The Artist Behind Slater Design Studios
For more than 35 years, Doug Slater has worked with metal—not simply as a building material, but as an artistic medium.
After moving to Las Vegas in 1990, Doug began his career installing some of the city's most iconic hotel signs, developing the craftsmanship and technical precision that would become the foundation of his work.
In 1999, he founded Slater Design Studios, creating one-of-a-kind architectural metalwork for luxury homes throughout Las Vegas.
From grand entry gates and custom front doors to sculptural staircases, wine cellars, chandeliers, and architectural installations, every project blended engineering with artistry. His work incorporated steel alongside wood, glass, marble, lighting, and stone to create functional pieces that felt like sculpture.
While each project served a purpose, clients sought Doug out for something that couldn't be fabricated from drawings alone—his artistic eye.
Today, Slater Design Studios has returned to where that artistic journey first began.
Painting.
Returning to the Beginning
Doug first discovered painting when he was around ten years old. Decades later, after a career spent shaping, welding, and designing metal, he returned to the canvas—but not in the traditional sense.
Instead, he paints on hand acid-washed steel.
Every panel develops its own natural patina before the first brushstroke is applied. Rather than covering those imperfections, Doug works with them, allowing the steel's history to become part of the artwork itself.
No two surfaces react the same way.
No two paintings can ever be duplicated.
Where Art Meets Craftsmanship
Every original is painted entirely by hand in Doug's Las Vegas studio.
His years working with steel influence every decision—from composition and texture to the way light interacts with the finished piece. Each painting carries the depth, character, and permanence of the material beneath it.
Whether creating an original collection or a commissioned portrait, every piece is designed to become an heirloom.