Decorations

A summer 2011 look book topped each place setting.

For outdoor meetings and events, the new stretch tent is available through Absolute Tent & Event Services. Available for rent or purchase, the waterproof tent comes in three sizes and can be stretched around trees, structures, and rocks.

Archive Rentals has introduced a line of vintage Western- and camp-themed rentals. Among items like reclaimed wood tables, picnic linens, horse tack, canoes, and lanterns, the company also has a rare collection of retro Airstream trailers.

Saki soy-seared tuna skewers, sous vide-style local Wagyu beef, and saffron-scented wild rice pilaf, by Disney Special Events and Catering Operations (321.939.7129, disneymeetings.com) in Buena Vista, Florida

Rent Cloth Connections' new piano-sequin overlay in red, $52.95 each, to make dinner tables look especially cheery.

RentQuest has a variety of holiday party-appropriate lounge decor, including its wrought-iron five-tiered votive candle chandelier, $150, and rectangular white mohair slipcover, $275. Add in several of Greenroom’s Gold Link ottomans, $90 each, to complete the look.

White birch is a stylish and inexpensive way to create a tabletop display with a wintery forest look. Pair Brooklyn-based Nettleton Hollow's new birch pillars, from $4 to $12.25 each, with fresh pine boughs or votives.

Sylvania's LED table runner

Also at the Whitney Art Party in June, the hallway bars had illuminated displays composed of hundreds of individual lightbulbs that served as backdrops.

At Gensler and Herman Miller's vignette, the dining table was surrounded by walls covered in thousands of Hershey's Kisses wrapped in purple foil. Attendees were invited to take one as a symbol of the "many hands it takes to spark positive change."

As part of Diffa's Student Design Initiative, five of New York's top design schools created installations for the showcase, under the direction of industry mentors and within a strict budget. Students from the Pratt Institute, working with mentor Arpad Baksa, used Pegboard, twinkle lights, and individually placed test tubes to create a sparkling rendering of a world map.

Many designers had spring on the mind, with several environments dedicated to garden motifs. Rachel Laxer Interiors with Robert Kuo designed an ode to Rococo painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard with a mural of an 18th-century woman falling from a swing and a centerpiece of moody floral arrangements and fresh fruit.

The Eric Warner for Aesthete table, hosted by Tracy Reese, also jumped on the spring bandwagon, featuring faux butterflies and lightbulbs hanging from an overhead trellis, as well as a wall displaying patterned fabric panels and a silhouette made entirely out of moss.

Another trend spotted on the Diffa floor: black-and-white stripes. The Architectural Digest table featured the striking pattern on the china, the surrounding columns, a giant paper lantern, and the table itself. A centerpiece of brightly hued anemones and poppies popped against the stark palette.

The table Frette designed for The New York Times was housed inside a black-and-white striped cabana. With rustic wood accents, fresh oranges, and arrangements of olive tree branches, the tabletop had a Tuscan countryside vibe.

At the Ralph Lauren Home table, vases filled with fluffy white ranunculuses echoed the oversize white paper lanterns glowing overhead. A slate waterfall backdrop flanked by palm tree trunks completed the tranquil scene.

The table by Rottet Studio and Morgans Hotel Group displayed leather walls, exposed lightbulbs, and dishware that resembled curled-up book pages.

At Patrón's area, the walls were draped in sheer chiffon, and hanging tequila bottles held flickering votives.

Massive stands of candles drew the eye upward and created warmth at a private social event at the Stephen Weiss Studio in New York.

For a wedding at Cipriani Wall Street, Beahm created three tree-like installations behind the head table.

A neutral palette made for a sophisticated feel at a wedding at the Four Seasons Restaurant.

Beahm was ahead of the chevron trend when he used black-and-white napkins for a wedding at New York's Gotham Hall.