Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”
-The Raven, Edgar Allan Poe, First Stanza
Spooky season is upon us and what better to draw design inspiration from than Edgar Allen Poe’s classic gothic poem The Raven. We collaborated with some of our favorites to create a breathtakingly dark academia event design that is anything but dreary.
The first step was to tie in gothic elements throughout the event space to bring this ominous, classic poem to life. Thoughtfully playful touches from a skull flower vase atop an anthology of Edgar Allan Poe’s works, to a raven adorned black branch candle holder, were coupled with elegant clean lines and simple yet fresh color palettes to create a look that was both a cheeky and refined design.
Drawing from the decor inspiration and overall aesthetic, we wanted the tabletop design to read elegant, classic, and moody in all the right ways. We started with a foundation of chic black stoneware dinnerware, paired with our two-toned black and gold flatware and finished with our elegant clear cut glass glassware. By playing with textures and solid color-blocking, we were able to create a table setting that combines vintage and modern aesthetics to create a truly extravagant tabletop design that is both dark and beautiful.
From vintage velvets to a bright floral centerpiece arrangement that evokes the “rare and radiant maiden… Lenore,” who is so longed for throughout the poem, we were able to use our event space to bring the timeless masterpiece of The Raven to life. While Poe’s narrator’s love is forlorn, we drew on dark academia inspirations to evoke the beauty within the poem to inspire a gothic aesthetic worthy of showcasing and celebrating a modern couple’s love.
Tabletop rentals: Black Stoneware Charger, Margaret Stoneware Dinnerware in Black, Monet Flatware in Black/Gold, Melodia Glassware
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