2025 Chicago Designer Challenge with Tablescapes Event Rentals

When creativity meets collaboration, magic happens. At this year’s Chicago Designer Challenge, our team, Lichen & Lux, led by Designed and Detailed Event Management, set out to design an immersive tablescape, inside The Gwen, a Luxury Collection Hotel, that felt like it was popping straight out of the pages of a book of fairytales.

Our Fantasy Fairytale Vision

Our woodland-inspired setting set the mood for a whimsacle design with all sorts of textures and tones filling the atmosphere. A vision of elevated nature suspended overhead with soft green ribbons and white tulip blooms cascaded from a striking geometric chandelier. Moss, ferns, and airy florals spilled gracefully across the tabletop and down the sides, creating a living, breathing design that felt perfect against the backdrop of The Gwen’s ballroom, becoming a stage for a whimsical woodland escape.

Tablescapes Setting The Scene

The design came to life with some of our signature rentals, including the Lime Blown Sand Chargers, which brought the pop of color needed to each place setting. Paired with our crisp white dinnerware and sage napkins, the charger anchored the design with freshness and sophistication. The entire table lit up with illuminating lamps and the ballroom’s statement chandelier. Our signature Gold Fanfare Chair added a modern contrast to the lush tablescape. The balance of natural textures and sleek design elements showcased exactly how Tablescapes’ curated collections elevate every detail of an event. 

Collaboration in Bloom 

It was our vision to make  guests feel as if they had stepped into a hidden woodland glade in the heart of Chicago—a serene escape blooming within the city’s center. It was at once refreshing, grounding, and quietly luxurious, a 21st-century version of a woodland fairytale.

The Designer Challenge reminded us that event design is always a team effort. Each element—floral, lighting, rentals, and styling—worked together to craft a complete vision. As a team, Lichen & Lux embraced the challenge of weaving nature’s raw beauty into a luxe, design-forward setting, and we’re proud of the collaborative spirit that brought this tablescape to life. 

Inspired by Design, Driven by Service 

At Tablescapes, we believe in more than just providing rentals. We deliver design-driven solutions with exceptional service—supporting planners, designers, and hosts in creating memorable experiences across Chicago, Milwaukee, and beyond. The Designer Challenge was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that commitment, blending creativity with reliability in a way only Tablescapes can.

Vendor Team

Planner:  Designed and Detailed Event Management | Florals: Branching Out Chicago | Cake: Bittersweet Pastry Shop | Stationary: Adorable Designs by Candice | Rentals Tablescapes Speciatly Rentals: The Romel Collection | Drape and lighting: Atmosphere Events Group | Venue: The Gwen, a Luxury Collection Hotel | Photography: Anamaria Vieriu Photography