Fabulous and New

A cutout step-and-repeat wall allowed the exposed brick behind to show through.

"One of my favorite things is to take an ordinary space and turn it in to something completely unexpected. The Atlanta Hyatt, which was hosting an elite group of local and national corporate event planners, wanted to serve them dinner in one of the hotel kitchens. To make the space pop, we built floor-to-ceiling chalkboard walls on which we personalized each guest’s apron, laid wall-to-wall carpeting, and, my personal favorite, created one-of-a-kind hanging chandeliers out of plastic flatware. It was a complete transformation from boring to bold." —Steve Bales

Zellers threw a farewell party produced by Candice & Alison in November as the Toronto retailer got ready to shutter all its stores after 61 years of business. A massive, four-sided bar was covered in enlarged newspaper clippings from 1951, the company's opening year.

At the Whitney Museum of American Art’s annual Art Party in New York, producers MKG hung black and white lanterns over the main bar.

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

Turner Broadcasting Latin America presented its newest lineup at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center in October. At the preshow cocktail reception, Triton Productions cloaked the space with LED backdrops and placed a 40-foot-long bar made of ice on one side of the room. Behind the bar, a performer on a platform acted as the focal point.

For the launch for Absolut's new sparking wine-infused vodka in New York, event designer Nicky Balestrieri of ExtraExtra tapped Confetti System to create silver Mylar installations spelling out the product's name to hang over the bar area.

Target hosted hundreds of shoppers at a pop-up store for its Shops at Target program in New York in September. As a whimsical way to incorporate a bar into the event, the production team at ExtraExtra built a diner-style coffee shop set.

Showtime hosted the second-season premiere of its drama series Homeland aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York in September. Glowing lanterns made the central outdoor bar easy to spot from afar.

One of the bars at the Design Exchange’s DX Intersection event in Toronto had an eclectic decoupaged look.

Following the premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man in Los Angeles in June, guests headed to an outdoor party designed by 15/40 Productions. The premiere party's central bar in the round got a reptilian look inspired by the film's villain.

Samsung launched its Galaxy Note II in Los Angeles with an event at interior designer Kelly Wearstler's private home. Event Eleven constructed a futuristic-looking bar and food buffet that sat on an LED-lit platform.

The theme of the Emmys Governors Ball in September was "A Romantic Rhapsody in Red" and saw the Los Angeles Convention Center's West Hall designed to look like the inside of a red rose. Red rose petals were suspended in the sculpted ice bars, sponsored by Grey Goose.

BrownHot Events partnered with Mille Fiori Floral Design to create an 8- by 20-foot paper flower backdrop for the V.I.P. tent bar at the third annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Los Angeles in October.

At a Cort Event Furnishings preview event at Washington's Four Seasons Hotel in March, designer Richard Carbotti used some of the company's rentals to create an Asian-themed bar area.

Food festival Chicago Gourmet took over Chicago's Millennium Park in September. Event Creative was tasked with building out the tents that housed tasting bars for brands, including Constellations Brands' "Passport to Wine" tent, where the designers accented the white bar with faux boxwood hedges.

For the grand opening of Mariano's newest Chicago location in October, Kehoe Designs arranged for a disco-themed soiree inside the supermarket. To bring a Studio 54 vibe to the space, the designers used shimmering bars and disco balls for the decor.

At the welcome reception for the BIO International convention at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center in June, Kehoe Designs created various themed areas including a Japanese-inspired space, where the bar was covered in koi pond imagery and live greenery.

"The second the guests crossed the threshold, they were transported to another world, through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole. We raided Bergdorf’s warehouse and brought scenic elements from iconic window displays over the past 111 years—this was their 111th anniversary after all." —Bronson van Wyck

"I created a sweep at the rear of the room with a banquette wall covered in slipcovers in boxwood print. At the top of the curve was a waterfall of heather and hydrangeas. The seating in this area had a cocoon-like feeling. The chandeliers are actually painted Formica board in navy with phosphorus tape and
painted interiors." —Todd Fiscus