Q: What has been your most memorable, hosted event so far? DW: We did an event for a big movie studio in LA themed around SpongeBob Squarepants, which was particularly fun. We did a whole underwater scene and we worked with Willie O’Leary, one of our resident artists at the time, who created a bunch of organic, underwater pieces for us. We had fish in fish bowls hanging, an entire kelp field, and even some props of the program! It was a distinctly great collaboration from everybody. Q: How important is it that all aspects and amenities of Seven Degrees reflect your overall vision? DW: Absolutely important. The space itself was intended to be art from the very beginning. But there are also a lot of different components that come together for events. Most importantly, we cater to every occasion and crowd differently, which means there is a completely new menu of dishes, drinks and even interior design for each event. Every little aspect of our experience has an artistic approach to it. We like to say that the entire space is like a blank canvas, so we prefer to have our team work cooperatively with the various event planners from the ground up so that we can ensure each function also becomes its own work of art.
Q: How has the artistic favor of Seven Degrees influenced the creativity of your inhouse design and decorating? DW: Well, we do own quite a few signature pieces that we acquired at the start of the business, like our Philippe Starck chairs, for example. We take some solace in the fact that we own some interior items that not everyone else has. These furnishings give us a good building block to start with. Then with each new event, we do work with all sorts of local and non-local rental companies since we are always looking for something new to offer, while still culminating it all in our own way to match what our clients want. Q: Has the overall mission statement of Seven Degrees remained the same since its birth? DW: Our entire mission of combining art and events has truly been with us since the beginning. That was really the key vision of Mark Orgill’s initial brainstorm. Since then, I believe we have evolved and strived throughout the years to keep those two worlds together in new ways that he couldn’t foresee. There’s just a lot of different ways to do it. It’s not a usual combination, but that doesn’t stop us from incorporating it in everything we do!
5 Tips for creating an over-the-top holiday tablescape 1. Get inspiration from everywhere! Pick the visuals you love and develop a concept from there. 2. Use items you already have in different ways – maybe not meant to be on a tabletop. 3. Purchase items from the hardware store or other non-traditional table décor stores, i.e. Home Depot (spikes) and work them into your design. 4. Use fabric pieces you already have as table linens – combine and layer to create a new look and color. 5. Use items you already have in your kitchen cabinets to elevate candles and vases to create depth in your arrangements.