I’ve had a weird relationship with casino carpet for a long time. In my latest Green Felt Journal, I get the low-down from a real expert: Carpets that adorn casinos look very different, but they are somehow easy to classify—a certain mixture of garish and gaudy that balances mirth with disorientation. This, perhaps, makes the
The Enduring Fascination of Casino Carpet – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThere’s another article about casino carpet available today–this is a little piece in Wired magazine: “The carpets definitely play a big part in keeping the town as surreal as it is,” said Maluszynski by e-mail. “Thought has been given to the carpeting by people who want to create this special atmosphere, [one] that defines Vegas
Vegas carpet in Wired Read More »
gambling & cultureIf nothing else, today I learned that I’m not the only one with casino carpet as a wall decoration (three guesses about which carpet it is). I got an email from a gentleman whose father manufactured carpets during the 1950s and 1960s. He made this one for an unknown Las Vegas casino, and now it’s
Here is a cool way for you to waste some more time at work: A Las Vegas version of the classic "Concentration" game with images of Las Vegas Casino Carpets. Uncover all of the blocks by matching the pictures of the Casino Carpets. Coolvegasmap – Las Vegas Picture Game – Casino Carpet Pictures. Have fun!
Casino carpet game Read More »
what's newThis is cool–a Tetris-like game that uses poker cards instead of blocks. It’s for the Xbox 360, and I’m posting about it here because the backgrounds were inspired by the carpet photos on this site: Drop cards to create the best poker hand you can in each row. Earn more points for better poker hands.
At last I’ve gotten a chance to photograph the carpet at Encore. I didn’t make it into the mysterious sky casino (which was not on our opening tour), but I managed to get some shots of the high limit room. Neat stuff. Check it out on the Strip carpet gallery. I’ve also tweaked my background
Since I’ve been downtown on other business lately, I’ve had the opportunity to update, at last, the Downtown Las Vegas Casino Carpet Gallery. There are some neat things happening down there, and some not-so-neat things. My favorite “new” carpet (since the last time I’d taken pictures) has to be the California’s: it puts a new,
Downtown revisited Read More »
news about gamblingThe RGJ quoted me extensively in a piece on, what else, casino carpets last week. Here’s a sample: Casino carpeting is a hobby for Schwartz. He has posted shots of casino carpets throughout the nation on his Web site www.dieiscast.com. They’re wild and bright and follow a Nevada tradition that at least dates back to
RGJ on casino carpet Read More »
gambling & cultureI’ve managed to squeeze in some time to update the carpet gallery. I’ve got new shots of the Excalibur, Luxor, Monte Carlo, Palazzo, and tons more in the Strip gallery. I’ve also streamlined the downtown gallery and placed all non-Strip, non-downtown carpets in the Clark County gallery. Plus I’ve added a Hall of Fame with
The new issue of LAB magazine is out (its motto: A wunderkabinet of creative culture. With a cherry on top.), and I’ve got an article in it about my virtual collection of casino carpet. I knew that if I kept this up long enough, I’d end up in the avant garde of culture and design.
Casino carpet culture Read More »
writingIt’s hard to believe, but one of the oldest gambling con games is alive and well in the shadow of the Las Vegas Strip. I snapped some pictures of a shell game in action on Monday between the Tropicana and Hooters. Technically that’s not the Strip, but it’s in the Strip tourist corridor, so the
I’ve done one last thing before putting site work away for the weekend: I’ve changed the background graphic. If you don’t believe me, hit F5, and you’ll see. Originally, the background just featured elements from the Bellagio carpet, but it now features bits and pieces of at least a half-dozen. Can you guess any of
What can I say? Seriously thinking about casino carpet has gone mainstream. From the LVRJ: We walk all over it, cover most of our floors with it, and, when we see it for the first time, proclaim it either grand or gaudy. But have you ever seriously contemplated carpet? Other than its functionality — and
Casino carpet in the LVRJ Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingYes, it had a very soft opening last weekend, but in my mind the Palazzo is now really open for business: its carpet is immortalized in the Die is Cast casino carpet gallery. Clearly the color palette is related to the Venetian’s, yet it is different enough to have its own identity. But it still
Palazzo opening official Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingI don’t really care too much about the story itself, but you can’t beat the headline: Casino Carpet Unrolls on the MTV Awards – Forbes.com Casino carpet, apparently, has come into its own. The thing is, I’m sure the editor was trying to juxtapose the “red carpet” of big LA events with the jangling noise
Casino carpet in the news Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingOver the weekend, Suni and I made a trek up and down the Las Vegas Strip. Of course, I took a few pictures of new carpets at the MGM Grand, Flamingo, and Harrah’s, as well as Planet Hollywood. See them all here: Die is Cast casino carpet gallery 1 In the meantime, here’s a teaser:
New Strip carpets added Read More »
life in vegas, what's newI woke up pretty early this morning, so I took some time to put together the NINTH (I can’t believe it) page of the carpet gallery. Since I’m in Lake Tahoe at the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking, it’s no surprise that this gallery has images from Tahoe. Die is Cast casino carpet gallery
New carpet gallery Read More »
what's newI just finished presenting my paper “The Revolutionary Ridotto” at the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking, and I’ve got a little time to post an update. The conference is going very well–as always, I’m learning a great deal, and I’m sure everyone else is as well. For the carpet-curious, a late-night expedition last night
Is it just me, or did casino carpet designers get some serious inspiration from these fabrics? Ugly Couch Home
When I first started putting up carpet pictures, I thought that people might find it amusing. Little did I suspect that my galleries could serve up some series creative inspiration. Go to a sneaker design contest that you can see here:KicksGuide Artist Series. Scroll down to the entry for Ryan Holler and click on the
Casino carpet sneakers? Read More »
gambling & culture