The Shade Store and collection partner Martyn Lawrence Bullard celebrated design in Chicago on August 4 at an intimate dinner with a lively group of interior designers from the region. Guests gathered in the private room at Sepia, a Michelin-starred restaurant located in the heart of Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, where tables were dressed in custom linens made from Martyn Lawrence Bullard for The Shade Store fabrics and decorated with lush arrangements to match from Dogwood Florals. Bullard and Michael Crotty, chief marketing officer at The Shade Store, welcomed designers with remarks as guests enjoyed delicious food, great wine and a festive atmosphere.

“The Shade Store dinner was a very chic affair hosted in the private room of Sepia, one of the best restaurants in Chicago, which offered an explosion of delicious tastes to tantalize our guests,” said Bullard. “With some of the top Chicago design talents, both up-and-coming and time-honored, among the invitees, the conversation flowed with inspiration and appreciation of everyone’s individual style and skill.” 

Commenting on the late-summer tableau, he continued, “I was thrilled the guests liked my Boho Vine fabrics that dressed the tables, along with the beautiful toffee-colored florals, all adding to the theme of sepia tones for the evening. With the top executives from The Shade Store in attendance, the dinner allowed the colorful guests to really get to know the brand, my personal collection and how this remarkable company works and is changing the face of home design across America.”

“The city of Chicago has always been an important market for The Shade Store, and we love coming back to connect with local designers and meet emerging talent,” said Crotty. “It was great to be able to celebrate the local design community with Martyn and this extremely gifted group of designers.” 

Images by Francis Son