Summerlin’s The Ridges showcases unique homes

Dr. Anis Abi-Karam, a psychologist in private practice in Las Vegas, obviously understands the psychology behind what one's house says about its owner.

From the architecturally unique and distinctive look of Abi-Karam's home in The Ridges at Summerlin, one would naturally assume the owner is equally unique and distinctive.

And that's a reflection that Abi-Karam, who poured his heart and soul into creating his dream home for more than four years, would easily embrace.

A native of Lebanon who has lived in the United States for more than 35 years and a graduate of Pepperdine/USI University, Abi-Karam, chose the location of his new home as carefully as he selected his architect.

"I am an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast, so The Ridges was the obvious choice," he said.

"The Ridges is the closest you can get to the mountains and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area; the hilly terrain is geographically interesting and compelling; and it's part of the overall Summerlin community that offers great access to restaurants, shopping and major freeways."

Aside from the area's natural beauty, Abi-Karam also appreciates the contemporary look and feel of architecture throughout The Ridges and the community's flexibility in extending to homeowners the freedom to create architectural designs within a wide range of desert contemporary styles.

Abi-Karam's 9,000-square-foot home was designed by Clive Bridgewater in a modern and sophisticated style all its own, inspired by Abi-Karam's love of nature. Jack Raftery served as the contractor and Alice Russo was the interior designer.

The home features five bedrooms and nine bathrooms, including a spacious spa-style master bath that features a 10-by-10-foot skylight, a garage that accommodates as many as eight vehicles, media room and wine cellar.

The entry was intentionally designed to create the impression that the home is smaller than it is. "We don't want our friends and family to feel overwhelmed," said Dr. Abi-Karam. "We worked hard to ensure the home retained its intimacy despite its many resort-like amenities."

The pinwheel-shaped flower home features a center landscaped atrium with waterfalls that overlooks the backyard and is marked by a 15-foot covered patio, fire pit and pool.

The backyard landscaping by Greentree mimics hiking trails made of flat stones to further enhance the home's love affair with nature. According to Dr. Abi-Karam, the atrium is easily the focal point of the home.

"It was important to me and my wife, Diane, to incorporate elements of nature and the desert throughout our home," he said. "We even hand selected several boulders and rocks from the neighboring Southern Utah desert to accent our back yard."

The extensive use of glass offers 270-degrees of unobstructed mountain, city and golf course views that also help to bring the outside in and create diverse scenery from different vantage points throughout the home.

The home's bilevel wellness room that speaks volumes about Abi-Karam's personal commitment to physical fitness is located next to the pool and features a glass wall that creates the impression that one is floating.

The first level features a sauna, bathroom and steam room. The second level encompasses an exercise and massage room.

Located adjacent to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, the land immediately west of The Ridges is protected from future development, creating a peaceful and quiet ambiance on elevated topography that overlooks the valley.

Ridges residents enjoy a Summerlin address that affords them access to the community's amenities, including more than 150 parks, more than 150 miles of trails, special resident social and athletic events and programs, 26 public and private schools and more than a dozen houses of worship.

To date, 275 custom lots have been sold in The Ridges. The custom neighborhoods of Arrowhead, Promontory, Rimrock, Redhawk and The Pointe are sold out, while Falcon Ridge has only a few remaining lots available for sale and Azure is actively selling.

Custom lots in The Ridges are priced from the high $200,000s to more than $1 million. Lot sizes range from one-quarter to one acre, with a limited number of larger lots more than one acre in size.

Summerlin began to take shape in 1990 and has ranked in the country's top 10 best-selling master-planned communities for nearly two decades.

Located along the western rim of the Las Vegas Valley, Summerlin encompasses 22,500 acres with about 7,500 acres still remaining to accommodate future growth.

The community is currently home to nearly 100,000 residents.

For more information on Summerlin, visit theridgesinsummerlin.com or call 702-255-2500.