Spotlight On: David Stark

Tablescapes don't have to be stuffy. Get creative with shapes, levels and colors, like this raffle-ticket table number above scattered yellow anemones. Photo: Susan Montagna

For the Metropolitan Opera's 125th Anniversary Gala, David covered everything from chandeliers to table lamps with vintage opera programs, accented by rich red-rose centerpieces. Photo: Susan Montagna

David gave the ballroom of The Plaza a secret garden feel by constructing full hedge walls around the perimeter of the dining area for this New York City wedding. Photo: Susan Montagna

Glenn Close wanted to bring the essence of her Maine summer home to the East Village of Manhattan, so David turned The Bowery Ballroom into a vintage beach house complete with striped terry-cloth linens, a wall of inflated beach balls, and a cake in the form of a sand bucket and lobster. Photo: Susan Montagna

Innovative lighting is a fantastic alternative to full-blown set building. Here, David used black-lit murals to provide a scenic lounge environment. Photo: Susan Montagna

For an Americas Society fund-raiser in New York, David adorned Cipriani Wall Street with massive hanging chandeliers covered in postcards collected from North, Central, and South America. Photo: Susan Montagna

Continuing with the photo mosaic theme, David created covered flower planters to run the length of the tables. Photo: Susan Montagna

When the Film Society of Lincoln Center chose to honor Tom Hanks in its new Alice Tully Hall, David created an ultra-modern motif of various uplit acrylic containers filled with film reels. Photo: Susan Montagna

For this rustic Maine wedding, David built the DJ booth around fresh firewood that would blend with the abundant, wild centerpieces and larger-than-life floor lamps. Photo: Susan Montagna