After almost a decade in New York City, Hayden Lasher, the celebrated handbag designer and great-grandniece of fashion icon Henri Bendel, has returned to her hometown of Houston with her husband and young daughter. While they renovate a house in Tanglewood, she is spending time in her childhood home in River Oaks where her father still lives. “I have so many memories from this house—rolling down the hill in the backyard, putting on choreographed dances in the foyer, creating concoctions in the kitchen of anything and everything we can find in the kitchen,” she says of the home, which was built in 1965. “The house has always had that extra touch of glamour that has inspired many of my designs.” She shared a tour of the grand estate’s storied rooms, which are filled with art, fine French antiques, rare books, hand-painted walls, and plush textiles. “The best part about being back in Texas is the people. Being near my family has been a huge positive, and everyone here is so friendly,” she says. “You can’t beat Southern hospitality.”
A nook in the living room features a Louis XV writing table and Louis XVI cartel clock.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
Hayden's father is a collector of rare books, so he can often be found in the library. The walnut-paneled room features Flemish tapestries and a Knole sofa.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
The "Elene" Belgian bag from Hayden's eponymous line is made with Italian crocodile embossed leather. The bow is a homage to the one that adorns the loafers of Belgian Shoes, another family business and an institution on NYC's East 55th that's beloved by many Texans.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
The soft palette of the hand-painted Gracie wallpaper makes the dining room one of Hayden's favorite rooms in the house. It's also where she hosted the first trunk show for her classic line of architectural bags in exotic leathers.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
The mirror and mantel are both 18th-century French pieces. The French influence is present throughout the home.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
The corridor that leads to the kitchen "is remarkably unharmed despite all the roller blading we did here as children," Hayden says.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
Hayden calls the family kitchen, the "hub of the house." The bookcase belonged to her grandmother and is filled with all of her favorite cookbooks.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
The walls in the light-filled breakfast room are hand-painted. This is also where the family sets up a vodka and caviar bar for their annual holiday party.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
Fortuny wall fabric (used on the pillows as well) provides the backdrop for a painting by Marià Fortuny.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
Hayden's childhood room that she shared with her sister features a pair of Dorothy Doughty's bird sculptures in the top right corner.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
"I remember thinking this bathtub felt like a swimming pool when I was a little girl," she says. "It used to be surrounded by oversized perfume bottles that I always admired."
Photograph by Wynn Myers
"The patio is where everyone ends up congregating when there is a party," Hayden says. The dining room's Juliet doors open up to the front terrace that overlooks the whole property.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
The guard house stands watch at the front of the property.
Photograph by Wynn Myers
Many garden features are found on the grounds. The waterfall leads down into a stream. "My brother and I used to love rolling down this hill when we were kids," she says.
