What if we imagined life without arts? I mean the arts related to women’s lives and femininity. Applying makeup is an art, coordinating fashion and decor is an art, and so is the art of table setting. Of course, our lives will seem gray and colorless.. Our guest in this special photo session is the influencer WLebanese table coordination expert Lea Sfeir, owner of the ByLéaSfeir brand, which offers exceptional products; She was able to reserve a distinguished position in this field, and she is also the mother of three wonderful children, the handsome Adam, 7 years old, and the beautiful twins, Mary and Gaia, 3 years old. In our interview with Lea, we talked about several topics, so let’s get to know her interesting answers together.
Coordination and dialogue: Rana Al-Tousi
Coordination assistance: Icho Dokau
Photography: Jeremy Zissinger
Fashion: Bloomingdale’s Dubai
Makeup and hair: Lina Qader
Leah Sfeir
Leah’s look:
Mary Katrantzou dress
Mary and Gaia look:
Two dresses from Cyrillus
Adam’s look:
Denim trousers from Jacadi
Who is Leah?
Leah is never afraid to search for herself, renew herself, and follow her passion. I studied to be a lawyer, then went on to establish a public relations company in Paris, becoming a mother of three children, a professional table decorator, and a lifestyle influencer.
You can follow the meeting on Sayidaty digital version through this link A family atmosphere to welcome a new year
“I didn’t know I was special until I was paid to work on a table setting by a well-known brand.”
The art of arranging the dining table
For those who don’t know, tell us about table setting professionals?
Dining table coordination is the art of arranging pieces in a way that makes the table closer to a masterpiece. In France, the art of table setting was recognized as a cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2010. I see it as a realistic practice that contributes to enriching our cultural diversity.
When King Louis
How did you become distinguished in the field?
I didn’t know I was special until I was paid to work on a table setting by a well-known brand that wanted me to tell their story through a table. I succeed by having fun and teaching my social media followers how to set a table for dinner at home. I never imagined for a moment that people would care to this extent, nor did I imagine this special opportunity that Sayidaty magazine gave me.
Have you studied this art?
I studied and graduated from the Faculty of Law in Paris, with a second Master in Marketing and Communications in the Luxury Industry.
I have always been interested in everything related to aesthetics, art, fashion and color combinations.
What was your inspiration for the two sets of tables we saw in the shoot?
For the first table I chose green and white, an elegant and timeless festive table, inspired by the English countryside of the 1950s. I love pieces that are coordinated together, designed to be enjoyed by their owner all year round, and for every special gathering.
I named this collection Lumière, which is a French word meaning light. They are pieces that will be a warm, charming addition to every festive occasion. A floating, illuminated table, in which adding flowers is only optional. The other table is inspired by the most beautiful mosques of Central Asia, especially the Bibi Khanum Mosque in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the Islamic world.
The Khanum ByLéaSfeir Box is available in a limited and numbered edition; We work to provide handcrafted products from some of the most skilled craftsmen in the Arab world.
Check out warm neutral colors to accent your home decor in 2024
Source of inspiration
Cutlery from The Khanum collection from ByLéaSfeir Box
How do you choose the colors and pieces for each collection?
Inspiration comes and I start imagining the end result. A color, a trip, a story, a fashion trend, or a specific event may be the inspiration for one of my collections. For example, I started drawing a Ramadan box a month ago!
What will we find inside the ByLéaSfeir table box?
The person who opens the box finds everything he needs to decorate the table at any time very easily and inside it are large dishes; Dessert plates, cups, placemats, napkins, vases, candle holders, candles, and decorative items in glass or ceramic depending on the set included in the box.
Each piece is handcrafted and hand-painted by the finest craftsmen from across the Arab world.
How to arrange this?
There is a picture inside the box to help inspire the user as much as possible in an attempt from me to facilitate the task of arranging the table in clear steps, but in short we start by placing the tablecloths, the large plates on top of them, the dessert plates on top of them, the fork to the left of the plate, the knife to the right, the spoon in front of the plate casually, and the cup. Also on the right, and the napkin on the left, and we distribute vases, candle holders, and even the final touch of decor in the form of flowers or souvenirs that beautify the table.
Table coordination is an art, just like applying makeup or arranging outfits. It is important to take a wide look from afar at the general shape of the table after each step to ensure that the tools, colors, lengths of decorative pieces, and even the flowers are in harmony. But my box is equipped in a way that will save the lady this step.
Feeling warmly welcomed
Dress from Alemais
Cutlery from the Lumière collection from ByLéaSfeir Box
Why is table setting important when receiving guests for lunch or dinner?
When we receive an invitation, we prepare and dress beautifully to honor our hosts. When we have guests, we are supposed to honor them, and this is common in any culture in the world, and that is by decorating our table and beautifying it for them. It’s a way to make them feel welcome and the effort that goes into them, and I also find that a table set always creates a nice atmosphere and new conversations.
Lebanon, France and Dubai, how do each of these three countries inspire the ByLéaSfeir brand?
My childhood in France gave me an attention to detail, a penchant for easy styles, a special color combination, and an undeniable love for history and culture, all of which are my main sources of inspiration.
Lebanon is where I come from, it is my roots and my origin. Lebanon’s traditions, warmth and sophistication are part of me and every collection I create, all passed down through my family.
Dubai is the place where everything suddenly becomes real. Dubai gave me the strength and opportunity to create my brand, and pushes me to do more every day, to take risks and to overcome what holds me back.
What about your mother and grandmother?
They are the motivation for who I am today, without a doubt. My grandmothers were known for their taste and distinctive hospitality.
My maternal grandmother was a very elegant socialite, famous for her wonderful dinners and amazing table setting. Whereas my paternal grandmother was elegant from head to toe, and was the most welcoming lady I knew, her door always open, her house ready to welcome surprise guests with a generous table.
What do you think about learning about decor trends to adopt in 2024 for a renewed home, whatever its style?
“A colour, a journey, a story or a fashion trend can be the inspiration for one of my collections.”
My tables are an extension of my fashion sense
Leah and fashion, what about this relationship?
Fashion lives inside me. It is part of me, my lifestyle and my identity. I love art and fashion, and I am not a fashion designer. I don’t follow every trend, I make it in line with my personal style which I describe as elegant, easy, timeless with a touch of vintage, and with a little sophistication. My tables can be an extension of my fashion sense.
Tell us about a day in the life of Leah with a dinner invitation on the list
My days start at 6 a.m. and include a routine of getting my kids to school, exercise, meetings, and when I host a dinner, it requires me to be home by 1 p.m. The dinner menu is always arranged a few days in advance. I am very organized and detail oriented. The guests never wait for me, but I am the one who waits for my guests!
I start setting the table after thinking about the topic at two o’clock in the afternoon. At 4pm I prepare serving utensils for each dish. Around 5 p.m., I set up the coffee table, check on the drinks with my husband, and then start making appetizers at 6 p.m. At 7pm I put the finishing touches on the dishes, at 7:30 I get dressed, kiss my kids goodnight, light the candles, make sure the chairs and name tags are placed in front of each plate, and finally I get ready to welcome my guests around 8:30pm.
Motherhood and ambition
Leah’s look:
Blue top from Jaquemus and denim pants from Revolve
Mary and Gaia look:
Blue shirt from Bonpoint
Denim trousers from Zara Kids
Has motherhood changed you?
Yes, in many ways, it has given me the desire to pass everything on to my daughters and teach them the joy of table setting, lifestyle, and good taste, and I want to collect more and more tableware so that I can gift them later. I want them to keep pieces of our family history in their homes.
Motherhood has given me more ambition. I want my children to be proud of me, I want them to learn from me, and I want them to grow up in a warm and welcoming home. Becoming a mother makes me more stressed too; Because hosting many people with young children requiring care is complicated! I was taking my time before I had 3 kids. Now I need to be everywhere at the same time while still being the perfectionist.
What is it like raising 3 children, two of whom are twins?
I think that for any mother, whether working or at home, raising children is not easy. We always hear it’s the hardest job in the world. This is really true. Giving our children the right skills and values to become the best version of themselves takes a lot of effort.
Raising 3 children is as much fun as it is challenging and with twins and giving the same level of attention some days it can seem like an impossible task.
Being a working mother makes the situation twice as difficult. However, we are lucky to have help in Dubai. In France I would not have received the help I receive here in the UAE.
What’s the benefit of having your own brand project during motherhood?
Owning my own brand has given me the luxury of managing my time on my own terms. Being a full-time employee would not have allowed me to pick up my kids and drop them off, or be with them in the afternoon when they were sick, or even to play or go outside.
At the same time, owning my own brand is challenging, with a lot of uncertainties and high expectations.
Do you feel that your children will become professionals in the art of table decoration in the future?
I don’t know, but I’m sure they will know how to arrange a beautiful table, or at least they will recognize beauty with their eyes. It’s a process of learning and growing with them.
You can also check out highlights of 2024 home interior design trends
