Celebrity interior designer and creative director Adair Curtis is passing along his experience for those hosting parties this holiday season.

The Styling Hollywood star recently teamed up with Crown Royal to celebrate the launch of Crown Royal Aged 30 Years, a newly released and limited-edition ultra-rare premium whisky. By way of a tasting hosted at a luxurious hotel in Santa Monica, California, Adair helped to design a space that provided the right ambiance for the whisky’s debut.

It was an ideal partnership for Curtis. Guests included his husband, celebrity stylist Jason Bolden, friends, and media.

“They really were looking for a way to Introduce the special whiskey to a discerning audience and they selected me,” Curtis tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I was obviously happy to oblige. I really love the brand and I’m a fan of whisky.”

Curtis was also paired up with a whisky expert who guided guests through a tasting of the new premium spirit. Place settings included note cards with guests’ names, a personal bottle of Crown Royal Aged 30 Years, and candles.

General atmosphere on display during Crown “Royal Aged 30 Years and Adair Curtis’ Exclusive & Elegant Evening Of Craftsmanship” at Santa Monica Proper Hotel on November 14, 2023, in Santa Monica, California. (Photo: Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Crown Royal )

It’s a part of the essential design elements Curtis says are key when hosting an event.

“They allowed me the opportunity to design the evening,” he shares. That included “everything from the core elements such as what music would be played,” to the lighting and scent of the room.

As for what to keep in mind when hosting your own event this holiday season, the JSN Studio designer has three pieces of advice.

• Engage All Five Senses

“I like the opportunity for the holidays to really be able to engage all the senses,” Curtis says.

“So that’s everything from taste, and then design elements such as make sure that all of your tablescapes and your surfaces are designed,” he adds. “Don’t overlook anything. You want people to walk into the space where you’re hosting your event and really just be captivated by the scent, the visuals, or the sound.

“You want it to all really be intoxicating,” he adds.

• Create The Mood

“This can be through a personally curated music playlist, the lighting, and the overall aesthetic of the space.”

• Include A Takeaway

“You want to give them some takeaway that might be personal to them, or just a takeaway that reminds them of the good time that they just had,” Curtis explains.