KB paints ‘canvas’

Michele and Steve Averitt said they see their new home in KB Home's Ladera Ridge home collection within Summerlin's the Paseos Village as a blank canvas.

"We can't wait to personalize it. We plan to paint the interior and buy new art for the walls," said Michele Averitt, a self-proclaimed do-it-yourself interior designer.

"Finding the right house and making it your own is essential in Las Vegas. In the summertime, there's not a lot to do outside. So, it's important that you can come home to your own sanctuary," said Steve Averitt, a design director at a local advertising agency.

The Averitts are purchasing the 1,867-square-foot, two-story Napa Valley design of three bedrooms, den, 2 1/2 baths and optional bonus room.

"What sold us on this floor plan was the bonus room," Steve Averitt said. The new home is about 1,000 square feet larger than the Averitts' current home. In addition to the bonus room, the family is gaining more storage and an extra bedroom. The extra space is perfect for Alex, 12, and Josie, 11. The sisters have been sharing a room.

"We're excited to have our own rooms," said Alex Averitt.

The family found KB Home's Ladera Ridge home collection on the Internet.

"We went to the KB Home Web site, typed in our price range and Ladera came up," Steve Averitt said.

"We came to see the models," Michele Averitt said, "and walked the neighborhood. We saw a lot of families and the neighborhood has a community pool and parks. We currently live in Summerlin and staying in Summerlin was a priority for us. Ladera is nestled in the hills. It's perfect."

Ladera Ridge is one of two KB Home collections in the new Mesa Village. The builder's Ladera Ridge and Ladera Crest home collections offer 10 floor plans starting in the high $200,000s.

The two-story homes range from 1,642 to 2,883 square feet.

The designs of four home builders are included within the Ladera neighborhood with home lots mixed together.

"Every street looks different," sales agent Laurie Sprague said. "You don't see homes that look the same next to one another or, often times, even on the same street."

KB Home offers 30 exterior designs, three for each of its floor plans.

The neighborhood includes a community pool and four parks. The Mesa Village will include an 18-acre park adjacent to the Ladera neighborhood.

All homes in Ladera Ridge and Ladera Crest are Energy Star and Water Smart compliant, Sprague said.

To visit Ladera from Interstate 215, the Las Vegas Beltway, exit at Town Center Road heading south to Summerlin's Mesa Village. As Town Center Road curves to become Tropicana Avenue, turn right to stay on Town Center. The community is ahead on the left. The sales offices are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Monday when they open at noon.

The builder offers more than 25 communities throughout Southern Nevada. Its 22,000-square-foot design center, the KB Home Studio, is located off I-15 at 7440 Dean Martin Drive, Suite 201, just south of the Warm Springs Road intersection.

For more information about the builder's new home communities, call 888-524-6637 or visit kbhome.com.