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Houzz Tour: Artful Approach in a Las Vegas Condo
A designer highlights her clients’ art collection with saturated color and special handmade touches
This 3,000-square-foot condo in Las Vegas was full of over-the-top casino-inspired ornamentation, right down to a black-and-red bathroom. While these art-collecting homeowners loved saturated color, it was quite the opposite of what they had in mind. They had worked with interior designer Daniella Villamil on their previous home and hired her to reimagine their new one as an inspiring, modern space. “This home was to be a retreat where they could relax, watch TV, work from home, hang out with their dog and look out at the great views of the Las Vegas Strip.”
Villamil knew her clients’ taste and their art collection well. The couple split their time between Las Vegas and Chicago, and the previous Las Vegas home she designed for them had been more than twice the size of this condo and was full of furniture customized to fit its large scale. She knew they’d be almost completely starting over with furniture but bringing favorite art pieces with them. “They love folk art, they love to support emerging artists and they are not the least bit afraid of color,” Villamil says.
Villamil knew her clients’ taste and their art collection well. The couple split their time between Las Vegas and Chicago, and the previous Las Vegas home she designed for them had been more than twice the size of this condo and was full of furniture customized to fit its large scale. She knew they’d be almost completely starting over with furniture but bringing favorite art pieces with them. “They love folk art, they love to support emerging artists and they are not the least bit afraid of color,” Villamil says.
Hiring the artist would be easier said than done, as he was very busy with international projects. “It was hard to get ahold of him and work the construction schedule in a way that would fit in with his schedule, but I was relentless,” Villamil says with a laugh.
Macias’ fantastical flora-and-fauna creation set the tone for the entire home. “Everything else in the house uses this as a starting point,” Villamil says. “Everything was curated and selected to work with the shape, style, colors and the story he was telling with the mural. For example, the round shapes and colors of the sconces and the handmade, papier-mâché feeling of the round table. I repeated the handmade feeling and unique aesthetic throughout the home.”
Macias also designed the wood trim around the edge of the dome. Villamil had the contractor make it from MDF and then had the doors painted the same color as this trim. She plucked colors from the mural and used them on the walls and the rest of the ceiling.
Wall paint: Borrowed Light, Farrow & Ball
Macias’ fantastical flora-and-fauna creation set the tone for the entire home. “Everything else in the house uses this as a starting point,” Villamil says. “Everything was curated and selected to work with the shape, style, colors and the story he was telling with the mural. For example, the round shapes and colors of the sconces and the handmade, papier-mâché feeling of the round table. I repeated the handmade feeling and unique aesthetic throughout the home.”
Macias also designed the wood trim around the edge of the dome. Villamil had the contractor make it from MDF and then had the doors painted the same color as this trim. She plucked colors from the mural and used them on the walls and the rest of the ceiling.
Wall paint: Borrowed Light, Farrow & Ball
The homeowners work from home and use offices located in separate corners of the condo. This helps them separate work life from home life. The center of the condo contains the public spaces. The entry opens to a large living room that has expansive views of the Las Vegas Strip through palm trees.
After ripping out so much ornate trim, Villamil kept the millwork minimalist and simple. For example, the only moldings in this room are plain baseboards sized to fit the proportions of the room and painted the same color as the walls.
While most of her clients’ furniture from their former house was too big for this home, Villamil was able to reuse these special chairs. They were designed by well-known Brazilian architect Samuel Lamas. “I re-covered them in a beautiful fabric that matched everything,” Villamil says.
After ripping out so much ornate trim, Villamil kept the millwork minimalist and simple. For example, the only moldings in this room are plain baseboards sized to fit the proportions of the room and painted the same color as the walls.
While most of her clients’ furniture from their former house was too big for this home, Villamil was able to reuse these special chairs. They were designed by well-known Brazilian architect Samuel Lamas. “I re-covered them in a beautiful fabric that matched everything,” Villamil says.
“My clients understand the creative process and the design process and do not care about trends,” Villamil says. “They allowed me to design something truly unique that was tailored to them and that they would love just as much in 10 years.
“With the ottomans, I wanted to emulate the shape of the living room, with its curves and angles,” she says. The fabric is by Wearstler. The beautiful chandelier floats like a cluster of bubbles over the room. The clear glass allows it to complement the space rather than compete with the artwork and views.
“The husband is tall and he wanted a sofa he could truly lounge on, and he wanted to be able to seat a lot of people,” Villamil says. She knew a large sectional was a must. Her clients also wanted a cozy feeling in the new room. Soft colors and patterns — the sophisticated take on pink polka dot on the sofa, the shapes of the three-level coffee table set she designed, the texture of the thick rug — all bring coziness to the contemporary space.
Upholstery work: Desert Upholstery & Supplies
“With the ottomans, I wanted to emulate the shape of the living room, with its curves and angles,” she says. The fabric is by Wearstler. The beautiful chandelier floats like a cluster of bubbles over the room. The clear glass allows it to complement the space rather than compete with the artwork and views.
“The husband is tall and he wanted a sofa he could truly lounge on, and he wanted to be able to seat a lot of people,” Villamil says. She knew a large sectional was a must. Her clients also wanted a cozy feeling in the new room. Soft colors and patterns — the sophisticated take on pink polka dot on the sofa, the shapes of the three-level coffee table set she designed, the texture of the thick rug — all bring coziness to the contemporary space.
Upholstery work: Desert Upholstery & Supplies
The subdued, cozy colors of the room allow the homeowners’ collection of folk art portraits to stand out along this wall. Curating which pieces of art would work in the home and placing them was a large part of the design process. Villamil tailored rooms with certain pieces in mind, and she picked pieces to work with certain design ideas she had brewing.
A very detailed spreadsheet of the art collection that included sizes was a big help. “There were other factors, such as certain pieces that could not be placed in direct sunlight because they would fade,” Villamil says. As with the large-scale furniture, a lot of the artwork she’d placed in the couple’s former home was too big for the condo.
A very detailed spreadsheet of the art collection that included sizes was a big help. “There were other factors, such as certain pieces that could not be placed in direct sunlight because they would fade,” Villamil says. As with the large-scale furniture, a lot of the artwork she’d placed in the couple’s former home was too big for the condo.
The wall space on the right provided a spot for one of the larger pieces, by artist Niki Hare. Villamil topped it with an art light.
“Everything was track lighting in here before,” she says. Because of the way the condo was constructed, it wasn’t possible to install recessed lighting. Instead, Villamil installed ceiling lights encased in perforated brass cages.
“Everything was track lighting in here before,” she says. Because of the way the condo was constructed, it wasn’t possible to install recessed lighting. Instead, Villamil installed ceiling lights encased in perforated brass cages.
The living room adjoins the kitchen, with a nice amount of open space between the two. The existing design had a lot of soffits, some functional, some just for the sake of having lots of soffits. Villamil removed the unnecessary ones, keeping only those that contained ductwork. Then she squared them off to create an organized look on the ceiling that made sense. She created a transition into the kitchen by lowering the ceiling in there and lowering the soffits in the living room to meet it.
Villamil repeated the same deep dark green paint she’d used in the foyer on the kitchen cabinetry. The space appears to recede from view and is calm. “My clients had fallen in love with this color green when they saw photos of my own kitchen,” Villamil says. “They knew they wanted something similar in their own kitchen.”
Cabinet paint: Forest Green, Benjamin Moore
Villamil repeated the same deep dark green paint she’d used in the foyer on the kitchen cabinetry. The space appears to recede from view and is calm. “My clients had fallen in love with this color green when they saw photos of my own kitchen,” Villamil says. “They knew they wanted something similar in their own kitchen.”
Cabinet paint: Forest Green, Benjamin Moore
“The kitchen was very Vegas. It had tons of different moldings,” Villamil says. After taking the kitchen down to the studs, she replaced the formerly frou-frou lines with lots of clean, straight ones. Banks of cabinets and the island are monolithic and minimalist, maintaining the clean look. The fridge and pantry cabinets create one large block on the right. The range is in the island.
The strong, straight lines in the kitchen lead the eye to the view of the palm trees over the eat-in banquette. “I wanted to keep the sightlines through the kitchen super-clear to the view out the window,” Villamil says. The simple, linear light fixture helps preserve that view.
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The strong, straight lines in the kitchen lead the eye to the view of the palm trees over the eat-in banquette. “I wanted to keep the sightlines through the kitchen super-clear to the view out the window,” Villamil says. The simple, linear light fixture helps preserve that view.
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The sink is located under a window. The countertops are black marble. “We started with the idea of soapstone, but it was too soft for them,” Villamil says. The honed finish on the marble gives it a look similar to soapstone.
While the kitchen has an overall minimalist look when viewed from the living room, details like the brass bridge faucet, cabinet hardware, light fixtures and upholstered banquette add some coziness.
Shop from a curated collection of items for your kitchen
While the kitchen has an overall minimalist look when viewed from the living room, details like the brass bridge faucet, cabinet hardware, light fixtures and upholstered banquette add some coziness.
Shop from a curated collection of items for your kitchen
The eat-in area is also cozy. “My clients loved the idea of the breakfast nook for eating and working on their computers,” Villamil says. The midcentury chairs came with them from their former home, and the designer had them reupholstered in a striped fabric. The custom banquette is channel-tufted.
Villamil placed the desk in the wife’s office in a spot where she could enjoy the views. She added an outlet in the floor so that cords wouldn’t have to stretch across to the wall. The desk and chair came from the couple’s previous home, but the designer had the seat reupholstered in a tribal fabric. The carpeting has an antelope pattern.
The designer paid careful attention to the ceilings in every room. She not only removed ornamentation for a more minimalist look, but she realigned soffits, added lights and used color. In this case, she used the same soft sage green she used on the walls. The color is soothing and plays off the palm fronds seen outside the windows.
The designer paid careful attention to the ceilings in every room. She not only removed ornamentation for a more minimalist look, but she realigned soffits, added lights and used color. In this case, she used the same soft sage green she used on the walls. The color is soothing and plays off the palm fronds seen outside the windows.
The homeowner also wanted a place to store her crafting supplies. This is an antique card catalog from an old library in England.
The husband knew he wanted this painting by Deanna Thompson in his office. “He wanted to keep things very minimalist with a very striking background color,” Villamil says. The room had a wall that could accommodate the large painting. She went with a blue-and-green color palette for the walls, ceiling and rug.
The desk has a striking yet simple shape, and the chair is midcentury modern. A classic midcentury Nelson Bubble Ball pendant light hangs overhead. Villamil added an outlet under the desk.
The desk has a striking yet simple shape, and the chair is midcentury modern. A classic midcentury Nelson Bubble Ball pendant light hangs overhead. Villamil added an outlet under the desk.
“We’d played with lighter colors in the main areas. There’s a striking dramatic change in their bedroom,” Villamil says. The walls are a custom green by Portola Paints in its Roman Clay finish. This is a plaster finish that allows for soft variations in tone. “It is so soft, it’s like velvet,” Villamil says.
The paintings on the left are by street artist OAKOAK. They portray nuclear facilities in the landscape.
The bed came with the homeowners from their former home. “The chandelier has a lot of curves and is not symmetrical or rectilinear,” Villamil says. “Softening things with more rounded organic shapes was something I carried throughout the house.”
The paintings on the left are by street artist OAKOAK. They portray nuclear facilities in the landscape.
The bed came with the homeowners from their former home. “The chandelier has a lot of curves and is not symmetrical or rectilinear,” Villamil says. “Softening things with more rounded organic shapes was something I carried throughout the house.”
Another thing the designer carried through the house was the inspiration from the foyer’s mural. “The drapes have a bird pattern like the mural. It was a fun way to integrate that in here,” she says.
The table lamps and the bench were designed by Wearstler. Villamil had the bench upholstered in a Gaston y Daniela fabric.
The table lamps and the bench were designed by Wearstler. Villamil had the bench upholstered in a Gaston y Daniela fabric.
Previously, this bathroom’s color palette was taken straight from a roulette table — red and black. While the homeowners love color, they wanted something much more soothing. A favorite color of the wife is yellow, and integrating that into the en suite bathroom worked well with the colors in the primary bedroom. “I really wanted to get her that yellow because she loves it so much,” Villamil says.
The floor tile is a custom mosaic. Having an expert tile installer was paramount, and Villamil counted on Nevada Stone & Tile. “They had to install each tile on the walls individually — [the tiles] did not come mounted in sheets,” she says. “They did an amazing job, and the result is the handmade, imperfect look my clients embrace.”
The floor tile is a custom mosaic. Having an expert tile installer was paramount, and Villamil counted on Nevada Stone & Tile. “They had to install each tile on the walls individually — [the tiles] did not come mounted in sheets,” she says. “They did an amazing job, and the result is the handmade, imperfect look my clients embrace.”
Due to the construction of the condo, the plumbing fixtures couldn’t be moved, so Villamil planned around them. She approached each element in a monolithic way, similar to what she did in the kitchen. The tub, the shower, the storage and the vanity are each a large, rectilinear block. The cabinets are rift oak, made by Artesia Kitchen & Bath.
The designer had the bench installed with a floor-to-ceiling mirror behind it. “This makes the room feel larger,” she says.
The designer had the bench installed with a floor-to-ceiling mirror behind it. “This makes the room feel larger,” she says.
The double bubble sconces and arched mirrors bring in some curves. The sconces were custom-made by Future Perfect. The ceramic flush-mount lights on the ceiling are handmade. “Most of the things we placed in this home we had made for them,” Villamil says. “This really added to the quality and gave it a unique feel.”
Here’s a closer look at the wall tile. Villamil says the installer had to individually install more than 1,000 of these tiles on the walls, tub surround and shower surround.
By taking the Vegas style out of the condo, the designer put the focus on the views of the city. Just as the palm fronds soften the views of the Strip, the curves she added to the interiors soften the minimalist space into a cozy one. The lack of clutter in the home lets the homeowners feel surrounded by color and allows them to appreciate their beloved art collection.
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By taking the Vegas style out of the condo, the designer put the focus on the views of the city. Just as the palm fronds soften the views of the Strip, the curves she added to the interiors soften the minimalist space into a cozy one. The lack of clutter in the home lets the homeowners feel surrounded by color and allows them to appreciate their beloved art collection.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Las Vegas
Size: 3,000 square feet (279 square meters); three bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Designer: Daniella Villamil
Contractor: Merlin Custom Home Builders
Villamil knew the front entry would set the tone. When she first saw the home, it was full of very Vegas-style, Tuscan-inspired ornate moldings. The ceiling was dominated by a dome, which presented an interesting opportunity as well as a challenge. “I think that this would most often be painted a different color, or finished in gold leaf, and then a designer would call it a day,” Villamil says. She decided to go in another direction.
After being blown away by artist Abel Macias’ murals at the Kelly Wearstler-designed Proper Hotel in Los Angeles, Villamil was determined to commission an original work by the artist for the dome. Her clients loved the idea.
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