Design renaissance finds its way to valley

"Style is the perfection of a point of view." Richard Eberhart (1904-2005), American poet, "Meditation Two"

Hollywood, Bollywood and Dollywood! How confusing. However, Las Vegas is fast becoming Hollywood East, or L.A. East, or however you wish to express it. Let's face it, we're becoming some version of Hollywood, even down to the traffic, house prices, style and, of course, the movies and TV shows that are filmed here.

The young, hip Hollywood set flocks here for our hotels and casinos that cater to them, and the easy, breezy club culture. It hasn't been that many years ago that clubbing meant joining the locals slot club and a fancy after-hours place wasn't one that was particularly mainstream.

Home prices are not what they were five years ago, and that attracts people from across the country and a host of Hollywood types who want to call Las Vegas home.

It seems that when the glitzy, glamour-crazed California folks visit long enough, they soon realize the benefits of living in one of the greatest cities on earth - and they want to move here and bring their lifestyle and style with them.

Las Vegas is just now enjoying a renaissance as far as design and style go. When I first landed in Las Vegas in the early '80s, the design style wasn't quite Southwestern, but a combination of that plus a Western, country style that didn't have a lot of pizzazz.

Now, don't get me wrong, there was nothing particularly wrong with our style back then, but it didn't have the punch it does today.

Style is definitely personal, and the influx of Californians, along with thousands of others from around the globe, brings with it a more sophisticated design style. This is not meant to put any longtime, local style mavens down; it's just a fact. "The times they are a-changin'."

So, exactly where are we today in the style department? For my money, Las Vegas can compete with any city in the United States or abroad in the interior design world. There is definitely talent here, and during the past 20 years design experts from across the globe have discovered Las Vegas and have chosen to either make it their home, or to at least leave their stamp on other people's homes.

We've grown up to fit into the global design world, and it is evidenced in models, show houses and upscale homes around the valley. Not only are we importing talent, Las Vegas also is home to several design schools turning out local talented folks every semester.

The long and short of it is that Las Vegas "has arrived" on the design scene, and shows no signs of wavering.

Along with our many talented designers, the appearance of World Market Center Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Design Center has changed our style and design outlook forever. It will only get better, and Las Vegas will never again be considered short on style.

One of the design styles that people don't believe we have here is midcentury modern. Folks just assume that we blow up everything that's more than 10 or 15 years old. But, alas, we don't. Las Vegas has an abundance of these iconic homes in neighborhoods across the valley.

The Architectural and Decorative Arts Society is hosting its third annual midcentury modern weekend Oct. 26, 27 and 28. It includes '50s entertainment, conversations with those who love and live the lifestyle, and wraps up with a double-decker bus tour of these awesome neighborhoods.

Visit www.adas-lv.com for tickets. You don't want to miss this and, if you're not already, you will be a big fan of this style by the end of the weekend.

Carolyn Muse Grant is a founder and past president of the Architectural & Decorative Arts Society, as well as an interior design consultant/stylist specializing in home staging. Send questions to creativemuse@cox.net.