Building Vegas Modern: An interview with Blue Heron Homes founder Tyler Jones
Blue Heron homes have made their mark across the Valley with ultramodern design. What turns a home into a work of art?
It’s all about the emotional appeal, about how it makes each person feel as they walk through that door. I want you to feel this home is one of a kind without sacrificing practicality and functionality.
I’ve noticed that many of your homes have distinct water elements both inside and outside.
It’s based on a study of how the human mind and body interprets its natural environment. Water is a great example of the one element people seek out. Think about it. If you go hiking or camping, you gravitate toward a nice running stream with water. Even the sound is calming. It’s hard coded into our DNA. 
What’s the most outlandish thing a customer has asked you to build into their house?
It’s Vegas, right? We’ve done some crazy garage man caves, an 18-car garage, a full spa in the home. One of our requests was a shower in the front-entrance foyer. We’ve also done all kinds of fun stuff.
Why do you think modern design is becoming more prevalent in Las Vegas custom homes?
When I started in 2004, my first community was modern and now I’ve built around 500 modern homes. They make sense to me in Vegas. I never understood why everyone in the past wanted to emulate Tuscan farmhouses in the middle of the Mojave desert. It’s a modern lifestyle in a modern home.
What are your tips to give our more modest houses a modern look?
A lot of the older floor plans have more walls. Open it up by getting rid of those extra walls. Get rid of the small patio doors and open your home up to the outside with big sliding rooms to allow in more natural light and also as a way to connect to nature. Also, make sure you have some plant life in the house and use organic materials that reflect nature. It will help you relax if your space has an organic feeling.
Your family has a long history in Las Vegas — and in the homebuilding business. When did you become interested in design?
During the Depression, my dad’s family migrated from Missouri in 1931 to work on the Hoover Dam. My mom’s family came to Vegas in the 1920s to go into the silver and gold mining business. I grew up in Vegas close to Warm Springs and Eastern in a tract home in a regular subdivision. My dad is a custom home builder and built ultra-high-end custom homes. As a kid, I picked up trash for him on his sites and swept the floors. Later, I worked on framing crews. I loved it all because I was always around beautiful homes.
How are your ideas reflected in your own house?
I have a very simple lifestyle and live in a studio condo downtown with my wife. We love it. It’s filled with plants and organic materials and has beautiful glass views of the mountains. I don’t like a lot of stuff, which lends to an open, non-cluttered feeling. I own an acre and a half in downtown Vegas across from the house my grandfather bought in 1962 in an area called Scotch Eighty. Once we have a family, I want to move there. It’s where it all began and feels like home. ◆