Glowing Furniture Makes for the Ultimate Party Upgrade
Sarasota's Florida Furniture Rental outfits residential and public events with LED-lit furniture and decor.
Image: Ink Graphics Media
It’s that time of year when the weather sends out a memo: The temperature is perfect, so get your backyard ready for a party, and the preparations might include reserving some glowing furniture. A tad cheesy, perhaps, but glowing furniture is a fun, easy way to bring an instant nightclub vibe to any setting.
Rainer Scheer knows just how to do that. Originally from Germany (did you know Berlin is the nightclub capital of the world?), he’s the founder of Florida Furniture Rental and Chilllounge Night.
Chillounge is a moveable outdoor event outfitted in his trademark glowing furniture. You can also count on a DJ, a bar and a great location. Sarasota's first Chilllounge kicked off in 2008 and took place in the heart of downtown on Palm Avenue, where Scheer once owned an art gallery. But Chillounge can also be the cherry on the top of another event, like when it marked the closing night of the 20th annual Sarasota Film Festival in front of the Sarasota Opera House.
With the help of Scheer's wife, Patricia Filomeno, who heads the marketing end of the business, Chillounge has expanded to other Florida cities over the years, and Scheer admits he's busier with larger cities like Tampa and Orlando these days. In 2020, he provided furnishings for the NBA's "bubble" games at Walt Disney World, which were set up to protect players from contracting Covid-19.
“The last three years the rental business has been blowing up,” says Scheer. Part of the growth is due to heightened demand for outdoor events amid the pandemic.
This LED-lit furniture gives any event a glow up.
Image: Ink Graphics Media
Other than providing furniture for events and fundraisers, Scheer also lights residential homes and private parties. A 9,000-square-foot warehouse is home to almost 500 pieces of outdoor furniture and fun, like LED-lit dancefloors and a curiously popular glowing duck. You'll also find chairs, tables, bars, big letters, swings and a 375-pound double bench, 'cause why not?
The minimum cost to get your party lit is $1,500. Scheer says his average order is roughly $3,000. The party producer only wishes he could mingle with the guests, “but we’re busy working hard to make it a great night and there isn’t time to get dressed up for it,” he says.
See Scheer's furniture from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at the RADD for Ukraine fundraising event in the Rosemary District or call (941) 448-0995 to get your party lit.
