What’s On My Desk: Michael Purdy, Proprietor and Creative Director of Cavalier by Jay Jeffers

Uncommon and collected, Cavalier by Jay Jeffers is a destination for those who take their pleasures seriously. The impeccable boutique is one of San Francisco’s most brilliant gems for seekers of all that unique and luxurious. Just step into Cavalier and you’ll find a magical world of new, vintage and bespoke pieces, some of which include Jay Jeffers extensive collection of furniture and luxe household items.

Michael Purdy is the Proprietor and Creative Director of Cavalier, which was conceived with Jay Jeffers in 2012. Michael curates pieces from around the world, creating an intriguing space of handsome goods for the home to fine art to jewelry. As Michael describes it, he “keeps the Cavalier retail flagship fresh with new home décor discoveries, antiques and vintage pieces.” Let’s take a look at the fabulous little things that inspire Michael Purdy to keep the boutique fresh.

• Little green windup “money bag” monster that came from a mystery grab bag at Colette in Paris. I try to wind him up and let him walk around my desk every day at least once, for good luck and prosperity. He even has one black eye to remind me to fight the good fight in every business dealing I’m involved in with Cavalier

• The screensaver image of our King Charles Spaniels, Olive and Kingsley (the namesakes of our shop and official greeters) who provide constant support and unconditional love to everyone in my office especially the people who keep treats in their drawers.

• An Amanda Wright pottery lamp from her first collection “Servitude”, available exclusively at Cavalier, reminds me to keep our assortment as fresh and adventurous as possible. I found Amanda working in her garage in our neighborhood in St. Helena and she had previously never shown her work in a public space. You must look under every rock and in every dark corner to keep things exciting and find sources no one else has.

• I have a watercolor of the Golden Gate Bridge that sits behind my laptop, painted by a 10-year old whose family has been living at Raphael House in the Tenderloin. It was a gift from the organization for the holiday fundraiser we hosted for them last December. I love looking at it because it represents the power of giving to others. I am surrounded by exquisite and expensive things at work but this may very well be the most precious thing I own.

• The small “You’re So Cool” silver flask was a surprise gift I had made for my husband Jay when his book Collected Cool launched in March of this year. We filled them with his favorite Whiskey and gave them out as favors to all of our friends the night of his first San Francisco book signing. It just makes me smile.

• On the wall behind my desk is a list of the tenets of our Cavalier Code. These were the values that Jay and I founded the business on and we focus on a different one with our teams each week. They always instruct my buying choices for the store as well as tough decisions we need to make along the way.

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