Author Archives: FultonHomes

What Is the Difference Between an Armchair and Accent Chair?

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Both armchairs and accent chairs play a significant role in the design of your living room; however, many people struggle with determining between the two. While an accent chair can serve as an armchair, they both have distinct differences. Armchairs are always made with arms, and depending on the manufacturer, an accent chair can be produced with or without them. If you are curious about learning more, we dug deeper into the key differences between these two commonly used chairs.

Armchair vs. Accent Chair

Simply put, an armchair is simply a chair with arms. Armchairs can be purchased with a traditional living room set so it can match the loveseat and sofa. It can also be purchased separately, and contrast that harmony while complementing the existing furniture. On the other hand, accent chairs are more than just functional pieces of furniture. The purpose of an accent chair is to add a focal point in your living space by drawing out a particular hue in the room or contrast in a bland space. Therefore, an accent chair does not have to create an exact match in the living room. When shopping for an accent chair, you can select from different colors, patterns, and styles. If a decorative chair has arms, it can function as an accent chair or armchair. On the contrary, pieces without any arms are accent furniture.

How to Choose an Armchair?

When shopping for an armchair in a traditional, formal living room, you can opt for a piece that exactly matches your sofa and loveseat. You can also consider coordinating with a pattern that is being used within the space such as the accent pillows on the couch or the curtains. With a rainbow of colors available to you, you will want to give careful thought to what color chair you are interested in purchasing. If possible, obtain a sample fabric just to see how it will look in the room.

How to Choose an Accent Chair?

Accent chairs can be used to add extra seating to the living room, dining room table, and in other areas of the house. Depending on where you place the accent chair, be sure to choose the right size, shape, and height for the space. You want to be an accent to the room while blending seamlessly into the overall design.

What are your thoughts on accent chairs and armchairs? Do you have a preference? Lets us know your thoughts below in the comment section!

Tips for Curating Your Home with Quality Items

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You have been obsessing over creating a stylish home just like the ones you see in the magazines and on television shows. While designing a space is all about your personal style, it can be essential to focus on key elements that add quality over quantity to your home design. So before you head to your nearest store, here are some tips for curating your home with quality items:

Do Not Make This Mistake

Often, when we are setting out to design our homes with the goal of buying as many pieces as possible with a relatively small budget. So you score items from popular chain stores to furnish your home for less. While some of the furniture may be solidly built, you cannot expect most of these pieces to last a long time. If you are determined to curate your home with quality items, it is essential to take a more thoughtful approach. Start by getting rid of the mindset that you have to furnish every room in your home quickly. With this approach, you will likely be motivated to purchase a bunch of low-quality, inexpensive furniture just so your home can look “complete.” Instead, you want to make sure that the furniture you select is appropriate and that it lasts for many years to come.

Quality Over Quantity

The key to creating a stylish home is having an eclectic mix of furniture and accessories that complement the overall design of your home. This is done by taking your time and investing in pieces as you go along. Look at consignment shops, yard sales, and boutiques for unique items. It may be tempting to purchase a lot of inexpensive furniture that may even be attractive, but be sure to focus on quality over quantity.

Analyze Things You Buy

Will this piece be useful in the next few years, or can you repurpose it into something useful? Or can this furniture serve more than one purpose? For instance, a vintage dresser could later be reused as a television console in the living room. Be sure to ask yourself these questions before you make a purchase.

Save and Wait Because It Is an Investment

You should also invest in things made of quality materials. You will find that a lot of furniture purchased from chain stores is made up of MDF. MDF is an engineered wood that is easily susceptible to cracks and will fall apart fairly quickly. Try to purchase pieces that are made from genuine wood. It is okay to wait and save up for pieces. We understand that buying home decor is a process and an investment. Go slow, save, and buy what you can when you can.

We hope you found these tips helpful. Check back weekly for more home inspiration and tricks, and be sure to subscribe. Thanks for reading!

Adding Gorgeous Pottery to Your Home Decor

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We love the look of pottery with its natural, organic look, not to mention the varying shapes, sizes, and available colors. Handmade pottery can have thousands of different colors and glazes from neutrals to bold colors with matte or glossy finishes and textures. We are positive that you will love any and all pottery you introduce into the home. So for tips and tricks on how to include these incredible, handmade works of art into your design style, be sure to keep on reading!

The Good Ole Standby Vase

Vases are a great decor piece to use in your home decor. You can use them on their own or group them according to height and size. Also, they look beautiful when you mix with other mediums like glass vases. Do not forget to finish them off by adding a fresh flower or palm frond from the garden!

Lighting

Choose pottery lighting in table lamps, wall sconce lights, and hanging pendant lights. Now that you are aware and looking, you will notice so many table lamps with beautiful pottery bases in all varying sizes, colors, textures, and finishes. You will even see beautiful wall sconces made from pottery in very modern design styles, but let’s not overlook the free-forming, hanging pendant pottery lights that come in different sizes, colors, textures, and finishes. These varying light fixtures can range from low to high-end design styles with prices to match your needs.

Tableware

Tableware might be an area you never imaged as being a part of your home decor, but it most definitely is and always has been. You can purchase coffee mugs, cups, dinner plates, salad plates, cereal bowls, dessert plates, and serving pieces all made of pottery. Again, you will be able to choose from various sizes, colors, styles, textures, and finishes. Regarding the price, they will range from low to expensive. Find tableware that meets your budget while matching your design.

We hope you love pottery as much as we do, and now you can start including it in your home decor!

Simple Decorating Tips to Transform a Room

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Now that you have purchased a home from Fulton Homes, we have several tips listed below for decorating your new home! The process for decorating your home can be overwhelming, and we are going to share a few tips to give your home that new look without breaking the bank. The key is to think outside of the box without spending a massive amount of money. Here is how:

Decorate One Wall Inexpensively

An inexpensive way to decorate one entire wall is to purchase frames that are white and insert black and white photographs inside of them. This design tip is timeless and will look like a professional crafted your gallery wall. If you are looking for a little more color or personalization, you can swap out photos that you took of flowers or other outdoor inspiration. It can be perfect for embracing summertime in your home decor.

Hanging a Shelf

If you have a narrow room, hang a long shelf or mantel to display a collection or various accessories and decor pieces. It helps utilize the wall space while adding a pop to color to your design.

Hanging a Mirror

Mirrors will instantly change the look of a room by making it look larger. This trick will reflect natural and artificial light, including patterns and color, and brings the outdoors into the room.

Add a Rug to the Room

This step will add an instant change to your room. All you need to do is add an area rug to the living space. If you want a clean feeling rug, add a natural fiber area rug to the space. For a more dramatic exotic feel, add an animal rug like a zebra, cow or lion print.

Add Pillows, Pillows, and More Pillows

Pillows are an easy and inexpensive way to change the entire look of a room. By adding pillows to your sofa and accent chairs, you can create a cozy and chic environment. Believe us; this easy and quick fix will change the look of any sofa, chair, or bed alike.

Paint a Closet

This is an easy fix if you have leftover paint that you would like to use. Paint the interior of a closet, so you have a pleasant surprise when you open the door!

Paint an Accent Wall

Paint an accent wall in bold strips horizontally, diagonally or vertically for a designer’s dream. This is an easy update that will add WOW to any room!

We would love to hear how decorating your new home goes, so please let us know below in the comment section.

Scented Design

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What actually creates your home’s design? Is it colors and patterns? Is it the design theme you choose? Maybe, it is how the atmosphere makes you feel? Your design is more than just a room’s visual aesthetics. Factors like textures, sounds, and scents can all play a vital role in how others construe your space. Incorporating different aromas to your space can rejuvenate your atmosphere. Here are several great aromas to use in your home to help enhance your atmosphere:

Essential Oil Diffuser

Essential oils are extremely popular for their added benefits such as anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, immune boosting, and antiviral components. Adding an essential oil diffuser is a great way to capture incense while taking advantage of different benefits of diverse essential oils. Try adding oils to help calm or relax and the atmosphere like lavender, chamomile, sandalwood, or jasmine. You can also use other oils like wild orange, peppermint, and bergamot to help add a more positive, upbeat energy to a room.

Candles

Another great scented remedy to have in your home are candles. Candles are great for adding a warm, inviting energy to a room. With hundreds of aromas available, you can have your room scented however you want. Candles can also be a great addition to add to a fireplace during the warmer months. You can get the visual and aromatic benefits of the fire and candles without adding too much warmth to your space.

Incense

Incenses can usually be burnt for religious, meditation, or cultural purposes. However, they can also add a great scent to your home and have an aesthetic appeal. Burning incense is a great air freshener and odor eliminator but also can have benefits for helping you concentrate and stimulate your creativity. Try adding these to your home office or areas in your home where you spend time being creative and being focused the most.

Never try to mask odors. Try to keep odors eliminated and create your own scents for your atmosphere. More than just visual aesthetics play a role in a room’s overall feel. What are some of your favorite scents? Comment below and let us know.

What Should I Do with My Leftover Furniture?

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Soiled and saggy, you have realized that your favorite sofa is on its last leg. Whether you have managed to score a vintage piece of furniture or your living room is sporting a hand-me-down sofa, it can be challenging to decide if you should let it go. It is especially so if you are working with a small budget. Do you clean it, reupholster it, or buy a new one? No need to fret! We will help you decide what is the best choice.

Consider the History

One of the first questions you will want to ask yourself is, “where exactly did the piece of furniture come from?” If it was passed down from a family member or friend obtaining some information about the original cost, quality, and conditions that the furniture may have endured is a breeze. On the hand, if you purchased it from a thrift store or it was a roadside rescue, it might be impossible to tell what it endured.

What Is the Condition?

Perhaps your biggest concern should be the current condition of the furniture piece. For instance, if the piece spent years in a smoker’s home, you can expect the smell of cigarettes to cling to the upholstery. To be honest, you might never be able to get rid of the scent.

What if the upholstery spent several months stored in someone’s garage or basement? Then you will need to inspect for signs of mold. These environments are home to high levels of humidity and moisture. Moisture and humidity can easily absorb into wooden frames making for the perfect opportunity for mold and bacteria growth. In cases like this, you will have to strip down the piece to the furniture, have the wood professionally treated for mold. You will have to determine whether you are interested in investing some money into restoring the upholstery.

Cleaning

If the upholstery is badly soiled, you will have to make use of a professional upholstery cleaning service. Sometimes an expert can tell prior to cleaning, what kind of results you can expect. However, there is no guarantee whether it is possible to clean the upholstery to your satisfaction.

What if cleaning a sofa is not enough to restore it to its original condition? Reupholstering is your next option. Reupholstering a couch or chair can be expensive. For vintage pieces, it may be worth the investment.

In order to determine what you should do with your old furniture, you need to consider the piece’s use and functionality. If it is in good condition, you may have more options. Just keep in mind the different steps to take when restoring it and keep an open mind if those steps do not work.

How to Preserve Your Wood Furniture

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Whether it is your beloved dining room table that you paid some serious bucks for or an antique rocking chair that has been passed down in your family, no doubt you want your wood furniture for several years to come. While wood furniture can last for a long time, proper care and maintenance can ensure that it looks good throughout the years. Here is how you can protect your favorite wood pieces:

Things to Avoid:

  • Sunlight: Believe it or not, the sun pouring in from a nearby window can damage your wood furniture over time. Therefore, you will want to avoid placing your favorite pieces near exposed windows where direct sunlight can alter the color of the wood stain. If you have to put a piece of wood furniture near a window, consider adding blackout shades or curtain to help prevent sunlight from affecting the furniture.
  • Water: Try your best to not expose your wood furniture to water even during cleaning. Drinking glasses can leave behind sweat rings that are nearly impossible to remove once they are ingrained in the wood surface.
  • Heating Vents: You probably never thought your heating vents could pose a danger to your wood furniture, but it actually can. Avoid putting pieces near or over a heating vent. Heat can also damage the finish of wood finish and completely dry out the material. Instead, try placing the furniture in the center of the room.
  • Humidity: Heating is not the only natural force that can erode wood finishes, but changes in humidity levels could ruin a beautiful piece of wood furniture. If you can, try to keep humidity levels at 40-60%. Anything above those levels can make a wood piece warp causing the finishing to crack and chip.

How to Protect Wood Furniture

  • Tablecloths: Wood tabletops often take a beating. The best way to protect such a surface is to use a tablecloth because it will protect against stains and marks.
  • Polishing: Depending on the finish of the wood, you should only require polishing 1-2 times a year.
  • Dusting: Dust can easily mix in with the humidity lingering in the air. When it settles onto your wood furniture, it can potentially damage the surface. To prevent this, make sure you dust as often as you can.

We hope you find these tips and tricks useful. For more informative pieces, please visit us at Fulton Homes.

How to Stay Protected Against the Arizona Sun

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Arizona days can be incredibly hot, and while outdoor activities are in full force, you may be looking for a little extra protection from the sun. Whether you plan on going to the lake, family picnics or playing sports outside, all too often, we have seen how intense the sun can actually be. When you are exposed to too much heat, your body may experience dehydration, which can lead to heat cramps, exhaustion, and even a sunstroke/heat stroke. So that you and your family are healthy all summer long we have listed some helpful tips for staying protected:

Light Colored Clothing

Depending on how you dress, light colors can really help you stay comfortable when outside in the heat. Think about wearing white or soft neutral/pastel colored clothes made from natural fibers like cotton and linen. Since dark clothing absorbs heat and tight-fitting clothes are not made to let you sweat, you can get overheated during the summer. Your body’s natural cooling system is to sweat and evaporate; therefore, do not wear clothes that will prevent this natural cooling system from doing its thing!

Hats & Sunglasses

Buy a wide-brimmed straw or fabric hat that prevents UV (ultraviolet) rays from getting to your face and neck. Your skin will appreciate this as you age and so will you, compared to people who chose not to cover their face in the sun. Make sure you purchase sunglasses that prevent UV rays from damaging your eyes. Choose sunglasses that block ninety to one hundred percent of UV rays to stay safe.

Lip Balm & Sunscreen

Lip balm protects your lips, which are very thin and sunburn easily. Make sure you purchase a balm that has SPF (sun protection factor) of at least a fifteen. When you are outdoors who wants to ruin the fun by getting a nasty sunburn? No one does, but if you do not purchase a sunscreen with at least a fifteen SPF, you will probably be sitting on the sidelines with that nasty sunburn. If you are swimming or playing sports and sweating, be sure to purchase a waterproof sunscreen.

For children, do not forget to protect the tender areas like the tops of ears, eyelids, nose, shoulders, the head and back of the neck. We would also recommend a lip balm that is for chapped lips with an SPF of at least a fifteen to put under eyebrows and on eyelids to prevent a nasty burn. The chapped lip balm’s thick consistency will prevent the balm from running into the eyes.

Enjoy your summer, and stay healthy!

Tips for Organizing a Kid’s Bedroom

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Are you tired of always getting on your kid to clean up their room? A child’s room can quickly become cluttered with clothes, crafts, and toys. If this is an issue that you are currently experiencing, it may be time to start implementing some new organization strategies. A well-organized room will allow kids to locate their favorite toys faster as well as help keep things neat. Here are some tips to help organize your child’s room:

No Longer in Use

If you are still storing those clothes that your child can no longer fit, it is time to find them a new home. Ask your child to help you separate items that they no longer use or can fit, so you can both donate them to other children in need. Children are more likely to part with the toys that they no longer play with when they find out that they will be helping another child in need.

Cute and Practical

Your storage solutions should be fun while being ideal for the needs of your kid. You can try using colorful storage bins with wheels that enable them to be easily moved. In addition, if you are feeling artsy, you can make it a crafts project with the kids to create fun storage options for their toys.

Get Kids Involved

Have your children help you organize their room. Be sure to make it fun by turning it into a game–this will help them develop a more upbeat attitude towards tidying up their room thus motivating them to do so on their own.

Separate “Like” Items

Try storing “like” items together. Help them sort through their clothes and toys so that you can see exactly what they have. Use storage bins, shelves, or crates to place items so that you will be able to keep track of what they have.

Accessibility is Key

When organizing your kid’s room, it is essential that you make everything easily accessible for your child that way, they will be able to find and put away items. If you have small children, consider placing nooks at a convenient height. In addition, you can lower rods in the closet so that they will be able to hang up their own clothes.

How do you stay organized? We would love to hear your personal tips and tricks below in the comment section. Thanks for reading!

Tips and Tricks for Moving Day

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Moving can be one of the most significant stress factors in life. It can be overwhelming and very time-consuming. Not only do most people not like change, but the stress of packing everything from one home to the next can be a challenge. You want to pack your precious belongings with care and make sure they get from point “A” to point “B” safely.

Supplies

You will want to break down your house into mini projects to help alleviate the size of the task. A project is always easier when the right material is all at hand before you start. Get boxes or crates which can easily be stacked on top of one another. Additionally, you will need tape, newspaper, bubble wrap, and probably should invest in a two-wheel dolly.

Small to Big

Select one room at a time. Start with all smaller trinkets and items. For fragile object, try wrapping them in newspaper or bubble wrap to reinforce them before packing them in their boxes. Books can be heavy, so always consider the weight of the box before taping it. Try to keep cords with their respective electronics, and if you must remove screws, put them inside a Ziploc and tape them to the furniture piece.

Fragile Items

Depending on the electronic, you may want to bring it up front with you in the moving truck or wrap it in bubble wrap. Place large mirrors between mattresses and wrap them with towels. Disassemble any fragile furniture and wrap glass shelving. Packing a moving truck needs to be handled very strategically. If possible, consider taking televisions and computers in your personal vehicle.

Packing the Truck

Larger items will be your big puzzle pieces. Use your smaller boxes to stabilize everything in the moving truck. Like a giant game of Tetris, you will want to fill in any gaps. Use tie-downs to hold big furniture in place along the walls. You may also need to consider your packing order. What goes in last comes out first. Do not get yourself stuck in a standstill because you packed the truck backward and you need objects from the front of the truck first to continue.

Be Cautious

Drive with caution and avoid large potholes and bumps. It is not a race and accelerating and braking too aggressively can cause objects to shift. You need to be aware of this as well when you get to your destination. Open the truck door with caution because objects may have shifted during your commute. You will also need to have a good understanding of how you pack the truck so while unpacking you do not put pictures and mirrors at risk. Breaking the moving process into smaller increments will save you from over-stressing.