Gold Tones Warm up Family Room

wWarner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-072 - CopyWhen you want to create a warm living space, consider choosing gold as the primary color. The hue fills a space with warmth. It also lends a sense of light.

In Renaissance times, furniture and accessories were often covered in gold leaf, creating a sparkle to any space. Today gold leaf is less common, but the choice of a blend of gold tones still works in any room.

Let’s start with the gold sofa. This sectional is the primary piece of furniture in the room, and it sets the feeling for the entire space. Every other element is built around it. The pillows provide a strong contrast with the sofa and also introduce the darker and lighter elements present in the room – navy blue and a bright yellow-gold.

The cocoa color on the back wall really helps the sofa to pop, and complements the mid-tone gold carpeting. This medium shade for the carpeting is a smart choice – not too dark but dark enough to maintain the mood in the room. All of the major elements hover in a mid-range, but then the pops of dark and light tones in the artwork and accessories keep the room interesting.

Notice the artwork. It depicts a natural scene with enough bright colors to draw the eye. Pieces such as that and the bright yellow bottle on the coffee table help make the room shine.

Decorating a room with a single color makes it restful and inviting, but be sure to add those color surprises to help the room sparkle too!

What do you want your eating counter to look like?

what-do-you-want-your-eating-counter-to-look-likewWhen you’re planning your kitchen, take some time to determine whether you want to include an eating counter like this one. There are some decisions to make if you decide a counter is for you, so let’s take a look at the things you may want to consider.

Counter depth: Your Fulton design-center designer can show you examples of standard counter depths. Don’t short-change your counter. You may find that this space becomes more than a snack area. It may be the choice location for your kids to do their homework or your prime appetizer spot when you have people over for dinner.

Counter edge: If you will have people leaning over the counter, make sure the edge will be comfortable. Some of the edges are fun and interesting, but not as easy on the stomach over time as your kids bend over it while munching on breakfast or a snack.

Stool height: Counters and stools come in all sorts of heights. Make sure you know how high your counter will be so that you select stools that will fit your counter well. Too high or too low and your guests will not be comfortable.

Design features: This under-counter area coordinates with the cabinetry. Other islands may have tile under the counter. Think about whether you will have kicking kids sitting at the counter or more well-behaved adults when choosing your materials. This counter also adds a bit of splash with two columns, giving a bit of extra personality to the kitchen. Check with your designer to see all of your column and other kitchen counter options.

Ceiling Makes Room Special

ceiling-design-makes-room-specialwWhen planning a home’s décor, most of us start with the flooring, then move on color choices. We may select a daring paint option for a room like the almost-black on this bedroom’s left wall. Window coverings often come next, followed by larger, then smaller pieces of furniture. We finish up with accessories and art.

But one thing we generally don’t do is worth the extra step. Before the flooring, the paint and the furniture, take a minute to look up. What does your ceiling have to offer in a room? If you’re stuck with one of those popcorn ceilings from a few decades ago, it may be time to hire someone to redo it. That will add value and selling your home will be easier if you lose that dated look. However, what about having a ceiling that makes the room something special?

This master bedroom gains luxury and style before you even notice the walls, floor or furniture with its dramatic coffered ceiling. The molding running along the inside adds interest and a bit of traditional flavor to a non-traditional approach. The lights and ceiling fan create shadows that make the entire ceiling intriguing. The white molding works well with the dark ceiling color to create contrast and keep the room feeling cozy and inviting.

When you’re planning a new home, think about every surface. Adding molding, wainscoting, lighting and ceiling architecture becomes the gift that keeps on giving – making your home a special one-of-a-kind place for you and your family.

Exploring Fulton Homes: The Fulton Design Center

design-center-carpeting-webOne of the best aspects of buying a new Fulton Home is the opportunity to use the Fulton Design Center to create a home made just for you. You have the opportunity to select everything from your flooring to lighting and paint colors. And with our technology department you can create the perfect home theater and build the best security system for your needs.

Once you’ve visited a number of communities and models, it pays to visit the Fulton Design Center on one of our open browse nights. Scheduled the first and third Thursday evenings of every month from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, you have the opportunity to see all of the options available for customizing your home to your style and taste.

Fulton designers are available to answer your questions and show you around. You may be surprised at the variety of choices waiting for you. In this low-key environment you can enjoy various appetizers and drinks while wandering through the space. It also pays to get a sense of what sort of options you can select.

With over 13,000 square feet of space, there are kitchen and bathroom vignettes in a number of styles to give you ideas about your own home. The Design Center is frequently updated so that the products and examples are current in style and capability. Kitchens include a variety of cabinets and appliances so that you can try out the feel of them and determine those options that appeal to you.

Once you buy your Fulton Home, you will be visiting the Fulton Design Center to select your home’s options with the help of one of our trained designers. Exploring your choices ahead of time will make this process both easier and more fun.

With the Fulton Design Center, you can end up with a home that matches your taste and décor preferences as well as working with your family’s functional needs.

A Ceiling with Personality

web-a-ceiling-with-personality-blogWhen people plan their home’s décor, they think about flooring and the walls, but many ignore the sixth surface – the ceiling. Fulton Homes understands something that custom homebuilders have known for years – your ceiling provides an opportunity to showcase the lines of your home.

There are many ways to incorporate your ceiling into the design of a space. This photo shows some of the most effective options.

Dimension: By adding dimension to the ceiling the spaces are clearly defined. The living area ceiling builds an enclosure and creates a comfortable coziness. This type of ceiling, known as a coffered ceiling, has a long tradition. In this open living space it adds a line of demarcation as well as providing an additional appealing style element.

Color: By pulling the wall color up into the center of the coffered ceiling, the space is more clearly defined. The combination of dimension and color makes the ceiling even more dramatic. By using the same color on the ceiling as the walls the space has a warm centralized feel.

Lighting: Notice the light running along the edge of the coffered ceiling. This emphasizes the personality of the ceiling and creates a natural focal point at night. Entertaining in this room will be particularly effective thanks to this ceiling design.

It’s easy to ignore a ceiling, but if you do you’re sacrificing an opportunity to add style and drama to your home. Take a moment to picture this room without any furniture. Even empty, this space has its design own strength, and the ceiling is the reason why.

Interesting Lighting Livens Space

web-lighting-interesting-blogWhen you’re planning your home’s appearance, take the time to consider all the elements. Flooring has a dramatic impact, and wall color creates a finished look. Window coverings add warmth and help manage light. But it’s easy to ignore your home’s light fixtures, and that can lead to missing an opportunity.

Lighting creates a mood, both in how an area is illuminated and how the lights themselves set a style. Let’s take a look at this open floor plan as an example. Four different choices of lighting make a real difference in this space.

Old-style ceiling fan: With the dual fan arrangement, this steel fan reflects a look that reflects the mood of hard-boiled detective fiction. You can imagine Humphrey Bogart in a room with a fan like this one, a steel file-cabinet in the background and his feet crossed on top of a battered wooden desk in the center of the office. A fan like this one says you’re not afraid to hark back to another era.

The pendant lights over the kitchen island also recollect another time. They mimic a classic schoolhouse style with their interesting shape. But the clear glass and Edison light bulbs bring them into the present. This combination of past and present blend to make a daring combination. Are you willing to take the design risk? The result is a room that steps out of the ordinary.

Ceiling lights provide the third light choice. These can be bright when needed for cooking or projects, or dimmed to set the right tone for evening events. Brushing along cabinets and walls, these lights are the quiet workhorses in your home. You really don’t want to do without them.

Finally, a simple chandelier sits over the dining table. Turned on for meals and off at other times, it’s functional yet creates an aura of warmth to match the meals served there. This light says hospitality.

Your home’s light fixtures are more important than you may realize. Take time to make the right lighting decisions for you and your family.

Architectural Details add Luxury

La-Quinta-family-room-webIf you want to turn a room from ordinary to something special, consider the opportunity to add architectural detail.

In this family room, from the La Quinta model at Oasis at Queen Creek, ceiling choices combine to make this room extraordinary. First, the coffered ceiling style adds depth and dimension. Choosing a combination of the wall color and a crisp white add valued contrast while emphasizing the structural features.

Lighting choices also add personality. The lights ringing the inside of the ceiling drop bring a soft tone to the ceiling edge. An intriguing ceiling fan and contemporary classic chandelier finish the ceiling’s appeal.

The flooring contributes to the finished look of this room. Porcelain tile planks that mimic wood have increased in popularity lately, as it gives homeowners the chance to have the appealing look of wood with the convenience and low maintenance of tile. This tone complements the wall color well.

The warmth of the room’s color choices are echoed in the décor. Leather seating in the appealing cognac color is supported with a rich pattern and contemporary art in rusts and greens. The room’s layout and the design choices are simple yet inviting. Notice that the baseboards are also white, connecting ceiling and floor in an effective way. This choice provides a good element of contrast.

To see this room in person, stop by our Oasis at Queen Creek community and take the time to visit our models.

Use Pinterest to Help Create the Home of your Dreams

pinterest_fultonAre you planning to move into a new Fulton Home soon? Or maybe you’re still getting settled and deciding how to decorate your new home. Well, even if you’re just looking for ideas to update your home and add some pizazz, we suggest checking out Pinterest.

If you’re not familiar with Pinterest, it is set up like a collection of bulletin boards, allowing you to capture a favorite room, product, color or idea and save it in categories of your choice. For example, you may want to look at kitchens, or possibly just different backsplashes. Just open a Pinterest account of your own, add a board named for whatever you want to explore, and then use the search option at the top to see what’s out there.

Of course, you’re welcome to visit our Pinterest site. We have 70 boards holding almost 1,400 pins, and we add new ones just about every week. Our pins range from various home categories such as dining rooms and closets to more family-oriented topics such as our newest addition: Arizona Summer Safety.

The Fulton Home’s Pinterest site has been designed with you in mind. Whether you’re looking for ideas for general entertaining, birthday parties or something special for Father’s Day, we invite you to check our boards out for suggestions and tips. And if you like it, follow it for a chance to stop by easily whenever you want.

And if you discover something of value, whether on one of our boards or any others, you can just repin to your own Pinterest site to hang on to the idea and information. Then when it’s time to plan that party or redo that bathroom, all of your ideas are saved in one place.

If you are looking for information or ideas that we don’t list on our site, just let us know and we can add a board or pins to answer your questions or provide tips. After all, it’s there for you. Check out our Pinterest site by clicking here. We look forward to your visit.

Decorate Using the Four Elements: Air

air photoAs we mentioned in our last blog, it’s interesting to take the long-ago perspective that the universe is made up of only four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.  Today, let’s take a look at what a room would look like if it had an Air focus.

Vaulted ceilings, skylights and large windows fit this image. The ceiling is definitely a star in this photo. The coffered inlay is highlighted by the white trim and sunlight that creates magic shadows against the far wall. Silver and glass accessories suit air, as well as the subtle shades of grey that make up the color palette.

Notice the number of curves in the space, just as air curves as it passes buildings and trees. Even the plant in the back has an airy flow to it.

air 3This photo celebrates air, with the collage of planes in the background. Clearly this room was designed with air in mind. Again the color scheme reflects grey with soft lavender highlighted on the wall. A ceiling fan is a natural addition to an air-focused room. Skylights and clerestory windows also reflect the air feeling. Both photos are from the model homes at Legacy.

If you’re always looking up at the sky and enjoy having everything light and bright in your home, then maybe a focus on air is right for you.

In our next two blogs, we’ll look at what fire and water designs feel like.

The Practical Beauty of Glass Tile

Watercolors-Ocean-Install-464x464Most of us would probably agree that glass tile is gorgeous to look at and adds a unique style to any space. But, aside from their aesthetic appeal, is glass tile a practical design choice?  After all, glass is delicate and breakable…isn’t it?

Characteristics of Glass Tile: Glass tile has many wonderful features that make it a great material for many projects, from both visual and practical standpoints.

  •  Shatter-Resistant: Unlike the type of glass used in vases and light bulbs, glass tiles are built to be shatter-resistant.
  • Durable: Strong and long lasting, glass tile is extremely practical.
  •  Water Resistant: As glass tiles don’t absorb water, they’re popular in areas with high humidity.
  • Easy-to-Clean: Since their surfaces aren’t highly porous, they’ll get back their shine with just a few wipes.
  • Heat Resistant: Heat resistant tile comes in a variety of styles, colors and materials, providing options that work with many different design schemes.

Glass Tile in the Home: Glass tiles can be incorporated in several areas of a home and are an affordable way to add a bit of glimmer to any area. Due to its heat and water resistance, glass tile is a perfect choice for fireplaces, kitchens and bathrooms.

Here are some different ways glass tile is commonly used:

  • When used in fireplace surrounds, the firelight makes the tile shimmer, creating an amazing ambience.
  • In kitchen backsplashes and countertops, glass creates a clean, contemporary look. Watercolors glass tiles provide a stunning look for a kitchen backsplash.Watercolors-Wheat-Field2-Install-464x464
  • In bathroom countertops, tub surrounds, and shower walls. Shimmer glass is a particularly beautiful choice for bathroom designs as it is hand-poured, resulting in a variation of color among the individual mosaic tiles.

Shimmer-Abalone-Dallas-Patrick-shot2-2014-464x464As you can see, glass tile is extremely versatile! With the many different options available, and each type of glass having its own unique qualities, you can select the tile that truly reflects your style.