Category Archives: Flooring

Design Trends for 2025: Fresh Ideas for Your Arizona Home

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As 2025 begins, homeowners in Arizona are reimagining their spaces to reflect modern trends that blend functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics. Living in a desert climate comes with unique design opportunities and challenges, and this year’s trends are perfectly suited for Arizona’s vibrant, sun-drenched environment. From embracing natural elements to integrating cutting-edge technology, these ideas will inspire you to create a stylish, comfortable, and functional home.

Let’s explore the top design trends that are making waves in the Arizona market this year.

1. Earthy, Desert-Inspired Color Palettes

Arizona’s breathtaking desert landscape serves as the perfect inspiration for 2025’s trending color palettes. Homeowners are moving toward earthy tones that echo the natural environment, such as terracotta, sandstone, sage green, and soft clay. These hues create a calming, grounded atmosphere while harmonizing with the region’s unique beauty.

How to Incorporate These Colors:

  • Use warm neutrals like beige or taupe for walls, creating a versatile backdrop.
  • Introduce accent colors like sage green through furniture, throw pillows, or rugs.
  • Experiment with two-tone kitchens by pairing terracotta lower cabinets with off-white upper cabinets.

Pro Tip: Combine earthy tones with natural materials like wood, rattan, and leather to create a cohesive, desert-inspired design.

2. Sustainable Materials for Eco-Friendly Living

Sustainability is no longer a trend—it’s a way of life. In 2025, Arizona homeowners are prioritizing eco-friendly materials that are both durable and beautiful. The desert climate demands materials that can withstand extreme temperatures while minimizing environmental impact.

Popular Sustainable Materials:

  • Reclaimed Wood: Perfect for adding warmth to rooms as accents or custom furniture.
  • Clay and Terracotta: Tiles, pottery, and decorative elements.
  • Metal Accents: Copper and bronze decorative details, nodding to Arizona’s mining history.

Why It Matters: Sustainable choices reduce your home’s carbon footprint and often lead to long-term cost savings through energy efficiency and durability.

3. Luxurious Outdoor Living Spaces

Arizona’s weather invites outdoor living, and in 2025, homeowners are maximizing their exterior spaces with luxury and functionality. Outdoor areas are no longer just patios; they’ve evolved into fully equipped extensions of the home, complete with kitchens, seating areas, and even entertainment zones.

Design Tips for Outdoor Living:

  • Shade Solutions: Pergolas, retractable awnings, or sail shades provide relief from the sun while maintaining an open feel.
  • Outdoor Kitchens: Include a grill, sink, and refrigerator to create the ultimate entertaining space.
  • Desert Landscaping: Use xeriscaping techniques with drought-tolerant plants like agave, succulents, and desert marigolds.

Pro Tip: Install string lights or in-ground lighting to create ambiance and extend the use of your outdoor space into the evening.

4. Energy Efficiency as a Design Priority

Energy-efficient homes are a necessity in Arizona, where cooling costs can soar. In 2025, homeowners are turning to smart design features and innovative technology to reduce energy consumption while keeping their homes comfortable.

Must-Have Energy-Efficient Features:

  • Low-E Windows: Reflect heat while letting in natural light.
  • Cool Roofs: Roofing materials designed to reflect sunlight and reduce indoor temperatures.
  • Smart Thermostats: Automatically adjust your HVAC system for optimal efficiency.
  • Solar Panels: Harness Arizona’s abundant sunshine to power your home sustainably.

Pro Tip: Combine energy-efficient features with passive cooling techniques, such as planting shade trees or installing window overhangs, to further reduce energy use.

5. Open-Concept Living with Multifunctional Spaces

The open-concept trend continues to thrive in 2025, with homeowners seeking flexible layouts that cater to modern lifestyles. In Arizona, open spaces provide a sense of airiness and facilitate indoor-outdoor living, which is ideal for the region’s climate.

Open-concept living in Arizona is more than a design choice—it’s a lifestyle. By breaking down traditional barriers, homeowners can enjoy spaces that flow naturally and adapt to various needs. In the desert climate, open layouts blur the line between indoor and outdoor living, creating harmonious transitions perfect for entertaining or relaxation. Large sliding glass doors and windows not only maximize natural light but also provide easy access to shaded patios and courtyards, encouraging year-round use of outdoor spaces. To enhance functionality, consider zoning areas within open layouts using rugs, furniture arrangements, or partial walls. This approach maintains the open feel while subtly defining areas for work, dining, and play.

For busy families, combining elements like a kitchen island with built-in charging stations or a media nook transforms a space into a true command center. Similarly, small touches such as collapsible partitions or plant walls can provide privacy when needed without sacrificing the expansive atmosphere. To tie the look together, use cohesive materials like stone or wood for a seamless, grounded aesthetic. In Arizona, where the desert landscape inspires creativity, open-concept designs reflect both the beauty of the environment and the flexibility of modern living.

Ideas for Multifunctional Spaces:

  • Combine a home office with a guest room by using a wall bed or convertible desk.
  • Create a family hub with a large kitchen island that serves as a dining table, workspace, and social area.
  • Use creative room dividing solutions to seamlessly connect indoor living areas with outdoor patios.

Design Insight: Emphasize natural light by incorporating large windows to make open spaces feel even larger and more inviting.

6. Biophilic Design: Bringing Nature Indoors

Biophilic design continues to gain traction as homeowners seek to connect with nature. For Arizona homes, this trend often involves integrating natural elements that mimic the desert landscape, creating a seamless blend between the indoors and outdoors.

Elements of Biophilic Design:

  • Indoor Plants: Succulents, cacti, and other low-maintenance greenery add life and color to your interiors.
  • Natural Light: Letting in as much natural light as possible is a simple way to connect with nature indoors.
  • Organic Materials: Incorporate stone, wood, or woven textures into your furniture and decor.

Pro Tip: Use natural textures and colors to complement views of the surrounding landscape, making your home feel like an extension of the environment.

7. Smart Home Integration

Smart technology has become a staple in modern homes, and in 2025, it’s about creating seamless integration for enhanced convenience and efficiency. Arizona homeowners are leveraging smart systems to improve comfort, security, and energy use.

Top Smart Features for Arizona Homes:

  • Smart Irrigation Systems: Conserve water while keeping your desert landscaping healthy.
  • Voice-Activated Assistants: Control lighting, temperature, and appliances hands-free.
  • Smart Appliances: Energy-efficient refrigerators, ovens, and washers that can be managed remotely.

Why It’s Trending: Smart homes not only enhance daily living but also offer significant energy savings, making them a practical choice for eco-conscious homeowners.

8. Statement Walls and Bold Textures

While neutral palettes dominate, 2025 also welcomes bold textures and statement walls that add depth and personality to interiors. These design elements serve as focal points, allowing homeowners to showcase their unique style.

Ways to Make a Statement:

  • Use textured plaster or 3D wall panels for an accent wall.
  • Incorporate artisanal tiles with intricate patterns in kitchens or bathrooms.
  • Add woven or macramé wall hangings for a bohemian touch.

Pro Tip: Keep bold textures confined to one or two areas to maintain balance and avoid overwhelming your design.

Designing Your Arizona Dream Home

2025’s design trends offer exciting possibilities for creating a home that’s stylish, functional, and uniquely suited to the Arizona lifestyle. From embracing earthy palettes to maximizing outdoor spaces, these ideas can help you craft a home that reflects your personality while catering to the desert environment.

If you’re ready to explore these trends in your next home, our team is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our floor plans, design options, and customizations https://www.fultonhomes.com/. Let’s bring your vision to life and make your Arizona dream home a reality.

Rug Placement Tips

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Pelican Bay Model

It can be confusing when trying to figure out what size rug to use for different furniture groupings. This read will give you a better understanding of how to place your rug and what size to use.

For dining room tables you need to know the dimension around the table with the chairs all the way pulled out. There should be ample room of rug under the dining table and chairs. When the chairs are pulled out, they should remain on the rug. A rug that does not reach the chairs when pulled out, will look wrong for the space. An easy way to get the dimensions needed is by measuring all four sides of the table with the chairs pulled out, enough to be seated. Take the diameter measurement for round dining room table and chairs.

In a formal living room the seating groups should be on the rug, with ample room around the grouping for walking traffic. The only time when this rule can be broken is when a rug is placed in front of a sectional sofa. For living rooms that aren’t formal, the furniture doesn’t have to be placed all on the rug. As shown in the picture above from our Pelican Bay Model, just the front feet of the sofa can be placed on the area rug.

Sectionals are typically used in a more casual setting. Place the rug in front of the sectional with the rug slightly under the front legs of the sofa. In this situation a smaller area rug can be simply placed in front of the sectional if necessary.

Runners that are leading down a hallway should have at least 3-6 inches of open floor space on either side of the rug. If the hallway is not wide enough to have space on either side, select a narrow runner. They can be found!

Smaller accent rugs can be placed on either side of a bed. This will allow for under foot comfort when getting out of bed on chilly mornings. This is especially nice if the bedroom flooring is not carpet. Make sure that the rug is not a tripping hazard when using smaller accent rugs.

A general rule of thumb is to place a seating group in the middle of an area rug, and make sure there is enough rug area for foot traffic to walk around on. We hope you’ve enjoyed these tips!

Tips for Incorporating an Area Rug into Your Space

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You can dress and warm up your hardwood floors with an area rug. An area rug can help transform your design and create new visual dimensions. With a textured, colored, or patterned rug, you can make your space unique to you. If you are eager about incorporating an area rug, but do not know where to begin, we have four genius ideas for you!

Tips for Incorporating an Area Rug into Your Space:

Pick Patterns.
Patterns can be an extraordinary tool for active households. Patterns can give homeowners peace of mind with accidental spills and stains because they help to minimize the effects caused by staining. Not only are they great for durability, but they are also visually appealing. By including a patterned area rug into your design, you help to add an intriguing visual element to the overall space.

Do Not Discount Durability.
When searching for an area rug, it is essential to find one that is durable to everyday wear and tear. You want one that protects against accidents and gives you time to get to the accident.

Perfect Placement.
An area rug holds a lot of potential if properly placed within your space. To begin, you want to make sure that your rug is smaller than the area covered by your furniture. This is a common mistake made by homeowners, but it can be an easy fix. You want only the front “legs” of furniture on top of the rug. This will help make the space feel more visually open.

Complimentary or Creative.
There are two ways to approach adding an area rug into your space: the complimentary look or the creative way. Neither one is better or worse than the other; it solely depends on your design style. For the complimentary area rug look, you will want to select a neutral color that subtly fits into the design. For the creative area rug look, you can go all out with the rug and pull the room’s design back in with subtle furniture and decor.

We hope that you enjoyed these tips and tricks!

Top Style Rugs to Add to Your Home

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Top Style Rugs to Add to Your Home
Adding a rug to a room’s design is a great way to make a hard surface room feel cozier and homier. With so many options available on the market today, it can be tricky to know which rug you may want to add to your space. We gathered a list of our top four rug styles that you should consider incorporating in your design theme when you move into your new place. We chose to take a look at more unique styles and some less common rug choices that you may want to consider putting in your space: 
 
  • Wool Dhurrie Rug
 

Wool dhurrie rugs are flat-woven rugs that are most commonly affiliated with Indian flooring. These rugs hold the heat and while looking great. These rugs are knotted wool and wrapped around a thread and then cut to height. This design gives the carpet a unique feel and different texture than most pile woven rugs.
 
  • Vintage Design

Vintage rugs are great for giving your home a warm, antique feel. The elegant, rich patterns make a strong statement and look great in almost any room. Do not stress about fading in these handspun rugs. This adds great character, and generally, there can never be too much fading.

  • Animal Skin

No rug makes a stronger statement than the classic animal skin rug. Though this design is not for everyone, these fur rugs come in different beautiful patterns and sizes, and they are super warm and cozy, making them ideal for country home lovers.

  • Artisan

These durable, seagrass rugs are usually woven and extremely durable. This makes them the perfect solution for someone who wants a rug in a high traffic area. Not only are the durable but the textures and patterns are great for creating a traditional look in your home.

No matter what statement piece you decide, any of these styles will help personalize your home to your needs. Decide what rug best depicts your interior design style and what you want the atmosphere to represent. Each unique rug type can quickly strength the room’s general feel. 
 
For more tips and tricks, visit us at Fulton Homes.

Area Rugs 101

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Believe it or not, but rugs can actually invite conversation into a space. The way you set up your rug in a room can make or break the design and the flow of conversation. When choosing a rug, there are four main ideas you will want to keep in mind: the colors, the use, the size and the placement. For your convenience, we broke it down for you. Let’s take a look! 

Area Rugs 101:

  1. The Colors. When choosing an area rug, you are choosing a piece of decor for your room; therefore, you want it to tie in well with your theme. Pulling colors from your room’s design is essential. All of the colors in the rug do not necessarily need to be found in your room. You will just want a few of the colors to have been pulled from your rug’s design. Also, you want to make sure that your area rug is not too distracting. The rug should tie into your overall design, not take away from it. Try to select a subtle pattern or design rather than a bold, overwhelming design for your area rug. 
  2. The Use. Before you choose your rug, you will want to take into consideration the use of it. What room will you be buying a rug for in your space? If it is in a room that is only used for decorative purposes, you can buy a less durable and more expensive rug. If you are placing the rug inside a constantly-used living room, you will want to choose a more durable rug. Also, you will want to consider the amount of foot-traffic in the room. The more dirt that will be tracked into the room, the darker the rug should be. 
  3. The Size. You want to make sure that you do not choose a rug that is too big or too small for your space. For guidance on selecting the appropriate size, you will want to consult a sales representative at your chosen flooring store. Give them dimensions of the room and your general design plan to help them make an accurate suggestion for you. 
  4. The Placement. The way you place your rug should invite conversation. There are two main ways that you can set up your rug to encourage discussion: 
    1. The furniture should be placed in an “H” shape with the rug in the center. 
    2. The furniture should be placed in a “U” shape with the rug in the center.

      While placing your furniture on your new rug, you will want to  follow these rules: 

      1. All of the furniture’s legs on the rug. 

      2. The front furniture’s legs on the rug. 

      3. None of the furniture’s legs on the rug. 

We hope that you found these tips helpful. For more expert advice, be sure to visit our blog hub. Thanks for reading!

Colors that Pair Well with Brown

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From your wood furniture to your home’s walls, brown can be a popular color choice in many homes. The rich, deep color can pair well with most color palettes, but still, homeowners become hesitant to incorporate it into their design. Apart from wood finishes, brown holds the capability to add a lot to a room. With its warm hues, brown provides comfort and coziness to your space. You may be asking: what pairs well with the color brown? Well, we are here to help answer that question for you! Our hope is that you embrace the color brown into your home’s design and take on all of its design potentials. 

 

Colors that Pair Well with The Color Brown: 

  • White. 

Classically, white is one of the traditional colors to pair with brown. White will always work in a room that has a lot of brown because it offsets the color’s deepness. On the off side, using white does not challenge your creativity. On the plus side, you know white will perfectly finish a room with dark brown tones in it. It pairs well with the harsh contrast provided by the color brown. 

  • Light Blue. 

Light blue a gorgeous color that can be paired with brown. Its subtly brings the room to the next level. With the gentle appearance of color against the brown, we are ultimately obsessed with this color combination. 

  • Warm Tones. 

To maximize your home’s comfort and coziness, be sure to pair your browns with warm tones.

    • Warm tones include Beige, Tan, Oranges, Reds, Yellows, Maroons, and Other Shades of Brown. 
  • Pastels. 

If you love color, pairing pastels with brown is the choice for you! Brown works well with all of the pastel colors by embracing their light hues against brown’s deeper hue. 

  • Plum. 

Brown and plum are two of the richest and beautiful colors that you can incorporate together in a space. Without being overbearing, the deep colors play off of one another’s boldness and create a stunning color combination. For a setting that is fit for royalty, be sure to use brown and plum. 

  • Bright Green. 

What better example of a great color pairing other than a tree? Trees are the primary example of a stellar color combination. If you are looking for an earthy vibe, definitely pair together your browns and greens. 

 

Looking for more style inspiration? Be sure to check out our blog pages for more design tips and tricks! 


Add Character to Your Design with an Area Rug

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If you are looking to add some character to a room’s design, consider including an area rug to the space.  Whether it’s carpeted or not, an area rug will add distinction to a room that may look a little too bland.  Note: A solid colored carpet will work best as a base to build upon.

 

There are a few factors that need to be considered before you make your selection: room size, shape and color. 

 

The size of the room and the layout of its furniture will determine what is going to look best.  For a living room with sofa set, side table and coffee tables, you want to make sure that a good size rug will extend beneath the front of the seating area.  A dining set will need coverage not only under the table but the chairs as well.  Bedroom area rugs add warmth and comfort to the space and need to be large enough to cover a walking path through the room as well.

 

The room’s shape will help determine what shape area rug will best suit your home.  Long, narrow rooms can be broken up by using two large rectangular area rugs of similar color and pattern or even one circular and one rectangular one to draw the eye.  A square room will benefit from the soft lines of an oval-shaped or circular rug, especially if the furniture also has an angular look.  Runners are the obvious choice for hallways while oddly shaped rooms can be centered with a symmetrically shaped rectangular or circular rug. For a foyer or large bathroom, a geometrically shaped rug will immediately add flair to the space.

 

Color, while listed last, should not be considered the least important.  Make sure you have an idea of what direction you want to go with the color scheme of your room: complementary, contrasting, monochromatic, etc.  This will guide your color and pattern choice for the room.  If there are already a few patterns in the room, try to dial it back with a solid color to give a place for the eye to rest.  If the room is more on the plain side, adding a rug with a bold pattern is an easy way to dress it up. 

Choosing the Right Carpeting

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design center 3What factors are important when choosing the right carpeting for your home? Most people want a lighter tone so that it doesn’t make their home feel too dark. But you don’t want to go too light so that it doesn’t show the dirt too easily. But beyond that, what should you look for? Here are a few things to consider.

Stain resistance: Will the carpeting have to stand up to children or pets? If so, look for something that will recover from spills with an easy wipe up. There are special carpeting techniques that include overdying and stain-proof coatings that make carpeting almost completely stain-proof. Talk to your designer about the specifics of the maintenance requirements of whatever carpeting you choose. It may be worth a higher price to get carpeting that will withstand the onslaught of a tough audience.

Durability & finish: Are there certain rooms that will have to withstand heavy traffic? If so, certain types of carpeting handle that demand better than others. For example you may be tempted by the soft feel of plush carpeting, but its tendency to show every footprint means that in a high-traffic area you will find yourself vacuuming constantly to keep it looking nice. Instead, you may want to choose a more forgiving option.

Color: Although most people select a neutral tone, carpeting often has an underlying color. Make sure your choice works well with other colors you may use in your home. Be sure to bring your final choice into natural light to see how the color looks in daylight and with your tile, paint and cabinet selections. After all, you will be living with your choices for a long time. Make sure everything coordinates well together.

A Splash of Red

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kitchen-whitewater-webWith this combination of dark cabinets and dark wood flooring, this luscious kitchen could easily feel like too much brown. But a wise choice of countertops and pops of red turn it into a cozy and inviting space. Let’s take a look at the smart decisions that make up this kitchen, from the Whitewater model in the Oasis at Queen Creek community.

Light walls and countertops: You don’t often see dark wood on dark wood in a kitchen. Of course today’s wood flooring finishes make wood workable for kitchens and even bathrooms, but it still seems like a design risk. Bringing in lighter tones with the countertops and soft beige walls provide the needed contrast. The backsplash also uses light tiles to showcase the dark wood cabinetry.

Stainless appliances: A little bling brightens up any room, and using appliances with a stainless finish breaks up the wood, while the reflective surfaces contribute to the overall glow.

Architectural details: The carved pillars at the outer corners of the island combined with crown molding and the door/drawer styles break up the wood look, adding shadows and highlights to the cabinets. In addition, the handscraped wood flooring provides its own three-dimensional element. Altogether these features add the interest needed to keep the space from feeling simply wood-on-wood in design.

Pops of color: The red leather seats set off the island, and this color is echoed in various accessories scattered through the kitchen. Red’s strong bright presence lights up the room.

Natural light: This kitchen can carry off the two dark woods thanks to the natural light that pours into the space. And in the evening, multiple lighting sources keep the kitchen light and bright.

Is this the kitchen for you? Why not visit our models in Oasis at Queen Creek and see for yourself!

Mosaic makes Strong Statement in Bathroom

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Ironwood-bathroom-web-readySmaller spaces can capture interest with just a couple of daring design decisions. This bath, from the Marquesas model at Ironwood Crossing, has all the elements of a good design, particularly given the available space. Let’s take a look at why this bathroom works so well.

Make a splash with mosaic tiles. By choosing to position a stripe of highly contrasting tiles in the shower surround, this bathroom moves from blah to drama. Notice that the mosaic is repeated on the vanity backsplash. This shows a consistency of design and connects the two pieces – vanity and tub – together from a design standpoint.

Match flooring and tub surround materials. When working with a smaller space, using similar colors and textures for large surfaces help the room feel bigger. This choice has personality but doesn’t overtake the room.

Pull from a consistent color palette. In this case, white, taupe and cool browns integrate well with each other making this bathroom feel like a well-crafted unit.

Stay contemporary with clean lines. When your space is smaller, the simple lines of modern styles are less distracting. Your eye moves easily from one element to the next, making the room flow.

Add a few sophisticated elements. The color-blocked shower curtain adds an element of style that complements the mosaic. Altogether this is an interesting and inviting design.

Choose one accent color that pops. Notice the small elements of bright yellow in this room. The oval soap dish toward the front of the photo gets an echo from a thin yellow stripe on the shower curtain. Adding just one or two items in a signature accent color add a spark to this well-designed space.