After Hours

Location: Private residence, marquee

Photography: James Mason

This client wanted a 40th built on surprise and illusion. A party at home lets you create a private members club with no boundaries and no closing time. We provided full marquee management and design, and built a dark, tightly lit club with a central circular bar, food stations and seating. Then we linked it back to the house, because the house had a cellar.

Walkabout actors playing CIA operatives took guests down in small groups, convincingly enough that most had no idea what was happening. At the bottom they found Alexis Conran from the BBC's The Real Hustle, working sleight of hand a few people at a time before looping them back upstairs. Guests thought that was the reveal. It was not. A secret nightclub had been built over the swimming pool: sequinned shark and skull sculptures, a black gloss dance floor, a mirror ball DJ booth and a vodka luge.

Empty nightclub with colorful lighting, disco balls, and a small dance floor.
Empty nightclub with a shiny disco ball chandelier, colorful laser lights, and a glowing DJ booth, decorated for a party or event.
A dimly lit lounge or event space with blue and white stage lighting, showcasing chairs, tables, decorative plants, and reflective surfaces.
Bucket of champagne bottles chilling in ice with empty glasses nearby at a party or celebration.
A Halloween-themed room illuminated with red lighting, featuring a large glittering skull centerpiece on a round glass table, with a small candle and a spotlight. Artwork hangs on the walls, and there's a bookshelf on the left side.
Four bottles of Bollinger champagne in an ice bucket, with glasses and a plate of lemon slices nearby at a party or celebration setting, illuminated by pink and red lighting.
Champagne bottles in an ice bucket, surrounded by empty champagne glasses and a plate of lemon slices on a black table, with a movie poster for 'Pulp Fiction' on a wooden-paneled wall in the background, illuminated by pink and red lighting.
Decorative bar area with a glass skull centerpiece, a framed graffiti-style artwork featuring a girl with a rainbow, a small candle, and a bottle on a wooden bar table, with ambient red and pink lighting casting patterned shadows.
A mosaic skull sculpture in pinks and purples, illuminated by pink lighting, with a textured background.
A dimly lit lounge with velvet sofas, glass tables, decorative pillows, and colorful stage lighting with blue, white, and purple hues.
Disco balls and colorful LED light tubes hanging from a ceiling, creating a vibrant dance floor atmosphere.
A nightclub or party venue with disco balls hanging from the ceiling, neon and LED lights illuminating the space, and reflective surfaces creating colorful light patterns on the floor. There are tables with plants and decorative items, and a small st
A dimly lit event space with blue and purple lighting, featuring a curved bar with metallic sculptures of birds, surrounded by tables and chairs with metallic and black decor, and decorative branches with white lights.
A dimly lit party or lounge with a decorated Christmas tree, a bar with various bottles, and elegant seating including velvet chairs, glass tables with floral decorations, and illuminated snow-like decor, creating a festive atmosphere.
Ice sculpture of the number 40 illuminated by purple light.
Decorated party room with neon lights, high tables with pink and black cushions, a 40th birthday cake, and colorful lighting effects.
Cluster of disco balls hanging from the ceiling, illuminated by vibrant pink, purple, and yellow stage lights, with a reflective water surface below and a metallic DJ booth in the background.
Colorful nightclub stage with vibrant purple, pink, and blue lights and a disco ball chandelier hanging from the ceiling
Inside a nightclub or lounge with colorful lighting, a round bar table with candles, and a stage with a large screen or prop in the background.
A large shark-shaped sculpture made of reflective, mirror-like tiles hanging from the ceiling in a dark room, illuminated by blue lights.
Crowd of people dancing and socializing at a party or nightclub with colorful lighting and a dark background.
A nightclub or party scene with a DJ booth in the center, surrounded by colorful neon lights. Above, there are multiple disco balls of different sizes reflecting light onto the ceiling, creating a starry effect. The dance floor is illuminated with pi
A dimly lit lounge area with velvet sofas, small tables with candles, and metallic decor, illuminated by warm orange and yellow stage lights.