Taking a chance with dark colors can really pay off, as this room shows. The rich browns and maroons capture an atmosphere of welcoming intimacy in this small room.

The standard decorating advice recommends that we avoid dark colors in smaller rooms, but breaking that pattern often works. In this room, there is only room for a table and its seating. Let’s see why this room creates intimacy rather than a crowded feeling.

First, this room has three large windows with white trim and a white ceiling and baseboards. Taking a look at the walls, there is no place visible with more than a foot or so band of dark red paint. The white ceiling has brown beams that link it to the dark brown wood floors. The window’s white frames are offset by the dark brown shades. The chandelier has a dark bronze frame, but the lights provide the needed contrast. There is plenty of light in this dark room, even at night.

The other design detail that makes this space work comes from the consistent line of the flooring and furniture. They all have a strong vertical leading into the room. By using benches instead of chairs on the sides, the table, benches and floor all flow in the same uninterrupted direction. This draws the eye into the room. With the benches showing the only pattern in the room, there is very little to distract you. The space may not be big, but it’s big enough – big enough to hold six to eight diners comfortably and to create an inviting and intimate setting for a meal.

Sometimes a book can make you take a second look at an everyday idea or product. This is certainly the case with At Home, a new book by Bill Bryson. It focuses on things we take for granted in our homes and discusses how they developed over time.

This month all the newest in flooring will be shown at Surfaces, the largest flooring event in the U.S., so now is a good time to consider the start of flooring and the progress we’ve made.

Initially, homes were constructed to protect people from the elements. Not only were style and design unimportant, so was something as basic as comfort. Floors were simply the dirt a home was built upon, generally packed down.

Over time, wealthier people in England and other parts of Europe added layers of rushes over the dirt to keep down the dust and make the ground softer and warmer to walk on. These rushes were replenished about twice a year generally. However, don’t picture nice clean green grass or dry hay underfoot. People generally didn’t remove the old rushes; simply placing new rushes on top. This meant that floors were deep, natural havens for insects as well as worse options such as mice and rats.

Eventually wood, stone and tile replaced this practice, but choices were limited to what was available locally. Carpets, which often came from far away or were woven at home, were so valuable that they were hung on the walls or placed on tables. Certainly no one expected to walk on one.

It’s worthwhile to think of the challenges homeowners had in the past the next time you come into our design center. You have an amazing selection of a variety of materials gathered from across the world.

With its warm colors and soft fabrics, this room says toasty warm without even checking a thermometer.

Can you picture yourself in this room? Maybe you could cozy up in the leather sofa and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa before bed. The sofa and ottoman are warmed by the squishy fabric pillows and inviting knitted cream-colored throw.

This room is warm without feeling dark and closed in. Let’s examine why it works so well. Although the furniture is all dark and rich, the setting is light. Light neutral plush carpeting is just the right choice. A wood floor would be too dark for the furniture. The walls are also light and bright while still pulling in some warmth from the gold design. Several lamps added to the ambient lighting also contribute to the brightness of the room, particularly important during the winter evenings when it gets dark so quickly.

Having a four-poster bed reminds us of the days when beds were wrapped in curtains to keep out drafts. Although not necessary with our central heating, the posts still create an island of comfort and coziness in the room, helped by the lush quilt and pillows.

Does your home’s décor keep you toasty in cold weather? Could you add a throw or some pillows to add to a sense of warmth? What can you do to make your home a more comfortable escape from winter weather besides turning up the thermostat?

Red continues to be one of the hot colors for interiors as we leave winter celebrations behind and look toward Valentine’s Day, though this much loved and much maligned color is not just for the holidays. Red in your living environment can be exciting and invigorating. For the daring of the world, walls can be steeped in a brilliant scarlet or floors can be covered in deep red carpet. But, those broad swaths of such a bold hue are not for everyone.

This more sedate, yet lively contemporary dining space uses red in contrast to the white and black elements of the room. The red leather chairs are a perfect balance to the six white side chairs, showing how beautifully small pops of color can work in a design.

Another bit of red in the center of the dining table is also a good addition which could also be achieved with a piece of art glass or two quirky red candelabras. The simple white hanging pendant light over the table is great in white, but an adventurous soul might choose deep red for the shade.

With such an expanse of white painted walls and ceiling, a large abstract painting or print with lots of red would also be stunning in this space, as would a contemporary mirror with glossy red frame.

It’s not too late to make a New Year’s resolution to give one of the beautiful vibrant reds a try. Whether you use just a few small splashes or go for broke and paint an accent wall, red might turn out to be your 2011 color of the year. Could red your color for 2011?

Do you love your Fulton home? If you do, shoot a 30-60 second video (use your phone, a flip or any camera) telling us why you love your Fulton home or community. Then upload to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/FultonHomes (choose the video button next to status update on our page) and you could win  a GE Profile Harmony Electric Washer and Dryer in Platinum that talk to each other.  ($2000 retail value.) Contest has been extended to end on 1-31-11.

Here are more details about the prize.
With this GE washer, you get a King-size, 4.0 cu. ft. stainless steel wash basket — one of the largest-capacity washers available — for washing up to 24 bath towels or 50 T-shirts in a single load. Plus, the GE Harmony washing machine uses as little as 17 gallons of water for a small load and 24 gallons for an average-size load. **Please leave a comment if you need help uploading the video to our Facebook page. Good luck!

Here at Fulton Homes, we like our prospective and current homeowners to be able to see the different communities that are offered.  On our homepage, you’ll see a “Visit The Community” box.

Once you click on this link, it will take you to a page where you can “View Neighborhoods & Community Layout”.  With this tool, you can view all of the different neighborhoods and lots available from Fulton Homes.

This feature is a great way to become familiar with the different neighborhoods we offer!

What makes this bedroom’s design feel cohesive and inviting? To create a cozy environment, it’s important to think inside the box.

Every room has six surfaces: the four walls, the floor and the ceiling. You need to take all six into account when you’re planning a space.

This bedroom has every element needed to make a room feel comfortable. The oak-brown carpeting is almost an exact match for the warm brown walls. Cream and brown bedclothes stay in the same color family while using texture and pattern to keep the room interesting.

The most exciting design decision, however, is the ceiling. By choosing a very dark brown combined with the cream-colored wide crown molding, the sixth surface moves from an afterthought to a powerful design feature.

This is an old fashioned room, from the plates on the wall to the furniture and accessories. But the ceiling is daring and takes the space out of great-grandma’s house to a bedroom that would work in an expensive country inn.

Look up. Are your ceilings white and forgotten? Next time you redo a room, work with all six sides of your box.

For many people, the best part of winter is over, and now there’s a long hard wait until spring. This is a great time to think about updating a room. A new coat of paint and new flooring can make a space feel fresh and exciting.

Traditionally, winter is not the best time to paint or carpet a room. The smells required several days of open windows to dissipate. But with the paints and carpeting that are available now, those powerful odors can be a thing of the past.

Volatile organic compounds, often called VOCs, refer to chemicals that are often part of the contents of various products. They release into the air over time, a process called off-gassing. If you remember the concept of the “new car smell,” the bad news is that you’re talking about inhaling VOCs with every new vehicle. Those chemicals created the smell we connect with new paint and carpeting.

The good news is that many of today’s home products have no or low VOCs as part of their makeup. You can actually paint or carpet a bedroom today and comfortably sleep in it tonight.

For more insight into the products that offer this feature, ask us for more details. You’ll find that choosing a low or no-VOC option won’t limit your choices. And you can keep your windows closed!

For many people, getting ready for the New Year involves setting up a calendar. Whether you use Outlook or another computer-based system, or prefer the classic print calendars, now is the time to prepare for next year by inserting key birthdays, anniversaries, and other personal holidays and events.

While planning your new year, how about including your house? Your home requires a number of annual maintenance events, and now is a great time to schedule them.

Do you have wood floors that need a new coat of wax or stone floors that need sealing? Are your granite countertops due for another coat of sealant this spring? When did you last have your heating and air conditioning system checked? How often do you have your carpets cleaned?

To make your life even easier, add in the phone numbers of any contacts you need for each project right in your calendar so you’re ready to make arrangements as each event comes up this next year.

Instead of counting on your memory or reminders from others, take a few extra minutes as you set up your calendar and plan your home’s care requirements for 2011. Then relax and have a happy New Year!

Are you someone who makes resolutions every year? Many people do – lose that extra 20 pounds, exercise regularly, keep your temper when the dog makes you crazy. But while you’re making personal ones, how about adding in a few to make your home safer for you and your family?

Here are a few ideas that can make a difference.

Read Safety Instructions: Every product manufacturer provides safety instructions to go with installation or use manuals. Take the time to read them. You may find that some of your assumptions of safety measures are misguided or outdated.

Bath Safety: Consider installing safety bars in your showers or baths. For children, older people, or anyone at any age, the bars can help avoid accidents on wet slippery floors. Make sure they are drilled into the studs, so that they stay where they’re supposed to when you use them.

Fire Safety: It’s tempting to burn those after holiday stacks of boxes and gift wrap in the fireplace, but sparks and an overheated fire can create real safety problems. Stick with standard fireplace fare and put boxes in recycling instead.

DIY Safety: When working with tools, always use safety glasses. Make sure your tool box also includes a first-aid kit, work gloves and ear protection gear. Depending on the project, you may also need a dust mask or respirator. Read instructions and plan for safety when you plan to do it yourself.

When you’re making your resolutions, include one or more designed to keep your home and family safe and secure. And have a happy 2011!