When you enter the Summerlin home designer Cary Vogel shares with his partner Lance Robins, you are

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2 DESIGN BY OWNER DINING ROOM: A classic Toile du Jouy in shades of green and tobacco is used as wall upholstery and on the set of dining chairs for a lively dining room setting. An over-scaled Italian lantern is the room s stunning focal point. S U M M E R L I N R E S I D E N C E G E T S D E S I G N E R S O W N C O L O R F U L T O U C H by carolyn muse-grant When you enter the Summerlin home designer Cary Vogel shares with his partner Lance Robins, you are instantly embraced by a warm, beautiful, and welcoming space. You would easily think you had been dropped into the sophisticated space of a big city dwelling like that of a New York City loft, a pied-àterre in Paris, or a cottage in Los Angeles because it is so finely appointed. Absolutely every décor style is represented with the exception of contemporary and yet it all melds perfectly together to create classic and eclectic elegance. Vogel has traveled a long and illustrious road to create this home. Vogel knew as a child that he wanted to be a designer. I was moving furniture around when my parents weren t home, he says, and always creating spaces I would like to live in when I grew up. I would take catalogues like Macy s home furnishings, pick out the pieces I liked and do a little floor plan. But I come from a family that favors doctors and lawyers, so I went through one year of law school, and finally had the nerve to say this is not for me. april 2012 luxury las vegas 35

3 design by owner :: LIBRARY/SCREENING ROOM: (top and bottom photo) The library, outfitted with custom bookcases and a Parson s writing table clad in olive ash burl wood, does double duty as a movie screening room (a 120 screen is concealed in the ceiling). Subtle leopard pattern carpet and walls upholstered in bittersweet chocolate faux-leather are sumptuous elements completing the décor. FAMILY ROOM: (top photo on page 37) An inviting chaise for reading and lounging by the fire sits under a wall of mezzotints by New York artist Frederick Mershimer whose work Vogel and Robins have collected for the past 25 years. FAMILY ROOM: (bottom photo on page 37) A layering of textures that include stack stone on the wall, crocodile-embossed leather on the lounge chairs, lightly distressed ceiling beams, and a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk used as a cocktail table create a room that is both rustic and refined. I got approval from my family, and went immediately to Parsons School of Design, explains Vogel. When I graduated, I went to work for a North Shore Long Island design firm, and became a partner there. Vogel and Robins met in New York, and in 1988, Robins was presented with the opportunity to run a business in Las Vegas. I asked Cary, who was born and raised in New York, if he would consider moving to Las Vegas, Robins recalls. And when he said yes I was tremendously surprised. So the couple moved to the desert and knew fairly quickly that Las Vegas was going to be their forever home. After landing in Southern Nevada, Vogel worked one year for an independent designer and then went to Design Center; he later joined Collins Interiors and spent 19 years there. He worked mainly on residential, but in the last years at Collins he worked for a casino/hospitality firm, and several years later he went to work for that company, forming his own design team. Two years ago, he went out on his own and started Interiors by Cary Vogel. Robins said they knew what s meant to be is meant to be -- all the stars aligned for us. One of Interiors by Cary Vogel s first jobs was the couple s own home -- a 3,300-square-foot home in The Ridges. Vogel wanted the home to be a personal expression of who he and Lance are -- complete with color on the walls. If a client wants a white room, I ll do it, but not my house, comments Vogel, who loves color. White just gets washed out in the desert sun. I would never recommend photographer s white for a client. Robins agrees, noting Vogel has taught him to embrace color, offering 36 luxury las vegas april 2012

4 he could never go back to white walls. Additionally, when Robins said he would like dark walls in this house, Vogel agreed. Their previous home was smaller and had lighter walls, so this home gave them the opportunity to go darker. We re collected a lot of art and it all looks so wonderful against these darker walls. It feels more grounded, and yet your eyes go to it more readily, Vogel adds. They also wanted dark floors. I do like for the carpets to be a little lighter in color because with darker floors and walls, it could get too heavy handed, comments Vogel. I love the contrast. Asked about the inspiration for his Summerlin home, which has the architecture of a charming, picturesque European hillside village with some Arts & Crafts influences, Vogel reveals, I would say my thought process was to create something timeless and classic. Lance and I were at an age where we could do more at once. We wanted something that would stand the test of time, and look good in 10 years. I tried to select things we wouldn t tire of, and I wanted it to feel right in the community we re living in, as well as be appropriate anywhere in the world. I didn t want to define it as just Las Vegas. Vogel also very much knew what style he didn t want. Contemporary settings are pretty much set there s not much room for additional things. I believe that people like to collect, or bring things home from their travels, or display things their children bring them. You want to be able to incorporate them nicely into the interiors. But when you have a stage set like some contemporaries, you can t do it. I like layers and texture but I don t like clutter. In this house I can bring home something that strikes my fancy. There s room to expand. One area in their home ready for additions is the open stairway to the second floor. It is the home to art that the couple has collected, but has room for more treasures. One new found treasure was purchased at the recent High Point market. The room had been finished for three years, but Vogel felt it was missing that certain something. When he spotted this piece at the market, he knew that was it. It s called a perching chair. It s petite. It s red. It s awesome. They like for friends to come and sit in their family room while they prepare for dinner. The little perching chair has casters and moves around easily for guests to create groupings. Vogel and Robins love to entertain. That s the reason they bought their Summerlin residence. They have a spacious kitchen, larger than before; and there is a formal dining room, which they previously did not have. They also run the design studio out of their home and have ample space to do that. Robins has a nice sized office, and Vogel has a small desk in the library, but his favorite work area is on the kitchen april 2012 luxury las vegas 37

5 design by owner :: R-SQUARED HAIR Sola Salon Hair Extensions & Hair Locks Keratin Treatments Dimensional Highlights & Color Offering Advanced Cutting Techniques for Men and Women Color Correction Call for specials W. Charleston Blvd., #130 Highlight Specialist island. The couple does all of the cooking for their parties -- buffets for 30 or sit-down dinners. Robins laughs that we have a ridiculous number of chairs in the house, about 40. So when we have people over, we can add chairs to any setting in the house. Vogel also loves round tables for dining. That s always my preference, he adds. The dining room in this house was almost square and I knew we could have a round table. The breakfast nook in the couple s Summerlin home got some press during the January furniture market at the World Market Center. First Look, a publication and seminar at each market, used Vogel and Robins nook as an example of transitional design. Vogel was invited to participate in the First Look panel at market with Julie Smith Vincenti and Monica Pedersen. Their breakfast room is the epitome of transitional, containing a stainless steel mid-century table base, antique chandelier, Arts & Crafts buffet, and Queen Anne chairs. As Vogel puts it, I love the unexpected punch in the room. It s a crazy mix, but everything holds hands. MASTER BEDROOM: (top photo) The walls of the master bedroom are upholstered in a large scale paisley pattern in restful autumnal colors creating a soft backdrop for the English and French furnishings. The 19th century Louis XVI Revival card table at the foot of the bed provides a spot for weekend morning coffee. The room s sophisticated elegance is enhanced by the layering of a skillful mix of 12 different fabric patterns. BREAKFAST NOOK: (left photo on page 39) The couple s breakfast nook contains a stainless steel mid-century table base, antique chandelier, Arts & Crafts buffet, and Queen Anne chairs. It was featured during the January furniture market at the World Market Center. First Look, a publication and seminar at each market, used Vogel and Robins nook as an example of transitional design. KITCHEN: (right photo on page 39) Vogel and Robins love to entertain utilizing their spacious kitchen. Although Vogel has a small desk in the library, his favorite work area is on the kitchen island. 38 luxury las vegas april 2012

6 Fresh from his trip to the Las Vegas Market Preview at World Market Center, Vogel happily shares the latest design trends. Topping the list is more color and moving away from monochromatic, grey rooms. I felt a sense of optimism at the recent furniture market in Las Vegas, which is, translating into brighter colors, offers Vogel. There are a lot of mid-century modern, 50s forms that are reminiscent of that era; tribal designs are huge; ikats; animal prints; paisleys, chevrons; flame stitches. A lot of things I was comfortable with as a kid are making a return, but in new and fresh colors. There are rugs in navy and denim blue with pops of tangerine and pink. Relative to the design of his home, and what he tells clients, Vogel advises, think long-term. I tell clients that design is a big investment. You have to think long-term, and not what you like this season. Most purchases are big ticket items so buy better things; invest and you will love it a lot longer. The things you rush to buy for immediate gratification are the things you give away. But don t be too rigid. In talking about how some interiors are set in stone, with not much room for change, Vogel reveals a story about his mom. Ten years ago, for my mom s 70 th birthday, I redesigned her apartment in New York. While we worked on the apartment, she lived in her bedroom so when everything else was finished, we got to her room. I made the bed, in June, with Yves Delorme bedding. She loved it so much she slept in the guest room, and did not sleep in that bed until Christmastime when the family came. She hadn t wanted to mess up the bed the way I had made it. Now that s designer love. And a mother s. Vogel acknowledges there is a bonding that occurs between designers and their clients even when it s not your own mother. A designer has to learn the way clients live and function so you can do the best job for them, says Vogel. Given this philosophy, it s easy to see how seemingly easy and flawless Vogel s design is for the way he lives. Vogel and Robins were ideal clients with a perfect designer. q Let us Design your Dream Bathroom 5195 So. Valley View april 2012 luxury las vegas 39