Baroque-back

A room in the Hermitage Museum

Russia... a very mysterious place to me, but luckily my brother-in-law is very knowledgeable in this area. He lived and studied there for a while and gave me a few tips that would help me design an event that evokes Imperial Russia, but would allow room for a contemporary twist. For example, there was a heavy baroque influence in the architecture and design of the Russian city of St. Petersburg and we've all seen the many baroque-inspired whimsical design elements in decor that can have a huge visual impact on a party.

I chose red and black because I love how they feel a little bit enigmatic (like the KGB or something) when paired together. I found these red lucite candelabras, above, at everythingart.com and they provide quite a striking silhouette.




Left is a big, bold patterned linen made by Isle Design.

Below is a yummy mirror that would look Очень (very) cool with an Aleksandr Pushkin poem or quote written on the glass since literature is such a huge part of the culture.

"The illusion which exalts us is dearer to us than ten thousand truths."

or if you're feelin' sassy,

"Иллюзия которая возвеличивает нас, для нас дороже, чем десять тысяч истин"

And because in a perfect event planning world, we would be able to rent any and all types of chairs for a reasonable price, so here are some fantasy chair rentals, first in red from etsy.com (friggin' $1,800).

In black from a really neat antique reproduction website.

Finally, some other essential elements of this theortical Russian soiree would be, of course, vodka and caviar. To feel like a Tsarina yourself, serve up a Black Russian with Stolichnaya Elit, and make some caviar moons, if for no other reason than to say you did.

On the VIP list: "The Russian" Lord of the Dance, Mikhail Baryshnikov