Model-home d

Erin Hunsinger, a regional design manager for US Home, inherited her creative abilities.

"I grew up in the home-building business," she said. "My father was a production-home builder in Tempe, Ariz., and my mother ran the company's design center. Actually, my father was so far ahead of his time, he started using the design center concept for his home buyers over 20 years ago."

Hunsinger oversees the builder's design operations in Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. Among her responsibilities is to create and coordinate the interior design for all of the builder's models in those states.

One of her most recent projects was Spanish Springs, a gated neighborhood in northwest Las Vegas. The development offers six floor plans, measuring from 2,550 to 4,500 square feet. Prices start in the $300,000s.

"I started with a blueprint of the models, then researched with our local division to formulate our buyer profile for their market area. Depending on that profile -- young professionals, families, empty nesters -- and the price point of the homes, whether targeted to first-time buyers or the move-up luxury buyer, as is the case with Spanish Springs, those elements determined what direction to take with the design and the price point of the furnishings."

For the expanded Brentwood model, which measures more than 3,000 square feet, Hunsinger consulted Vivian Narssa and Margareth Cochern from the builder's design studio.

"I actually sat down with Vivian and Margareth and went through exactly the same decision-making process as our new-home buyers. We selected the cabinetry, flooring, counters, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, tile trim and accents, and the overall color scheme for the home.

Next, Hunsinger created a furniture layout, which included scale drawings of the dimensions of each room, so that she could determine the placement and size of each piece. She then selected furnishings, fabrics, wall coverings, paint colors and accessories.

"Everything we order is shipped to a local warehouse," she said. "The warehouse receives and inspects each item, and tags the piece to match the house plan and layout I've provided. When the warehouse staff arrives at the model home on installation day, they have a mini-printout of the entire floor plan and they match the tags on each item to their position on the plan."

As a result, the expanded Brentwood model's décor includes hickory cabinets, black granite counter tops, limestone flooring accented with diamond-shaped black granite insets, paint colors ranging from taupe to saffron to olive, limestone counter tops and surrounds in the master bath, and wallpaper that blends with the color tones of the tile.

Hunsinger attends international furniture shows twice each year.

"We try to stay ahead of the trends, that's one of the reasons I attend," she said. "It takes almost a year for trends to go from (shows) to local furniture showroom floors. The furniture buyers for the retail market have a lot of impact, because if they aren't buying a new look or a new collection, those items may never even be manufactured."

To visit Spanish Springs, take U.S. Highway 95 to Craig Road, head west to Durango Drive and then go north. At Lone Mountain Road, turn left and proceed to Fort Apache Road.

The sales office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except Monday, when it opens at 11 a.m.

Real Estate home