Salone's Austin Forbord Shares the Design Pieces on His Radar Right Now

When Salone opened its doors in Las Vegas’ Arts District in September 2025, it marked more than the arrival of a new design showroom—it signaled a shift in the city’s design conversation. Founded by Austin Forbord, Salone brings together some of Italy’s most revered furniture, kitchen and lighting brands under one roof, offering Las Vegas a level of European design cohesion it hadn’t seen before.

“No other showroom in Las Vegas currently represents the pinnacle of European design in such a way that each aspect of the interior can be accessed in one space,” says Forbord, whose carefully curated roster includes Living Divani, Arclinea, Bocci, Edra and more. “From the kitchen and closet to the furniture and outdoor spaces, we have brought together manufacturers that address the whole house in a seamless aesthetic.”

Forbord’s global perspective began with his multicultural upbringing. “I was born in Milan, Italy and grew up in the foreign service where my father’s career as a U.S. diplomat brought me to five continents, culminating in Rome,” he says. With ever-evolving exposure to new destinations and ways of living, his aesthetic eye was shaped early on, particularly his enduring connection to Italy. Prior to entering the world of interiors, Forbord built a distinguished career in the performing arts, directing dance companies, producing films and creating award-winning documentaries on the history of dance and theater in San Francisco.

That multidisciplinary background informs Salone’s experiential approach. “To me, everything within my creative practice can be distilled down to choreography,” explains Forbord, who plans to launch an art program at Salone in the coming year. “Making environments is constructing the experience of a space out of form, time and movement.” The result is a showroom that feels immersive rather than transactional, one that nods to the great Milanese flagships while remaining grounded in Vegas’ growing design scene.

“We want to help people live with greater comfort, elegance and ease,” Forbord adds. Here, the visionary reveals the artful pieces he’s eyeing now.