2009 Honoree

Roger Thomas

Biography and Project Listing

Roger Thomas is executive vice president of design for Wynn Design and Development. He created the interiors of Wynn Las Vegas and Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. He led the interior design of Wynn Macau, which opened to the public September 5, 2006, and designed Encore Macau which opened April 2010. Mr Thomas is currently developing designs for Wynn Cotai scheduled to break ground in 2011.

Mr. Thomas was senior vice president and director of interior design for Atlandia Design, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mirage Resorts Incorporated. For 20 years, he designed the interiors of the company's many properties, including the Golden Nugget hotels in Las Vegas and Laughlin, and the most important properties on the Las Vegas Strip, the Mirage, Treasure Island and the world-famous Bellagio Resort.

While a recognized leader in interior design for the hospitality industry, Mr. Thomas has also designed corporate offices and aircraft interiors, as well as the private residences of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Wynn.

The Roger Thomas Collection includes signature designs of mirrors for APF Master Framemakers, furniture for Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman, collections for The Natural Carpet Company, Veneman, Fromental wall cover, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Boyd
Lighting, Townsend Leather and Samuel and Sons Passementerie.

Mr. Thomas was elected to the Hospitality Design Platinum Circle in 2005 and received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality in the same year. In 2008 Mr Thomas was named “Designer of the Year” at The International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show® (IH/M&RS) in New York. In February 2009, Mr Thomas received the 2009 Design Icon distinction from the World Market Center in Las Vegas, and in November 2009, he received the Jay Sarno lifetime achievement award at the G2E expo in recognition of his significant career achievements in the field of casino resort interior designIn 2010 Mr Thomas was awarded an honorary Master of Arts Degree and received the Excellence in Design award from the Interior Designers Institute. . Mr. Thomas is a member of Architectural Digest’s AD100,a selection of the top architects and interior designers whose work has been featured in the magazine.

An avid supporter of the arts, Mr. Thomas founded the Bank of America Nevada Fine Art Collection. He served on the boards of the Nevada Museum of Fine Arts, Neon Museum Nevada Institute for Contemporary Art, Nevada Ballet Theater and the Wheelwright Museum Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was a Trustee of the Las Vegas Art Museum and is currently a member of the Las Vegas Performing Arts Center Foundation Board.

Additionally, he has taken an active role in the arts and architecture of the city, county and state throughout his professional career. He served on the Nevada Arts Council, a gubernatorial appointment; the McCarran Airport Arts Advisory Committee; the Clark County Government Center Architect Selection Committee; the Clark County Federal Courthouse Architect Selection Committee; and the Las Vegas Performing Arts Center Architect Selection Committee.

Mr. Thomas serves as a Trustee of DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids) in New York City.

Mr. Thomas is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and The School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, MA. He received a BFA in Art History from Tufts University. His work has been published in leading journals, including Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Interiors and Hospitality Design.

Born in Salt Lake City, he has lived most of his life in Las Vegas, where he still makes his home.

Interior Design

Golden Nugget (Las Vegas)

Golden Nugget (Atlantic City) 1980

Golden Nugget Laughlin

Mirage (Las Vegas) 1989

Treasure Island (Las Vegas) 1993

Bellagio (Las Vegas) 1998

Wynn Las Vegas, 2005

Wynn Macau, 2006

Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, 2008

Encore at Wynn Macau, 2010

For images of more Thomas interiors, visit the Roger Thomas Gallery page

Wynn Resorts

The Roger Thomas Collection

Return to Sarno Awards Main