MONTAJES

Inspired by an English picnic and styled with rustic elements, the V.I.P. area of this year's Power Ball in Toronto had loading pallets that served as banquette seating and cocktail tables. Tufted velvet couches and colorful pillows rounded out the mix.

Rhona Frazin, president and C.E.O. of the Chicago Public Library Foundation, said the planning team aimed to "bring the library into the space that we were in." At the end of the evening, guests could take home the Toni Morrison books that topped each table.

In January, Bulgari hosted a benefit at Ron Burkle’s Beverly Hills manse. Mitie Tucker Event Production transformed the dinner tent into a private library with images of bookshelves lining the walls, tables covered in faux crocodile, and lamps and books as centerpieces.

Long, communal tables and lounge-like configurations provided more relaxed seating on the upper level. For centerpieces, the designer incorporated square-shaped canopies, illuminated by candles that hung from the leaves in glass cylinders. Gift bags from sponsor Cartier were placed on guest's seats prior to the start of the event.