Summerlin builders offer bonus rooms to create custom spaces

With nearly 160 floor plans in 34 neighborhoods throughout 10 distinct villages, the master-planned community of Summerlin offers homes in a variety of styles — from single-family homes to town homes, priced from the $300,000s to more than $1 million. Many of these homes include bonus rooms. With no designated use, bonus rooms offer unlimited opportunity to create dream spaces — from playrooms, offices, fitness or game rooms, home theaters, wine rooms, music rooms and even arts and crafts rooms.

According to Danielle Bisterfeldt, vice president of marketing for Summerlin, bonus rooms are a blank canvas and give homeowners the ability to truly customize their home.

“Even extra bedrooms can become whatever homebuyers desire,” Bisterfeldt said. “As we are spending more time in our homes, using them for work, fitness and fun, bonus rooms can be real difference-makers when it comes to qualify of life.”

If your home has a bonus room, here are some tips to creating a custom space to call your own.

■ Plan ahead to ensure there is sufficient space to accommodate furniture, accessories, equipment and storage. Playrooms may simply require small tables and bean-bag seating for story time, with lots of built-in shelving for toy storage. Music rooms may require space for pianos and musical instruments, such as the Keystone model at Reverence by Pulte Homes, or the guitar lounge at Fairway Hills by Toll Brothers.

■ Adult game rooms might need additional plumbing for a wet bar. Or you could opt for a free-standing island with bar stools and a mounted TV for catching the big game. Check out the game room with Foosball table at Graycliff by Lennar in the village of Stonebridge, or the game room with pool table at Scots Pine by Richmond American Homes, also in Stonebridge. Both are home runs for fun!

■ If a productive home office is your dream, avoid cluttering it with too much distracting furniture. Consider utilizing a space-saving wall-mounted desk with overhead shelving, and make sure to place your desk properly so glare from a nearby window won’t impede the view of your computer screen. While scores of Summerlin model homes feature home offices, look no further than Trilogy by Shea Homes for inspiration.

■ Lighting, particularly natural light, is another consideration. Depending on the orientation of the home, some bonus rooms receive less natural light or do not have windows, making them better suited for activities like yoga, meditation or a home theater. Bixby Creek by Woodside Homes features a home workout studio that’s on par with any professional fitness facility. However, if a media room is on your must-have list, check out Pardee’s Sandalwood neighborhood in Stonebridge to see how it’s done.

■ Forget color trends or rules of décor. One of the benefits of a bonus room is that you can use it for whatever purpose you wish, without abiding by hard and fast rules, especially when it comes to flooring. Your home office or fitness center floors will need special attention. Use rubber flooring materials under desks or cardio equipment to prevent damage.

According to Bisterfeldt, other innovative uses for bonus rooms in Summerlin include the wine room at Mesa Ridge by Toll Brothers, the bar/loft at Affinity by Taylor Morrison or KB Home’s Stonegate, which features an entire room that has been converted to a closet — perfect for collectors of clothing, holiday decorations and arts and crafts supplies.

Marking its 30th anniversary in 2020, Summerlin delivers more amenities than any other community in Southern Nevada. This includes more than 250 parks of all sizes; resident-exclusive community centers, pools and events; 150-plus miles of interconnected trails; 10 golf courses; 26 public, private and charter schools; a public library and performing arts center; Summerlin Hospital Medical Center; houses of worship representing a dozen different faiths; office parks; and neighborhood shopping centers. Downtown Summerlin offers fashion, dining, entertainment, Red Rock Resort and office towers. City National Arena is home to the Vegas Golden Knights National Hockey League practice facility. Las Vegas Ballpark is a world-class Triple-A baseball stadium and home of the Las Vegas Aviators.

For information on all actively selling neighborhoods, visit Summerlin.com. Before you visit, call the builders to check on hours of operation. Phone numbers for each neighborhood are on Summerlin.com.