5 Event Design Trends From Award Season's Coolest Parties

From dramatic draping to custom chandeliers, ceiling decor provides a unique photo op and focal point for an event. Many recent award-show parties incorporated this idea, including the 20th annual Warner Bros. and InStyle Golden Globes party, designed and produced by JOWY Productions. Black-and-white color blocking was punctuated by splashes of gold, including a grouping of appropriately titled "golden globes" that hung above the bar area.

The Television Academy's official Emmys Governors Ball, designed by Sequoia Productions, had a starry-night effect that used 28,000 individual LED lights suspended from the ceiling. The lights pulsed and changed colors throughout the evening.

Netflix's Golden Globes party, a collaboration with Best Events, had a vintage nightclub vibe. An eye-catching central chandelier was made up of individual chandeliers.

For Roc Nation's annual brunch, held the day before the Grammys, SO Events created an Italian garden theme inside a white tent. Overhead, floral chandeliers and hanging greenery added a vibrant, summery touch.

Award season parties this year tended to stay away from minimalist decor, with many incorporating complex, colorful patterns. HBO's annual Emmys party, for example, had a lush Garden of Eden theme with large floral patterns covering the carpeting, pillows, and other rentals. The event was a collaboration between the network's Cindy Tenner and Ashley Covarrubias and event designer Billy Butchkavitz; it was Butchkavitz’s 20th consecutive year producing the party.

The Recording Academy's official Grammys after-party, designed and produced by the Recording Academy and Angel City Designs, took on a Europe-inspired, modern masquerade ball theme. The color scheme changed throughout the night, starting with light pastel colors and evolving into deeper purples and greens. Various lounge areas were created with overhead draping, curtains, and other fabrics, incorporating complex patterns that evoked the theme.

For HBO's annual Golden Globes party, the network's Cindy Tenner and Ashley Covarrubias once again worked with Billy Butchkavitz and his brother, Brian Butchkavitz, to create a late 1950s/early 1960s-inspired space that used a striking white and chartreuse color scheme. Monochromatic floral arrangements, from green parrot tulips to green amaryllis, completed the look.

Essence's annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards once again took place during Oscars week this year. The luncheon—designed and produced by Essence's Jovanca Maitland with longtime collaborator AGENC—was inspired by paintings, colors, and images of black culture. A colorful print evoked themes of art and activism, and was used as branding and decor throughout the event. Florals in shades of reds, blues, oranges, and yellows were also used to complement the print.

Flowers in darker shades were also popular this year, like at Entertainment Weekly's pre-Emmys party. Producers Event Eleven worked with floral designers Floral Crush to create a branded photo op covered in deep red roses.

For the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science's Governors Ball, which took place immediately following the Oscars, longtime producer Sequoia Productions worked with floral designer Mark's Garden to create a dramatic color palette of black, merlot, and gold. Some 400 distinct floral arrangements were used to complement the opulent vintage theater theme, incorporating 10,000 red tulips, burgundy roses, mauve orchids, and dark purple calla lilies held in a variety of gold containers.

For Mercedes-Benz USA's annual Oscars viewing party, event designers Sterling Social also used a deep red color scheme for florals and rentals. Vases were placed on top of books, creating a cozy, residential feel.

Speaking of a residential feel, many award-season events this year created cozy living room-inspired vignettes. For the Hollywood Foreign Press Association official Golden Globes viewing party, for example, a tented garden was transformed with jewel-toned rentals, custom wood-plank flooring, and burgundy-draping. Gold sputnik chandeliers were used to create a vintage touch, and black and white photographs on the walls paid homage to previous winners. 15/40 Productions produced the event.

Steven Tyler's second annual viewing party, which raised money for Janie's Fund, was designed and produced by V Productions. One area of the 500-person event was rock 'n' roll-inspired living room with Medieval-style chandeliers, plush furniture, and bookshelves filled with personal photos. Never-before-released images of Tyler decorated whitewashed wooden planks.

At the Elton John AIDS Foundation's annual Academy Awards viewing party, presenting sponsor IMDb broadcasted its annual IMDb Live streaming show from the event for the first time. Co-hosted by Aisha Tyler and Dave Karger, the show included four hours of interviews with the party's V.I.P. attendees. 15/40 Productions produced the living room-style lounge, which tied into the event's pink and striped decor.

But of course, it wouldn't be award season without some glamorous golden touches. For Delta Air Lines' pre-Grammy party, producer MKG created an installation of hanging gold records, which served as both an eye-catching entrance and a fun photo op.

The Academy Awards' Governors Ball also used plenty of Oscars-inspired gold, including linens from Resource One, furniture rentals from Hire Elegance, and unique lighting figures from Revelry Event Designers.

Designed and produced by the Firm Event Design, Turner’s Emmy party also had an elegant golden design, with clusters of gold sputnik chandeliers hanging above a central bar, emerald velvet accent chairs surrounding gold coffee tables, and hundreds of geo-shaped orbs with terrarium florals and hurricane candles. Custom lighting created patterns on the gold carpeting to enhance the look.