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Directed to take inspiration from the fearlessness of Dorothy Draper’s Designs (Draper was one of America’s first female interior designers), Rrivre Works Inc. took a simple tent and added dimension, depth and sparkle to a difficult space in an event entitled “A Bold Evening of Black and White Reflection.”
This challenge was set forth to Rrivre Davies, president of the Los Angeles-based event design firm, by Along Came Mary Productions, the event producer and caterer.

With three simple tricks, the company ensured that the guests would not believe they were in a tent. Fortunately, Rrivre Works had the luxury of space and was able to make the tent about 10 feet wider than needed. With this extra room, the company brought all the decorative walls in about 5 feet. This gave the design two advantages: first, instead of the normal 9- or 10-foot walls, Rrivre Works was able to go up 12 feet, creating a huge impact on the scale of the space. Additionally, the company was able to recess part of the wall in order to eliminate the typical long, uninteresting sidewall line of a tent.

The company also created walls of mirrors on the ends of the tent, creating a seemingly endless room, as well as immense elegance and surprise. Bold floral by Eric Buterbaugh Floral Design running down the table and lighting (by Daylight) highlighted the tables and floral without interrupting the lines of the ceiling fabric. Height, depth and punctuation were the three pillars of this fierce look.

Here are Rrivre Works’ tips:

1. Use mirrors in unexpected ways. Rrivre Works manipulated space and created movement in a static environment.

2. Mix fabric and wood or metal on the walls. This added a true sense of permanency to a temporary space. Wall panels were designed and fabricated in-house by Rrivre Works.

3. Break up the tent wall line by recessing part of the wall. This added interest and also space for a buffet or musicians.

4. Reach for the unexpected! Antler chandeliers in an elegant setting were brave and yet playful, creating a relaxed yet sassy environment. The chandeliers, which were custom-made for Rrivre Works by Colorado artisans, are also animal-friendly, since deer shed their antlers.

5. Set one long table. For the large group, this created an intimate and unifying environment. Chairs were provided by Chameleon Chairs LLC, and linens came from Resource One Inc.

Backstage submissions must include a print-quality digital photo (6 inches by 8 inches at 300 dpi) or high-quality print, a 100-word description of the event, plus highlighted vendor information (company name, city and state). E-mail submissions to
pat@event-solutions.com.

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