Taking the formal out of dining room

Benefit showcases unique and outlandish designs

Eric Roseff Designs went for a graphic, modern look with mustard-yellow paint, zebra prints and 12 different wallpaper patterns for its walls. (Erik Jacobs for The Boston Globe)

For years, Boston architect Brent Zeigler has longed to be a part of Dining by Design, a national traveling show where interior designers from around the country showcase over-the-top dining room creations.

The extravaganza, a fund-raiser for HIV/AIDS programs and sponsored by Elle Decor, has raised its profile over the years, attracting dozens of designers who've created everything from eco-friendly dining rooms to fanciful feathered centerpieces.

"I remember reading about it in Elle Decor, saying I wish I could do that some day," said Zeigler.

Last weekend, he got his wish.

In a nod to the city's thriving design community, Dining by Design finally came to the Boston Design Center. Twenty-two local interior designers and event planners, including Michael Ferzoco of Eleven Interiors, Fotene Demoulas of Fotene Design, and Zeigler of Fourply Studio, unveiled their visions to a crowd of more than 400 people at a cocktail party on Friday. The following night, 270 guests paid $1,000 a ticket to dine on fare from restaurants like Rialto and Gaslight.

Many of the tables were quite outlandish. Charles Fletcher, eager to take "formal" out of the dining room, put live goldfish in a crystal centerpiece and used grass as carpet. As a finishing touch, he selected Lucite chairs with flower decals. "People aren't interested in formal dining rooms anymore," said Fletcher, owner of Charles Fletcher Designs in Boston.

Eric Roseff embraced color, painting his walls mustard yellow. He added panels with black-and-white zebra prints. "I'm not afraid of patterns and colors," he said. "I was a painter for 12 years before I became a decorator."

Dining by Design is coordinated by the nonprofit group DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. In Boston, the event raised more than $200,000 for the Community Research Initiative of New England, an HIV/AIDS research group.

DIFFA charges designers $10,000 for an 11-by-11-foot space. The designers are free to bring in any decor, but each table must seat 10 people for dinner.

Alexis Contant, vice president and general manager of the Boston Design Center, said the selection of Boston as a stop on the tour is a statement about how the world's view of the city is changing.

"We have Barneys, we have Marc Jacobs, we have Valentino," she said. "We've allowed ourselves to embrace real high luxury and glamour and style without feeling that we're compromising our values."