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Tents extend a home’s elegant space for a 1920s-themed party.
In the spirit of The Great Gatsby, elegance, optimism and gaiety marked a private holiday party that took place in an undisclosed location in New York state last December. Fred’s Tents & Canopies Inc., Stillwater, N.Y., worked closely with Stamford Tent & Event Services Inc., Stamford, Conn., and structural engineers and architects to build out the client’s dream tenting plan.
Floor plans
The vision for the project was to create an extension of the home itself—warm and inviting, with a 1920s flavor. From the English chestnut flooring in the cocktail and casino tent to vintage lighting fixtures throughout, the resulting tenting and decor for the event radiated a relaxed but sophisticated backdrop for the party.
As the 250 guests arrived, they were ushered through the 12-by-34-foot custom marquee entry, which led to the grand stairway inside the home, where they were greeted in grand style by their hosts. From the 12-by-9-meter cocktail tent, guests were guided through a 3-by-15-meter marquee to the 15-by-30-meter dining tent. Along the curved exterior of the home, a 170-foot-long single pitch casino tent provided shelter where, after dinner, guests played a variety of casino games. Prizes were awarded at the end of the evening to guests with the most chips.
Making the pieces fit
Because the event took place on a New York winter evening, temperature control was of utmost importance. Stamford installed nine sets of Fred’s custom double aluminum doors at strategic points to control airflow and provide emergency egress. To match the doors to the dark walnut of the home’s woodwork, Fred’s used a walnut faux wood finish on all aluminum elements, including doors, fittings
and beams.
The most challenging element of the project was the 170-foot-long casino tent, which took five weeks to install and three weeks to remove. Fred’s designed a tension-mounted structure to avoid marring the home’s facade. And because of the exterior curve of the house, traditional sidewall bars alone were not sufficient, so Fred’s created a “flex” sidewall bar to supplement the structure.
Thanks to precision planning, creativity and attention to detail, guests enjoyed an evening reminiscent of the Roaring 20s, complete with music, cocktails, dinner and gaming. The seamless design that fit the tenting elements to the home’s elegant decor provided the perfect backdrop for the event. Plans are now underway
for the client’s 2014 holiday party—the theme of which is a closely guarded secret.