From hot restaurant openings to razzle dazzle new hotels, the city of Charlotte, North Carolina has been especially buzzy as of late, and the town’s interior design scene is no exception. To toast all that’s afoot on the Queen City design scene, we recently cued up a stunner of a dinner party at one of the chicest little dives in town, Bardo. Co-hosted by Chairish co-founder Anna Brockway and the wildly talented, Charlotte-based designer Barrie Benson, the event brought together thirty-five local interior designers and tastemakers for a major love fest. Go inside the event and see how team Chairish and Barrie pulled together a charming fête, worthy of this chic design scene.
Haute Co-Hostess
Deciding who to co-host a Charlotte shindig with was easy peasy: Barrie Benson of course! A design doyen who heads up creative direction for Century Furniture’s beloved Highland House brand in addition to piloting her own design firm, Barrie Benson Interior Design, Barrie is a total chic attack. Unsurprisingly, entertaining alongside her was a dream, with her calling the shots on everything from the flowers to the apps served.
Dahlias for Days
For flowers, Barrie tapped the local gals at Charlotte’s Proper Flower. Tipping their hats to Bardo’s subtle Mid-Century Modern influences, the team whipped up unfussy bouquets of dahlias. Despite being displayed simply in a mix of white pottery and milk glass vessels, the bloom’s punchy palette of orange, hot pink, and burgundy made them the showstoppers of the tablescape. Ever the hostess with the mostest, Barrie opted to lift her outfit inspo straight from the day’s blockbuster blooms.
Punchy Place Settings
Like us, Barrie’s a pink super fan. The table settings paid homage to the sweet shade, pairing pops of pink with navy blue accents to tie back to the restaurant’s blue banquets. In addition to hand-lettered place cards, each place setting was outfitted with a stack of Chairish Print Shop notecards, tied with a ribbon in a mossy green color lifted from the tablecloth. Details, people!
Chef-Driven Cuisine
Electing to show off one of Charlotte’s delish new hot spots, Barrie chose Bardo Restaurant for the dinner. Focused on eclectic American small plates, executive chef Michael Noll orchestrated the entire meal from start to finish. The yummy plates included curried cauliflower, cobia with eggplant, peppers, and ponzu, and an aged ribeye with savory cabbage, mushrooms, and truffle. Topped off with one of Bardo’s mean cocktails, the meal was a serious yum fest.
All photos by Christina Hussey