American Premiere Homes:
Where art becomes life
Special to Real Estate
Art may not be the first thought people have when referring to Las Vegas, but American Premiere Homes focused on combining contemporary art with its homes at Canyon Hills Estates.
Ronen Rahaman, marketing director of American Premiere, got the idea while working on the company's corporate offices. He and Eric Strain of the Nevada Institute of Contemporary Art set the idea in motion of utilizing the custom homes to display original artwork from regionally and nationally recognized artists.
"We came up with the concept of the models housing a veritable gallery of original art, which we could change several times a year, to showcase NICA members' work," Strain said.
"Because of the highly selective buyers Canyon Hills Estates attracts, it was a logical next step to expose them to the wealth of artistic talent here in the Southwest and to see how contemporary art can fit into the interior design of the homes."
NICA has been active in Southern Nevada for more than 13 years, bringing more than 500 artists to the spotlight in the state, but this partnership is new for both organizations.
"The homes themselves are art, designed by a variety of architects, since many of our buyers choose to design their own homes with our custom-home building program," Rahaman said. "They can take license with some of the artwork they see on the canvas and incorporate design features into their home. Our designs lend themselves to an audience that appreciates fine art and whom we hope will take an interest in some of the artists we showcase in our models."
He said the melding of art and architecture has never been as apparent in Las Vegas as it is with the local artists' works being displayed in the homes at Canyon Hills Estates.
"We hope that by showcasing local artists, buyers will see us as more than just a builder, but also a proponent of the artistic side of home building and a partner with the local arts community."
Fresh from its recent grand opening, the builder has planned a model open house and will follow through with a model open house featuring several NICA artists Friday through next Sunday. Displays will be held through the rest of the year.
"American Premiere concentrates on building small, upscale communities of homes, so the buyer is assured of a prime location, large lot and an exclusive neighborhood of comparable homes. These neighborhoods lend themselves to discriminating buyers who want privacy, outstanding design features and that indefinable ambiance that makes them feel at home."
At Canyon Hills, buyers have the option of choosing from one of more than 1,000 floor plans on file with the builder or having a home built from the buyer's own design, which must meet specifications set by the builder.
Homes are on one-half acre minimum lots on gated cul-de-sacs, all of which have proved attractive to buyers, Rahaman said. The homes start at $449,990.
Canyon Hills Estates is on West Oakey Boulevard, just east of Durango Drive. To visit, take Sahara Avenue to Rainbow Boulevard, head north to Oakey and go west.
The one home modeled on the site is the 4,700-square-foot Sterling, which features a sunken living room, and adjacent dining room. A column-framed entry leads to a kitchen with upgraded appliances, maple cabinets and granite counter tops. The owner suite includes a retreat/exercise room with linen closet area and two-walk-in closets.
Other plans are:
The Legacy, with five bedrooms, a den and 4 1/2 baths in 4,400 square feet. A breakfast nook is adjacent to a family room with fireplace.
The 5,000-square-foot Astoria features a curved staircase to the second-story owner suite, which encompasses the entire rear of the home. The fifth bedroom can be converted to a media room.
A 3,800-square-foot, single-story home offers four bedrooms plus a den, or five bedrooms.
All homes feature 8-foot entry and closet doors; intercom and alarm systems; granite counter tops and walk-in pantries; coffered ceilings with recessed lighting; central vacuum outlets; three-car garages; ceramic-tile flooring in kitchen, bath and laundry areas; and a three-zone climate control system.
Dominion Estates, another gated neighborhood of closed-end, cul-de-sac homes, will offer similar amenities. Homes start at $349,900.
The single-story Ascot can be built with three bedrooms and a study, or four bedrooms and a library or owner retreat and 3 1/2 baths. A three-car garage is standard.
The Waterford is a 3,660-square-foot, five-bedroom plus study, 3 1/2-bath home with a downstairs owner suite and three-car garage.
The 4,017-square-foot Lexington has 4 1/2 baths, four bedrooms plus a study, or five bedrooms and an owner suite.
Dominion Estates is on Lone Mountain Road, just east of Durango Drive.
At Premiere Estates, a neighborhood of one-acre lots, the company will build homes to buyers' specifications.
Sales offices are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
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