The Latest, Greatest, and Lamest: What We Loved, What We Didn’t at the New American Home 2023
tnah.com
After the past few years of isolating in our homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for seamless, indoor-outdoor living was very much on display in this year’s New American Home.
The 40th iteration of the show home, built every year to feature the latest and greatest building methods and products, was unveiled this week at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas.
The contemporary, four-bedroom, seven-bathroom home spans nearly 7,600 square feet and is located in a gated, upscale community in Henderson, NV, about 20 minutes outside of Las Vegas. The two-level residence, with a two-level pool, private patios outside most of the bedrooms, and outdoor kitchens, is on the market for about $15 million. The newly built home also features an elevator between floors, an office with a private bathroom, and a two-car garage.
“What’s the most impressive about this house is everything you don’t see,” said architect and builder Michael Gardner, of Luxus Design Build, at a press conference. “When you walk into the home, the simplicity of it and the complexity behind it, that to me is one of the coolest parts of it.”
Gardner explains they focused on creating a soothing oasis worlds away from the busy Las Vegas Strip.
“We wanted to make sure when we were designing the house that it felt private,” he said. Wherever you are in the property, it has “that sense of serenity.”
We love: Indoor-outdoor living
The indoor-outdoor concept is embedded into the design of the home.tnah.com
This home is as much about the outdoors as it is being inside, starting the moment you enter the residence. The entryway is outfitted with a comfortable seating area lined with striking native plants. There’s just one thing missing: A roof.
That indoor-outdoor concept is embedded into the design of the home. All but one of the bathrooms of the home have private outdoor access.
The upper deck and the pool courtyard on the lower level are made for lounging and enjoying the glorious views of Las Vegas below. They’re both outfitted with outdoor kitchens, making it easy to entertain—or just fix yourself a cocktail as you relax in the fresh air.
The courtyard on the ground floor is one of the more luxurious features of the home. An infinity pool seems to melt into the scenery, with a lower level for those who want to swim laps in the lane. There is the requisite hot tub, a pergola, multiple fire pits, and ample seating for those who want to live outdoors as comfortably as possible.
Considering the area’s warmer winters and little rain, the outdoor spaces can be enjoyed for much of the year.
We love: The views
The $15 million price tag on the home seems high—until you experience the views.
The lot the home sits on was chosen for its elevation and northern and northwestern views of Las Vegas, the mountains, and rock croppings nearby, said Gardner.
“There are some beautiful snow-capped mountains that so many people don’t realize we get out in Vegas,” he said.
Floor-to-ceiling windows abound throughout the home, flooding nearly every square foot with natural light.
“You can just bury yourself up there with the beautiful view,” says interior designer Elma Gardner, of By Design.
We love: The main bathroom
A double-sided Jack-and-Jill vanity, about the size of a kitchen island, accentuates the room with a floating mirror separating each side from the other.tnah.com
The primary bathroom is a showstopper. The gray, natural stone shower veined with white and beige swirls is stunning. It features two side-by-side showerheads (for dual bathing?), facing a bright, white soaking tub.
Across from it sits a sauna with what looks like a built-in lounge chair begging to be sat in as the toxins are sweated out of your body.
A double-sided Jack-and-Jill vanity, about the size of a kitchen island, accentuates the room with a floating mirror separating each side from the other.
And we can’t forget the double water closets, right next to each other. Yes, that part was a bit odd. With seven bathrooms throughout the home, it’s a bit of a mystery why anyone would want to go to the bathroom at the same time as someone else just a few feet apart—even if each is in a private, fully enclosed space.
Did I mention the bathroom is massive, about half the size of an old studio apartment I once rented?
We didn’t love: The wood-toned kitchen, main closet
We’re just not fans.tnah.com
Wood-toned kitchen cabinets, refrigerators, and closets have been a growing trend lately. And we’re not afraid to come out and say it: We’re just not fans.
I don’t need my fridge to look like a wall in a rustic cabin. It’s a fridge. If it’s 3 a.m. and I’m jonesing for a snack, I’d rather it didn’t blend in with the cabinetry.
We also weren’t keen on the wood-toned storage in the walk-in closet that was part of the main suite. The storage was glorious (so much space for shoes!), and the built-in steamer where you hang up an item inside and it comes out wrinkle-free that was hidden behind a mirror was genius. Plus, the lighting was sleek and flattering. But the effect of all of that dark wood gave the room an unwelcoming, masculine, detached energy. It didn’t feel like a place you would want to try on clothes and linger in.
We didn’t love: The prominent wine storage displays
The wine storage display seemed to take up quite a bit of valuable space.tnah.com
While we appreciate a good glass of wine (or bottle if it’s that kind of a day), the prominent wine refrigerators displayed in the kitchen seemed to take up quite a bit of valuable real estate. Along one wall were four side-by-side fridges, each the size of a smallish door, with 11 shelves each (I counted), which can each hold multiple bottles.
Then there was another decorative, but functional wine display case in the back of the living room
Whoever moves into that home would need quite the collection to even make a dent in filling up the storage space. That’s an awful lot of pressure.
We didn’t love: The flooring
We also weren’t fans of the flooring throughout the home. The terrazo flooring in the spacious office on the main floor reminded us of grade-school bathrooms from the 1980s. Meanwhile, the grayish engineered wood flooring throughout much of the house feels a bit tired.
For the past few years, that gray-toned flooring has seemed to have been a staple on whichever home improvement show is currently playing on HGTV. Pretty soon it’s going to look dated—if it isn’t already.
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