Changes make Las Vegas Design Center better place to shop

Anyone driving through downtown Las Vegas can’t help but notice the three large buildings that make up the World Market Center Las Vegas.

Though they can be imposing to look at, showrooms inside the Las Vegas Design Center have put out the welcome mat and are inviting people to visit the facility and be inspired to bring well-designed furnishings and accessories to their homes.

“We’ve always been concerned with the availability of higher-end resources at World Market Center and have worked very hard to attract game-changing brands to LVDC,” said Bob Maricich, chief executive officer of International Market Center, parent company of World Market Center. “Whether these companies are making upholstery, accessories or wood products, we’ve achieved the right combination of resources. LVDC is now the perfect destination for the whole home.” 

Although the content may be tailored to a specific purpose, the design center is no different than a shopping mall, he said.

In order for it to be successful, it has to have good depth of product and offer an experience that is compelling and relevant, Maricich added.

And it has to be in one place.

After expanding to include the first two floors of the A and C buildings at World Market Center Las Vegas, all the design center showrooms have returned to the A building. Maricich said it makes the shopping experience more pleasant and provides easier access to what is available.

Paul Watson, who served as vice president of the design center until recently when he accepted a position with one of the companies that has a showroom in the downtown facility, spearheaded many of the changes.

“I live, eat and breathe design.”

Watson, who has been in the design center business for 25 years , said when he arrived five years ago there were no fabric resources, which, in a traditional design center are anchors, much in the same way that stores such as Neiman Marcus or Macy’s anchor a shopping mall.

Designers need to see, touch and feel a piece of fabric in order to get its true colors, texture and scale of pattern, he said.

At that point, he began looking at the facility from the standpoint of a designer and what he would want to see there if he was shopping at the center.

In addition to fabrics, he wanted to see a mix of well-designed goods. Watson said it wasn’t necessary that the showrooms carry only high-end, expensive items; the qualifying factor was their design and quality.

So he began pursuing a variety of manufacturers and enticing them to open showrooms in the design center.

“The changes are fabulous. More new product makes it all the more inviting for designers to come here,” said LouAnn Sanoff of LMS Design Group.

Her showroom features numerous lines of furniture, lighting, accessories and wall coverings, as well as fabrics.

Sanoff said she is excited about seeing new lines and companies at the design center.

Among the new additions is Stanley Furniture.

“Stanley brings a much-needed category to the campus,” Watson said. “It has designer-centric case goods at friendly price points, and Stanley is known for its quality and longevity.”

Stanley’s new showroom is modeled after the Palace of Versailles’ renowned Hall of Mirrors, said Edward Tashjian, Stanley’s brand ambassador. The concept, created by Randy Wells, Stanley’s vice president of branding and creative director and once part of the Las Vegas Design Center team, was to provide displays that portray how people really live.

“The end buyers of this furniture are sophisticated, successful, well-traveled and well-cultured people and they want to be able to see the furniture in the way it will appear in their homes ,” Tashjian said.

In creating the Palace of Versailles, Louis XIV compartmentalized his life, creating themed and purpose-specific rooms that were accessed from the Hall of Mirrors. That is what Stanley created with its distinct room vignettes inside the showroom, Tashjian said.

Furnishings inside the rooms are carefully curated to show various pieces can be coordinated to create a look. There are rooms that portray a coastal lifestyle, contemporary setting, country estate, traditional room and Hollywood regency look. Tashjian said this helps designers find the kind of furniture they like or their clients are looking for.

As Stanley models its other showrooms after the Las Vegas facility, Tashjian said it was important that the Virginia-based manufacturer establish a strong footing here. People appreciate the ability to shop in one location.

“It’s easy to move from showroom to showroom, floor to floor, in a few days rather than 10 days. People are busy and don’t have time to do that.”

He said the Las Vegas center also attracts a strong international market and people from the West Coast who don’t visit other facilities.

Another new tenant is Julian Chichester/Mr. Brown, which brings hip, cutting-edge case goods and upholstery that are driven by trends throughout Europe, and England in particular. Watson said the company is known for its creative use of materials.

“They are great at borrowing yesterday’s designs and translating them to today’s tastes,” he said.

Although not new to the design center, Christopher Guy has moved out of the space it shared with Robert Allen|Beacon Hill and opened its own showroom.

“The opening of the Christopher Guy Las Vegas showroom marks our fifth dedicated showroom in the USA and I could not be more delighted to be part of the Las Vegas market designer showroom community. Over the years, we have worked on many properties in the area, from residential to some of the world’s most prestigious resorts, starting years back with the Bellagio and more recently with the Encore,” said Christopher Guy Harrison, “and a presence in Vegas will position our company to continue to partner with the great hotel designers that contribute great products to fine hotels.”

Like Stanley’s showroom, Christopher Guy is taking a unique approach to displaying its furnishings and accessories. The 8,184-square-foot space resembles an art gallery, allowing visitors to experience iconic designs from its Galleria collection showcased on pedestals and with dramatic wall art and mirror displays. Additionally, his designs are displayed in vignettes depicting living room, dining room and bedroom settings.

A highlight of the showroom is a design lab, where interior designers have access to interactive programs to complete their projects.

Also familiar to design center regulars will be Norwalk Furniture, which has returned to the facility after the company was revived following a severe economic downturn. It offers a selection of custom upholstery.

“It’s like Tinker Toys for designers and the public,” said Diana Tennyson Nielson, who manages the showroom as well as the New Century Pictures and Liora Manne showrooms. “You can create upholstered goods in different fabrics, trims, nailheads and wood color. It’s a fun exercise in design.”

Customers also can select the style, change the arms, legs, firmness of the pillows and other features, she said. An interactive computer program allows people to see what their selections look like when combined into one piece.

Not only have there been changes to the types of showrooms, changes to the design center itself were orchestrated. When people enter the building, they are now greeted by floor-to-ceiling window displays in the showrooms as well as a special display in the middle of the atrium.

“It’s just pretty stuff; why aren’t we showcasing it,” Watson said of removing the once-solid walls that hid all the products.

The room vignettes in the atrium will be changed twice a year, after each market, and feature items that are available at showrooms in the building.

Shelley Gorman of SKG Designs, winner of the center’s Designer of the Year contest, is creating the vignettes.

“Working on the vignettes has taught me that its definitely doable” to complete a design using only resources available in the design center, she said.

While she missed being able to use a few of her favorite sources, Gorman said the design center has a nice mix of showrooms offering furniture, fabrics, accessories, art and rugs.

She believes the vignettes will be especially beneficial for nondesigners who visit the center. It lets them see what they can put together. She said she also appreciates the new showrooms, which broadens the selection of decorating styles.

To make navigating the design center easier, there is a concierge on staff and the hours were changed to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additional amenities are a valet and restaurant.

Although the public is welcome to visit the design center, all purchases have to be made through an interior designer. Those who do not have their own designer, can receive assistance through the Design Salon.

According to Shawn McNeace, owner of SRI Design Group which oversees management of design salon, people can save between 30 and 45 percent off retail prices when making purchases at the design center.

“We can help with special orders. People can purchase a single piece or we can help with their entire home. We are a full-service design salon ,” she said.

The salon, which can be contacted through the center’s concierge, also offers one hour of free design consultation at the downtown facility.

For more information about the Las Vegas Design Center, call 702-599-3093 or visit www.lvdesigncenter.com.