If you’ve ever walked into one of my listings and thought, who designed this? — meet Janet Wagner, my go-to stager and creative partner-in-crime.

I actually ran into Janet last weekend while she was setting up my newest listing — 2735 Grassy Spring Place in Red Rock Country Club. The home needed a bit of a refresh, and true to form, she turned it into a space everyone’s now coveting. And her helper? She flew in her 81-year-old mom as her staging assistant. I mean… who does that? Janet does.

Janet has this incredible eye for pieces that tell a story. A side table with just-right patina, a velvet chair that looks straight out of a Nancy Meyers movie, or a lamp that somehow makes an entire room feel like home. Every time I ask where she found something, it’s never “Pottery Barn” or “CB2.” It’s “Oh, a vintage shop off Decatur,” or “a consignment find from a retired designer in Henderson,” or “I went to this guy’s house whose wife had just passed away and found these beautiful pieces.”

Every item has a story — and that’s what makes her spaces feel lived-in, layered, and real.

When a Las Vegas Home Tells a Story

When Janet gets down to seeing a space and then actually designing it, I have to admit — I’m superbly jealous. I’ll walk in after she’s finished and think, Why didn’t I think of that?

For all of us who’ve ever felt a little design-challenged (or secretly envious of those who just seem to have “the eye”), it’s good to know there’s still hope for the rest of us.

And that hope came to life again when I stumbled across a New York Times Weekender article titled “Shop Secondhand Like a Pro: How Our Decor Experts Find Worth-It Furniture on a Budget”.

The article follows two home-decor experts on a mission to furnish their homes on a budget — one thrift-store hunt, Facebook Marketplace scroll, and estate sale at a time. What they discovered (and what Janet already knows) is that great design doesn’t require a designer price tag. It’s about curiosity, patience, and the joy of the find.

The Beauty of the Hunt

The piece reminded me so much of how Las Vegas design actually works. We’re a city full of transplants, reinventions, and second acts — and design here reflects that same energy. Whether it’s a Red Rock Country Club home getting a second life or a downtown condo filled with collected treasures, the best spaces are never “perfect.” They’re personal.

And if you ever want to dip your toe into that design rabbit hole? Let’s do it — watch my design video with Janet here. You’ll see exactly how smart staging and secondhand finds can completely change the feel of a home.