Have you noticed that some kitchens are lovely but don’t really catch your attention, while others have that “wow” factor? The difference is contrast. Even if you would rather stick with neutrals in your kitchen’s design, using a variety of tones will give your cooking space impact.

For many people, their first inclination is to pick everything according to their preferences without thinking of how each piece interacts. For example, people who prefer light tones will be drawn to light cabinetry, flooring, countertops and backsplash tile. With these choices, you do get a light, bright kitchen. But with no contrast, the space has only one design note – light.  Even adding color won’t change that limited palette.

The same thing happens for people who prefer the dark tones. If they choose dark cabinets, countertops, etc., their kitchen will resemble a cave – cozy but not as inviting as it could be.

This doesn’t mean that you have to make choices you don’t care for. Something as simple as a dark countertop combined with stainless steel appliances can anchor a lighter kitchen and add an inviting design feel. Dark cabinets and countertops work well together as long as you go light on the backsplash and floor. Lose the cave and create a wonderful space.

When it comes to cleaning your carpets, you have a couple questions to consider: do you steam or dry clean? Do you perform the cleaning yourself or have it professionally done?

When done well, steam cleaning is likely the best process and most often recommended by carpet manufacturers. “Done well” means that the water is hot enough, the technician is appropriately trained (IICRC Certified is best), the cleaning agents are correct for your carpet and the equipment—particularly the vacuum—is in good working order. A fully functioning truck-mounted vacuum should recapture around 95% of the moisture introduced into your carpet. This will dramatically increase soil and waste removal, while reducing drying time.

It is important to recognize that if you desire steam cleaning, most home maintenance tools don’t always measure up. While highly touted by their manufacturers, they typically can’t produce enough heat, power or suction to sufficiently clean your carpets. They may suffice for spot cleaning, but for a true deep extraction cleaning, you’ll be far better served by spending your money on a cleaning professional operating from a truck-mounted unit that produces real steam. In order for steam to get to your carpet, the water needs to be heated to around 250 degrees, to account for the drop in temp from the unit to your carpet!

It is critical that the carpets don’t get too wet, and that all the cleaning agents are completely removed. Overwetting can cause backing separation or leave ripples in your carpet. Not removing all the cleaner may leave residues that can cause rapid resoiling.

Have you ever thought about what you can do to create a luxurious feel in your home?

Recently, Home and Garden TV’s Design Star had two teams create model condos for Donald Trump with a luxurious feel. One team really got it – the space was amazingly luxurious. The other team simply lost sight of the goal, the condo was mediocre at best, and two of the three team members were eliminated.

Let’s take a look at what the winning team understood, and what you can do to create a sense of luxury in your home.

Luxury is all about texture, color and sheen. From a texture standpoint, carpeting, fabrics, and rugs that combine and layer textures create a feel of luxury. For carpeting, think plush or the rich variety of sculptured options available. No matter your flooring choice, thick, soft rugs layered on top add a sense of lavishness to your décor.

When you’re picking fabrics, select silks and wools, which combine a wealth of textures with fibers that take color like no other fabrics. A dupioni silk has a natural depth of color because silk takes dye so well. Add in the nubs and uneven weave natural to that fabric, and it’s the very essence of luxury. For contrast, add in a faux fur throw or a leather or suede pillow.

For accessories, it’s time to kick up the sheen factor. Mirrors and metallics of all kinds create that sense of sumptuousness. Consider mercury glass candlesticks, a mirrored dresser or a collection of small mirrors with different shapes and frames along one wall.

Just pick up a few fabrics and accessories and you can take your space to a new level of luxury.

The Four Seasons of Decorating: Winter

Is winter your favorite season? Create the warmth and coziness of our coldest time of the year year-round with your own winter room. Just a few touches can bring the season to life in your home.

A winter room is all about coziness. Start with the softest flooring option – carpeting. Imagine sinking your toes into a rich soft plush in an ivory or a rich dark green. Complement your flooring with velvet curtains – hung from floor to ceiling. Sage green or a dull gold adds warmth and complements your carpet choice.

Think about a rich color on your walls. Dark tones such as a warm brown or wine red echo the feel of the season and add coziness to any space. Complement your paint choice with ivories and creams in your upholstery and pillows. Winter begs for texture. You can be more monochromatic if you let texture add personality to your winter space.

Lighting is particularly important during the season when days are short. Add extra lamps to light up the corners without completely chasing away the shadows that warm the space. For accessories, select your favorite seasonal decorations, and add candles for entertaining. And be sure to include one or two throws to warm your feet on chilly evenings.

When winter comes you can let it snow outside. Inside you are completely comfortable in your room built for winter.

For the other seasons, click here.

The Four Seasons of Decorating: Fall

When deciding how to decorate a room, why not look to the four season for inspiration? Choose your favorite and find elements that echo the feel of that time of year. How about fall? If you are drawn to the colors of fall it’s easy to bring autumn into your home through every element of a room.

With flooring, wood says fall the best. Consider a rich dark tone – maybe cherry or ash. The wealth of brown tones and soft glow will provide the perfect background to your other fall elements. Draw on other dark wood tones in your furniture, or possibly metals such as bronze or cast iron to enhance that fall feeling.

For your color choices, look to the leaves. From the rich vivid reds of sugar maples to the light golds of aspens and the amazing variety of browns and maroons provided by oaks, let the trees guide you to just the right combinations. Don’t hesitate to mix them – they look wonderful outside and they will work for you in your home.

What about accessories? Some can be found in your backyard. Cut a few branches of your brightest trees and put them in a vase. Add a few fall flowers such as chrysanthemums and you have the perfect fall arrangement. A quick stop at a grocery or farmer’s market provides a wealth of fall arrangement tools, with gourds, pumpkins and Indian corn to collect in bowls and baskets. Or you can go simple – place a bowl of apples in the middle of the table, ready for anyone to grab and enjoy.

For the other seasons, click here.

The Four Seasons of Decorating: Spring

Every one of our four seasons has its own personality. Colors, style and materials in your home can reflect one season, making a naturally integrated space. Visitors may not recognize the connection, but they will feel that the room is well put together. For our next season, let’s take a look at spring.

Every element of a room can reflect spring. For flooring, think light and bright. Wood or bamboo floors in light tones echo the feel of new growth that is so important a part of this season. Maple cabinets and light wood furniture also carry that theme.

For windows, think bright crisp white. You could choose glossy white shutters, or go simple with sheers or bleached linen in a pure white. Grommet drapes are a fresh look that complements the season.

Think spring when you shop fabrics. Colors that reflect nature at its newest such as light yellow-greens and clear pastels will work well in your spring space. Patterns such as florals are obvious, but don’t limit yourself. How about a bright stripe with lots of white? Take some chances.

Finish up the room with the best representative element of spring – fresh flowers in pots. Daffodils, tulips, hyacinth and crocus set on a windowsill or scattered on various tables bring the season inside, even if it’s still winter outside.

To learn more about decorating with the other seasons, click here.

Fulton Homes, KMLE Country 108 and the KMLE Facebook page sponsoring Back to School Drive

Summer is winding down, and children and parents alike are gearing up for another school year. In an effort to make sure that all valley students have a successful year, Fulton Homes and KMLE Country 108 have teamed up for their KMLE Packs for Kids drive. Beginning Monday, July 26, radio hosts Tim and Willy will be encouraging listeners to log onto the KMLE Country page on Facebook.com and select a child to provide for. The first 50 people to donate school supplies will receive a pass to Mesa Golfland/Sunsplash. The campaign runs through August 21, when a final event to collect donations will be held at the Mesa Golfland/SunSplash.

KMLE Packs for Kids is seeking generous contributions for school supplies such as pencils, notebooks and day planners, which they will fill backpacks with benefiting the Tim & Willy Kid’s FUN-dation. Tim and Willy will be providing the school supplies/backpacks to the 501-C3 Neighborhood Center, a charity in Downtown Phoenix that serves underprivileged children through various schools.

This year, Fulton Homes and KMLE Country 108 are turning to online social media giant Facebook.com to help reach fans and make donating a breeze. On the KMLE Country page, the Neighborhood Center will post the names and ages of 108 children, as well as their back-to-school needs. Each child’s true identity will be protected with an online Avatar for complete security. Listeners are encouraged to select a child from the site and purchase the items to donate to that student. The packs will be collected at the wrap-up event on Saturday, August 21 at Golfland/SunSplash in Mesa, which will feature a live broadcast from Tim and Willy. Donations will also be collected at the KMLE studios in downtown Phoenix throughout the campaign.

“Every year, back to school shopping becomes more expensive and more stressful for families,” states Douglas Fulton, CEO of Fulton Homes. “Fulton Homes has always been committed to ensuring that every student, regardless of background, is equipped with the tools they need to receive the best education possible.”

As one of Arizona’s most recognized home builders, Fulton Homes maintains a dedicated commitment to helping our schools and communities, contributing time, talent and treasure to education, water safety programs, and other charitable causes as part of their marketing efforts. For more information call (602) 452-1000 or go to www.fultonhomes.com and click on the “Fulton Foundation” link. For more information on Tim & Willy’s Kid’s FUN-dation and the Neighborhood Center, please visit www.timandwilly.com/kids.php or visit www.facebook.com and search for “KMLE Country” or click here.

Ira and Mary Lou Fulton have changed lives for many University students with generous investments at Arizona State University, Brigham Young University, and the University of Utah. They have invested over a quarter of a billion dollars to prepare students for the future.

Ira and Mary Lou Fulton are passionately focused on building today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders. “We want to create a culture of giving among the campus, community, and alumni. Our lives have been blessed every time we give and we want the students as well as the faculty, staff and alumni to share in the joy. I don’t look at it as a gift, rather an investment in our future,” said Ira Fulton.

Does the thought of walking into a design center to make your home selections seem overwhelming to you? Think about bringing someone along to help reduce your stress and make the process easier and more fun.

You don’t need a design expert because you’ll find that with us. Instead, invite someone whose taste you admire, and that you can trust to be supportive without being overbearing. This may be a friend or a relative. Sometimes your spouse is your best partner in this process. Other times, it’s better to leave him or her out of the process until the final decision. Parents or siblings may be a good choice also.

Whomever you select, think about why you want them along, and let them know your goals. Do you just want moral support, or do you want real advice on your selections? Do you get easily confused? Possibly you need someone who can help you focus as you narrow your choices down to a manageable few.

Whatever your goals, be sure to make the final decision yourself. If you let someone else, no matter how close, control your choices, will the home ever feel like yours? The only exception to this is a spouse. Make sure you make selections that you both feel good about. Finally, if your friend is actually making the decision process more difficult for you, end the session and make plans to come back later on your own. It’s OK to do that; it’s your home and there’s no point in wasting time if you’re not getting closer to a decision.

Adding in another person can help you clarify your decisions and make the process much more fun and less stressful for you. Don’t be shy about asking. Most people will be flattered that you want to include them.

Is it the middle of summer until you walk into your dark home? How about bringing the season inside? Any season can be used as an inspiration for your decorating, and summer provides a particularly vivid palette.

Let’s start with flooring. Tile, whether porcelain or ceramic, speaks of summer. From the cool feeling on your bare toes to the low maintenance approach to the wet feet of kids running in for a snack after splashing through sprinklers, tile is the flooring ideal for surviving summer. How about matching the family room tile with your tiled patio? Carrying the same tile through both areas creates a feeling of more space and makes that connection from inside to outside stronger.

For your couch and chairs, think of the advantages of white canvas slipcovers. They make any room feel like summer and are easily washed when you get a bit too much of the outside in your home. Cover them with bright cotton throw pillows in all sizes, and if they end up on the floor as much as on the furniture, it’s cotton and it washes, so just enjoy.

Summer is all about light, so consider some light-controlling shades at the windows. Open wide for the early morning brightness, and shade your rooms from hot afternoons.

Finally, bring the beach home with coastal accessories. Whether you collect them yourself on an ocean vacation or pick them up at an import store, a few coastal items creates a wonderful summer feel even in Arizona!