2008 Nationals: Making the Basic Box Beautiful

Designing an appealing box-style home with just the right detail and options at a price amenable to first-time home buyers isn't easy. Trend Homes did it with its Plan 852.

The home has a two-car garage; three bedrooms; living and dining areas; and a bonus room and den option. It's in a gated community with pools and a lake and is available for under $250,000. The plan includes a Country French, Italianate and Spanish elevation.

"The Spanish probably doesn't really compliment a French colonial," says Dave Maldonado, architect and partner at the KTGY Group, Irvine, Calif., who worked on this plan, "but it enabled Trend Homes to come in with a price sensitive innovation because the architecture for a Spanish style is very simple in nature."

Project: The Lakes at Annecy, Gilbert, Ariz.
Builder/Architect: Trend Homes of Arizona, Gilbert, Ariz.
Architect: KTGY Group, Irvine, Calif.
Interior Designer: Artistry by Design, Gilbert, Ariz.
Price of units: $219,950 base
Square footage of model: Approximately 2,065
Photography: Larry John Wright, Mesa, Ariz.