Decor

August 30, 2018

1. Decorate a dance floor.

The dance floor is an obvious place to make an impact. For a private event, designer Preston Bailey created a unique dance floor that served as the evening's focal point. Hundreds of flowers were covered in Plexiglas, creating a massive floral carpet. "The result was a statement piece that allowed guests to dance on air," said Bailey.

Photo: Courtesy of PrestonBailey.com/John Labbe

A similar idea was created for a Ferragamo fragrance launch in 2010 in New York. A 22- by 24-foot dance floor was erected over the venue's existing pool. Drained of water, the recessed space held a neon Attimo sign surrounded by dried flowers.

Photo: Billy Farrell/PatrickMcMullan.com

At the National Association for Catering and Events' 2012 gala in Washington, guests danced on a floor that was embedded with LED lights. "We used this element because they looked like night stars," said the gala's co-chairwoman, Aisha Malik.

Photo: Evelyn Alas

4. Go high-tech.

Energy Floors offers human-powered, interactive dance floors for event rentals worldwide. The eight-inch-deep tiles each house small generators; the tiles compress when stepped on, activating the generators to convert the kinetic energy produced by the dancers into electricity. The power can be used to activate the colorful LED light tubes inside the tiles that respond to the movement of dancers or nearby electrical systems.

Photo: Anneke Hymmen

The American Ballet Theatre's 2009 fall gala in New York got guests moving after the performance with projections on the dance floor. The floor played images of 1950s movies during dinner, and later busy street scenes moved in time with the music for dancing. The look aimed to complement the troupe's contemporary and unconventional programming, with dark colors and silhouettes inspired by artist Kara Walker.

Photo: Kevin Tachman

The Phantom of the Opera held its 25th-anniversary show and gala in 2013. To avoid the complications that come with laying carpet over stairs—especially on a snowy night in New York—the event's producers projected a strip of red light over the library's front steps, effectively creating a virtual red carpet that led to the entrance. Hundreds of LED candles sat on either side of the illuminated pathway.

Photo: Carolyn Curtis/BizBash

Following a renovation, the Carnegie Library in Washington added a glowing dance floor showing a map of the city.

Photo: Beth Kormanik/BizBash

Fashion designer Patricia Field made her first foray into Miami Art Week in 2016 with a December-long pop-up shop and gallery. A simple—but effective—catwalk was created by placing two strips of red tape on the floor.

Photo: Michele Sandberg for BizBash

The Four Seasons Chicago's Chocolate Caliente Mexicano

At Allium, the restaurant at the Four Seasons Chicago, seasonal cocktails include the "Chocolate Caliente Mexicano." The hot-chocolate drink is served with Mexican spices, dulce de leche, and churros and is made with Cacao Barry 64 percent chocolate. The beverage can be served nonalcoholic or with a shot of spiced-cinnamon tequila.

Photo: Galdones Photography LLC