Seamless, Yet Sensible Southern Charm

Born and raised in Thibodaux, Eric Haydel is a true Louisianian. As such, he is more than familiar with the welcome breeze of a boat ride on the bayou, the charm of old French homes on grassy fields lining Hwy 311, the smell of burning sugarcane in late Summer, and the raucous revelry of a Mardi Gras parade. Eric studied mass communications at Nicholls State University and went into journalism, working in political fundraising after graduating. It was really “a dream,” as he puts it. 

In 2008, Eric began work on a campaign in Boston, MA. His career was really taking off, and he was planning to come back home to Louisiana after a few months to continue working, but life had other plans for Eric. After the campaign ended, it was time to either go back home or find a way to make money where he was. “Because I wasn’t working in fundraising, there was no money to be had at that point. My partner at the time came home and said to me ‘You have two options: You’re either gonna move home to Louisiana or you’re gonna go back to school.’ Because I’m incredibly hard headed like most people back home, I was going to make this work.” Refusing to give up or go home, Eric decided to go back to school.

Hobby or Career?

One increasingly pervasive trend in recent years is bringing in secondary income or even creating careers out of hobbies and random interests. For Eric, that artistic interest has always been design. Eric has spent years honing his senses for style and decor, but he had always relegated this passion to the status of a hobby. Until 2008, he never imagined that he would ever go into the industry, but with a little push from those important to him, Eric enrolled in design courses in Boston and quickly realized that he had found his passion. “My partner said ‘I signed you up for design classes; You start next week.” I knew I was going to do something, but I just didn’t know that it was going to be interior design until that moment,” he recalls with a refreshing humility and obvious gratitude for the opportunities he has had. From design school, Eric began designing and even working on the production side of the industry, and has only evolved from there.

Eric’s story is truly a testament to the adage that it’s never too late to start something new. In fact, he says it himself, laughing that he’s been to grad school twice. For some, it’s extremely difficult to figure out what career route is best, but take Eric’s advice: “Just listen,” and maybe we can get a little closer to what unexpected opportunities life has in store for us.

Eric’s Designs

Coming from South Louisiana, Eric’s ideas about interior design as well as his personal style have been greatly influenced by his surroundings. He speaks of his roots with great reverence, but he also talks about how moving to Boston has challenged his sensibilities: “Growing up, we have this idea of grandeur as we drive and see these beautiful antebellum homes and plantations and big trees. It’s almost picturesque like it’s meant to be in a movie, and you can’t argue that there are a lot of people who live that way there. You can go up the bayou or down the bayou: You’re going see large-scale life. When moving into a city such as Boston where square footage is at a premium per square foot, where the story really matters, and the ability to edit down to the bare minimum is essential, that influences the aesthetics.” 

“Back home, we see things in color. Many other parts of the country are not as colorful.” Taking the layered variety of the South, combining it with the meticulous placement and utility of the North East, Eric has been able to make quite a name for himself in New England, with dozens of pleased clients singing his praises. He’s truly making Thibodaux proud.

When it comes to his actual design process, Eric’s personality shines through in every aspect. Eric speaks with a wealth of knowledge and geniality that makes it clear why he has seen such success with clients. His modus operandi is to communicate with the residents to get a feel for how they live, and then he gets to work, carefully crafting a portrait of life, and the results are stunning: gorgeous rooms that are effortlessly incorporated into the lifestyle of the client. Of course, it’s impossible to decorate an interior properly without taking into account the architecture of the house, and Eric emphasizes this point greatly: “The most successful designers have an ability to take that conversation that happens in real life with the clients and what they want to accomplish but also understand what the history of the architecture tells us and demands of us. It’s very difficult to put a round peg in a square hole, and architecture is no different. Lots of times, when you listen to what’s around you, you get a feel for what you have to do.” There is, however, one request that tells Eric right away that a client is not a good fit for him: “No red accent wall looks good in any house,” he says in good humor while going over his process. Interior design, according to Eric, is all about marrying the wants of the client with the needs of the house.

Big Plans This Decade

What is undeniably the biggest challenge of the decade is the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Eric, the biggest change in the design industry is “the client who wants it now, who wants to have a free design consultation at a store and walk out with the product or have it delivered to their home in the next fifteen days. That is impossible to provide in the industry.” The supply chain and product procurement in the design game has always been a waiting game; however, with a boom in online shopping due to the pandemic, clients now expect the speedy service and delivery that they are accustomed to in retail. Eric actually gives partial credit to Covid for this unique perspective, as the pandemic contributed to his going into the product procurement side of design. He now does sourcing, so he’s involved in both sides of the industry, and he also works with manufacturers as large as 300,000 square feet with staffs of 300 workers.

Ever the opportunist and entrepreneur, Eric has big plans for the coming year: launching his own magazine, joining the three companies he manages, growing his own collection and showroom, and building his lifestyle brand. “For me, that has been the platform of my graduate school work, and so there has been a book in the works, so the hope is that it will be realized, and I will also push forward with the product brands.” He says of his wallpaper and rug collections, “You can walk on my name if you really want to.” 

Truly an inspiring guy with a sense of humor, a genuine humility, and an undeniable talent for design, Eric has carried his hometown with him and made it from Louisiana to Boston, where he is making a name for himself, and he doesn’t plan to stop growing anytime soon. His advice to anyone looking to follow in his footsteps: “Figure out where you are in life. Jump back into school, and if that’s not an option, internships are the way to go. Internships were not an option for me, but everyone’s path is different.” The real moral of Eric’s story is that we should all just listen, take it all in, and let life lead us where it may; it definitely worked for him.