Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/314388
designs are in evidence in angular Ormolu wall sconces, which he designs for Boyd Lighting; gilded, textured wall coverings done in a handmade gold leaf and white waffle-textured horizontal stripes (lending the space a con- temporary edge); and an array of hand-painted ceiling panels, some that are classical in style (scrolling vines and florals) juxtaposed with panels of clean, geometric motifs. The floral arrangements, headed by floral design director Evelyn Herrera, bring inspiration to life. Even the staff's new uni- forms, designed by Michael Wood of WDD, are inspired by Chinese dress. Beside these broad brushstrokes, the tiniest details were attended to, perhaps best evidenced by the table settings. Emerald-green glasses, which Thomas calls the "jewelry of the room," pick up the color in the silk tassels overhead. "I had an idea that I wanted a green sparkle on each table—like putting emeralds in the room," Thomas says, "but I needed a glass that would perform under the rigors of a hotel restaurant." It took eight months just to find these glasses. The focus on green, paired with the gold throughout as well as the white lacquer accents, is meant to evoke Chinese jewelry, both historic and modern; it replaces the predominant accent hue of deep claret red in the restaurant's previous incarnation. The table linens, by Las Vegas local Mona Steck, set off these glasses, and all the stemware and gold-bordered tablecloths perfectly echo the golden tone that pervades the entire space. "A room that has a lot of gold in it reflects beautifully off the complexions of all its guests," says Thomas. "Light bounces around the room, and everyone looks good." Thomas also tackled the restaurant's two private dining rooms—but here, he left some connections to the previous incarnation of the space, which was designed by Jacques Garcia, a close personal friend. In one, Garcia's orb-shaped ceiling designs, chandelier, and keyhole-shaped doorway were retained—but Thomas changed the claret-colored mohair velvet on the doors to emerald in order to highlight the accent color found throughout the restaurant. A series of square gold panels on the ceiling used to be above the bar area in the previous space, and the crystals that appear to be pouring downward, out of dragon heads, at the entrance are taken from the old chandelier that used to hang in the restaurant. The entrance, a true stunner, encapsulates so many of the design ele- ments that exist within the restaurant, making it a perfect precursor for what lies just beyond. Oversize vases, Ormolu wall sconces, capiz shell and textured-stripe wall coverings, and, above the doorway, scrolling frog beams in white lacquer all define the space aesthetically—even before you step inside. Thomas, in re-envisioning the restaurant, worked closely with Steve Wynn—and the entrance is one of the areas where Wynn was most interested in having a different look and feel. "Steve had the idea to be able to see it better from the entrance to the Tower Suites," says Thomas. "He wanted me to take it from a dark to a light expression. The idea was to have people be drawn to the space and say 'What is that? Let's go look.'" Wynn had input on plenty of other aspects of design, and he and Thomas met several times a week throughout the yearlong redesign pro- cess. Thomas, who has worked for Wynn for 34 years ("I've only had one client," he says), has gotten to know what Wynn likes, and it shows. "He gets involved down to the last salt and pepper shaker," Thomas says of Wynn. "He wants to honor China. He's a student of Chinese culture, lan- guage, and politics, whereas I'm a student of Chinese art, architecture, and design. He's interested in the big ideas: How is this dramatic? What's the bit of mystery? What's going to make this a memorable place? His focus on that made for a better environment." As did this designer's vision. n left: The doors to Wing Lei's private dining rooms were reimagined in an emerald tone to highlight the accent color found in the tassels and glassware throughout the space. below: The floral design found on the restaurant's chairs is echoed in Chef Ming Yu's smoked salmon salad presentation. photography by barbara kraft (dining area) sabin orr (salmon) 72 Wynn DESIGn SpOTLIGHT 068-072_Wynn_FEAT_Design_Spring14.indd 72 5/14/14 2:39 PM