Simple Guest Room Shows Comfy Charm

Bedroom20DSC_0265

Fulton Homes Starlight model

A lovely guest room is more about imagination and thought than a large budget. Take a look at this bedroom. It creates a welcoming and whimsical impression with a minimum of expense and effort. Let’s look at why this room feels so inviting.

Using a theme: Think beyond the standard approach to décor with your guest room. Since any visitors are temporary, the only person you have to satisfy is yourself. So if you have a yen for a gypsy caravan approach, full-on country style or an inviting western theme like this room, let your creativity run wild. In this case, a painted headboard and wall art create a cowboy mood with just a couple of design choices.

Don’t be afraid of color: Creamy yellow walls, a red bedspread and matching grey and red bedside tables create a vivid space that capitalizes on the theme. The colors are bolstered by bed linens and paint – two of the least expensive ways to brighten a space.

Find inspiration: Visit stores for guest-room inspiration. Imagine finding the boot painting at a store, then deciding to build a guest room around it. Look for unusual or lively items to help you develop a direction for the space.

Add a few homey touches: Guest rooms don’t need much in the way of storage space. Most people will live out of their suitcases when visiting. Instead include a few magazines and books, a basket of snacks, and a collection of small soaps and personal grooming articles in case guests forget anything.

Take the time to make your guest room special and your guests will feel special and welcomed when they visit.

Home Tech Center Keeps Life Organized

Tech20Center20DSC_0263

Fulton Homes Starlight Model

As we become more and more connected to the outside world through numerous devices, our homes need to make adjustments to fill the requirements of today’s lifestyle.

In many homes, the opportunity to charge phones, tablets and laptops requires a shuffling of electrical outlets while ensuring that the morning rush doesn’t lead to leaving the essential communication tools at home.

At the same time, managing a home and family becomes easier if the home itself provides support for coordinating everyone’s briefcases, homework, and electronics.

Take a look at the Fulton Homes solution – a tech center that provides space to charge electronics, room for book bags and notebooks, and a center for other home administrative tasks.

All this space needs is a laptop to support online bill paying, homework Internet research, space for books and school projects, and a staging center for getting everyone out the door in the morning with a minimum of frustration and fewer searches for lost keys or other essentials.

Without a center like this, the kitchen often becomes the default center for the odds and ends of our to-and-fro lives. Mixing papers and books with breakfast can lead to spills and too many items unthinkingly moved out of sight in the energy of getting dinner or breakfast ready. With this tech-rich drop center, everyone can have the space to keep track of their own materials.

Consider adding an in-basket for every family member so that mail, homework assignments and other personal papers are contained in one place. Add a family calendar on the wall so everyone knows where they are supposed to be on any given day. Or make sure that everyone has their own drawer and files so that things can stay organized thanks to an organized space to work with in the home.

Coordinating an Open Floor Plan – Family Room and Office

Family20Room20DSC_0251

Fulton Homes Starlight Model

An open floor plan makes any home feel more spacious and interesting. Every step opens up a new view of living areas – kitchen, dining, family room and even office.

The office space in this home – the Fulton Homes Starlight model – demonstrates the appeal of an office or den that is open to the family room. the wall openings support a separate living area while still making the office feel part of the greater whole.

Decorating the office and family room to ensure that the spaces are seen as separate but still coordinated requires some planning. Here are some décor choices that make these spaces work well together.

Coordinating color-schemes: Neutrals pair well with black, red and a soft green to build a common theme of colors without too much repetition. The green chair in the office picks up the color of the family room throw pillows while the patterned fabric appears on the office valance and the other sofa throw pillows. Notice that the rug also carries those colors through to the family room.

Lighting: Both rooms have matching ceiling fans, but the real connection comes from the table and floor lamps. The unusual sloping square lampshades in a natural cream tone carry from one room to the next – providing nice focused light while marrying the style of the two rooms together.

Furniture tone: Both rooms feature dark wood – a good choice with the wall and furniture colors. The wood floor mirrors this tone, creating a unified whole. This level of thought and coordination takes full advantage of all the plusses of an open floor plan – maximizing comfort and style.