray painted burgundy — crystals and all — works with the velvet bed pillows and cost just $125. “The shop owner was skeptical it could be perfect for anyone,” Haydel recalls.
5 The vintage painting of women dancing outdoors reminds Haydel of the Mardi Gras festivals of his childhood. He collected the blue-and-white plates on his travels.
6 The bedding and the tartan storage bench soften the dark wood but maintain a masculine feel. Haydel describes the look as “the classically preppy styling of men’s fashion mixed with the timeless appeal of travel.”