Decorating in Las Vegas is Different from Nashvegas!

After talking with designer Amanda Burdge, I knew it would be fun to compare her design experience in Las Vegas to the design style of good ol’ Nashvegas.  Plus, we got some tips on sprucing up your home for the Spring/Summer seasons.  Amanda moved here just five years ago and has already created quite a name for herself in three areas: commercial design, residential design and her AB Home Interiors retail store in Brentwood.  Her work has been featured in Nashville Home and Garden, Greater Nashville House and Home, and At Home Tennessee.  She’s teaming up with the Style Diva herself this weekend (the Tennessean Style writer) for an event which will feature 35% off the Diva’s top 10 favorite items at the store as well as offering 40% off a few design consultations with Amanda. If you are on the lookout for a designer for your business or home, check out Amanda’s site – or as she refers to it, her virtual business card.

Las Vegas is known for it’s larger than life displays and crazy decor.  However, for the people who live there, sophistication rules the day -  just one of the many contradictions that define Sin City.  So how does it compare to Music City?  Let’s see:

How Las Vegas Style different from Nashville Style?

The style in Las Vegas is extravagant, over the top, sometimes even ridiculous.  But the interiors in Vegas are sophisticated, large, and more contemporary.  The lifestyle is glamorous but easy and everything is planned and decorated around entertaining.  The summers are very warm in Vegas so interiors and exteriors are one and the same.  Exteriors are typically stone and stucco, not brick like they are in TN.

Exteriors are an extension of the interior space and focus largely around pools and beautiful out door entertaining spaces.  Outdoor spaces in Vegas are almost considered more important than the interior.  The biggest difference in interiors are the finishes.  Floors in Las Vegas are predominately tile.  In fact it is not uncommon to have an entire house embracing large tile floors.  Only the bedrooms would have carpet.  Cabinet finishes are often light fruitwood, maple, or alder, and glazed for a more refined look.  Homes in Vegas are large, and very open (built for entertaining) and everyone purchases a home with the hope of having a killer strip view of downtown Las Vegas.  If your home has “that” view, it just went up in value!

This patio looks over Lake Meade. This house, in which Amanda handled all the interior design, was featured in Nashville Home and Garden.

Notice the Kitchen in the background. It really is a part of this family room.

The kitchen is open to the family and dining rooms.

What has surprised you most about Southern Culture?

Name your favorite things in your own home.

What are three things you can’t live without? (excluding friends, family and religion)