For every holiday, bars across Nashville burst with lights, décor and tailored menus — all to mirror the changing seasons. From haunted speakeasies to movie-inspired wonderlands, these immersive installations are some of the city’s most popular — and photographed — seasonal experiences.
But this isn’t accomplished by holiday magic. Expert pop-up designers work with properties to craft unique concepts, source materials and create stunning installations that push the boundaries of what’s been done before. Enter Whitney Rogers, a commercial holiday decorator, florist and movie set extraordinaire — who also happens to be the visionary behind your favorite local pop-ups.
When designing experiences for Noelle’s Hidden Bar, Fairlane Hotel, Rare Bird Rooftop, Bobby Hotel, Margaritaville and Holston House — to name a few — Whitney aims to strike a balance between elaborate concepts and tasteful décor. “I have a hard time just doing holiday to do it,” says Whitney. “I want it to feel elevated. I want it to feel intentional.”
Whitney channels her set design experience into creating transportive worlds that are both breathtaking in person and on camera. She most recently worked on a Hallmark movie shot at the Grand Ole Opry that explores Christmas throughout the decades. This experience has largely informed her hospitality-based projects. “It’s very similar to the set design world, where you’re creating something that may feel a little weird if you lived in it in person, but on camera, it looks fantastic.”
Whitney finds fun in creating different atmospheres each year, as well as for each location. “All of our pop-ups will be very different, and they’ll all stand out,” says Whitney. “You’ve got a very Alpine rustic [feel] for Rare Bird upstairs, and that’ll be very cozy. Then, you’ve got Camp Bobby, which is a little more playful, more ‘70s-inspired, but still cozy.” Alternatively, her pop-up for Hidden Bar sports a pink Santa Baby theme — playfully titled Sugar and Vice. “Give me pink Christmas any day,” she says.
Decorations are wholesaled from vendors and antique malls to ensure that each pop-up features the most unique and fitting pieces. “I’m a holiday décor snob,” says Whitney. “I want nice ornaments. I want nice everything.” While Whitney typically builds around concept ideas provided by properties she works with, singular objects can often spark her creativity. “Sometimes, it’s a prop that’s fantastic, where I’m like, ‘We’ve got to use this somewhere,’” says Whitney. “There’s just more and more excuses for me to go to antique malls.”
The film world also plays a huge role in her inspiration, and much of her concepts stem from old holiday movie sets. Take Whitney’s Sugar and Vice pop-up, for example, where she experimented with tinsel to craft a shimmering, retro utopia. “I’m like, ‘Look how great that sparkly tinsel chandelier is,’” says Whitney. “‘That’s a lot of fun. Now, I need 60 of them, and I want to put them on the ceiling.’”
After months of planning — typically starting in early summer — Whitney and her team rapidly build out the installations on site. “It is creative chaos,” says Whitney. “It’s usually very quick, because our goal is to make sure that the hotels don’t have to close down. You’re working around food and beverage that needs to be open, so it’s a quick window — typically two days at most.”
It’s crucial to consider a property’s look and layout when creating pop-up experiences. Additionally, a building’s history often shapes the stories Whitney creates, and her decorations are tailored to enhance that, while still introducing enchanting elements. “It’s [about] keeping it functional while, at the same time, creating an entirely new experience without any construction, and in a space that people have probably been to multiple times,” says Whitney.
This is largely accomplished with lighting, which Whitney enjoys utilizing during the darker Christmas season. “All the décor elements are lit from the inside out, and that brings that glow,” she says.
Whitney’s fascinations with lighting, technology and antique finds united this Halloween season at Holston House’s Spookeasy. Playing off of the building’s storied history, the pop-up walks guests through ghost tales, while also incorporating a classic, old-timey aesthetic. Think spiderweb-covered chandeliers, skeletons in top hats and 10 or so “haunted” dolls. “There’s nothing creepier than antique dolls,” she says. “Those things make it feel different than just going to Spirit Halloween.”
Inspired by living portraits, Whitney attended TransWorld’s Halloween & Attractions Show to study the technology behind these mystical frights — and created one of her own for Holston House, which she strategically placed near the restrooms to surprise guests. “You’ve got your ghost stories, and then you’ve got your spooky moment when you go to the bathroom and [the portrait] comes to life and changes,” says Whitney.
Whitney’s exuberant spirit and love of her craft help her find inspiration everywhere — and propel her ability to continually create fresh guest experiences. “I’m truly blessed to be able to do what I love to do,” says Whitney. “This has been an exceptionally fun year to work on different things and be a part of Nashville’s growing hospitality world.”
To learn more about Whitney’s business, visit https://www.whitneyelaineinteriors.com/.
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