Author Archives: FultonHomes

Design Your Dream Master Bath

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bath_montage_blogHave you ever thought about what you really want in your master bathroom? How about natural light while still maintaining privacy? This bathroom accomplishes that with the trio of square windows near the ceiling over the shower.

Would you like a bathroom that doesn’t feel cramped? The nice amount of square footage and open entrance gives you plenty of space. Using flooring on the diagonal adds to the sense of abundant room.

What about a roomy shower? Take a look at this option with room to move around and a subtle built-in niche that’s perfect for shampoo and body wash.

How about a mirror over the vanity that doesn’t look institutional? Take a look at how framing the mirror in the photo above adds an appealing finishing touch to the vanity area.

Would you like a spot to sit in the morning to apply make-up, or just to relax for a minute while chatting with your spouse before breakfast? This bath has just the place for a comfy chair by the mirror.

And what about style? Have you thought about the colors and finishes you would like in your master bath? What about the soft gold and rust tones of this space? Or maybe you’d rather have gentle green colors. With all of the Fulton Design Center options, it’s your choice.

While we’re at it, let’s add plenty of vanity storage, a double vanity/sink so you don’t have to share, and plenty of good and attractive lighting.

Is this your dream master bath? Want a closer look? Then how about visiting Oasis at Queen Creek Station to see it for yourself?

Imagine Never Stopping at a Gas Station Again

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energy_center_carWhat do you think of pulling into your own garage and adding fuel to your car right there? How about being able to drive in the carpool lane even if you’re alone? Add in the savings – paying the equivalent of $2.09 a gallon for fuel, no matter the price at the pump, and there are plenty of incentives to put a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) system in your garage.

Fulton Homes is the first builder in the country to provide the opportunity to add a CNG system to your home with the new homes in the Queen Creek Station community. This fuel choice is cleaner, noticeably less expensive, and allows you to eliminate that gas station stop, saving time and money.

Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of CNG for you.

Save money: In addition to the lower fuel costs, you receive a reduced rate for your car registration and license fees. You also eliminate the 18% excise tax included in all gasoline purchases.

Save time: No stops at gas stations; refuel at your convenience at home. Also, enjoy shorter commutes because your CNG vehicle has 24-hour access to the HOV lanes across the state.

Save the environment: Natural gas is abundant and much cleaner than gasoline, reducing our dependence on oil and reducing carbon dioxide by 20-30%.

You can buy cars designed to run on Compressed Natural Gas, or have a car converted to handle this new fuel choice. For more information on this exciting new option from Fulton Homes, visit our Energy Center in the Peninsula model park at Queen Creek station.

Recreate this Charming Chest

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whitewater-bedroom-1-webThoughtful touches can turn a child’s bedroom into something special, even on a budget. This chest, seen in the Whitewater model at the Oasis at Queen Creek community, has a charm that is easy to recreate.

You can find a simple chest like this one at an unfinished furniture store or thrift shop. If the piece is unfinished, be sure to prime it before painting. If it is finished, wash it and sand lightly before painting.

Now is the time to decide if you want the piece to have a flat or glossy finish. Select the right paint for your decision. You can also shop for scrap paper or wrapping paper in designs and colors that work well together. Your final purchase is a jar of decoupage medium such as Mod Podge. Be sure to choose a finish that matches your paint choice.

Start with a couple of coats of white paint. You can eliminate brush strokes and speed up the process by using spray paint. Just be sure to work outside or in a well-ventilated area.

Spray using multiple thin coats following the instructions on the can. Remove the drawers and paint separately, inside and out. Spray paint dries quickly, but you may want to wait a minute or two between coats, so you are not spraying wet paint on wet paint.

When you’re done, decoupage the papers on the front of each drawer, cutting to size before with scissors or after with a very sharp knife. Add a couple of extra coats of decoupage medium to each to protect the papers.

Finish with white knobs or choose knobs that coordinate well with the papers. Then just enjoy your handiwork! For a closer look at this chest, we invite you to visit our models at Oasis at Queen Creek.

Architectural Details add Luxury

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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.

Keep Kitchen Light and Bright

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la quinta kitchen webWhat are you looking for in a kitchen? There are so many choices. If you want a light and bright kitchen, this one from the La Quinta model at Oasis at Queen Creek provides a great example. Let’s take a look at what makes this kitchen design work.

Painted cabinets: The look of stained wood is lovely, but nothing says clean and fresh quite like a white painted cabinet. The crisp color also creates a remembrance of kitchens gone by.

Light countertops: This light granite choice fits well with the cabinetry and the veining provides a gentle contrast. The edge treatment feels substantial and works with the crown molding at the top of the cabinets.

Light backsplash mosaic: By including white and primarily light tones in the backsplash, the bright impression is carried forward. Notice that there are a handful of dark tiles in the design. This contrast makes the backsplash more interesting.

Stainless steel and brushed nickel metal choices: By staying with the cool and crisp feel of stainless appliances and brushed nickel faucet and pulls it’s possible to provide contrast without going too far. Black appliances or oil-rubbed bronze metals would be too strong a conflict with the other choices in this kitchen.

Warm but light flooring: While this porcelain tile plank flooring is light, it also adds warmth with its wood-look. The tone works well with the kitchen, providing just enough dark elements to anchor this flooring in the room.

You can make a careful balance of choices to create a light, bright and inviting kitchen like this one. To see it in person, visit our models at Oasis at Queen Creek.

Turn a Hall into Something Special

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Hall-view-1Most people think of halls as simply a way to get from one room to another, but they can be much more than that. A thoughtful approach to hall design opens up possibilities throughout your home. Here are a few suggestions to make even the halls of your home a special experience.

Flooring: As an area with limited square footage, halls are a perfect place to splurge on flooring. For example, the mixed-width wood flooring in this hallway provides an inviting path to cross from room to room. Hallways also provide opportunities for border patterns, available in tile and stone as well as wood.

Hall-view-2Art: Consider a hall as a running photo gallery. The length and standard distance of the walls allow you to run a series of art pieces along one side, creating something interesting to look at on the way from one room to another.

Room views: Be sure to stop and take a look at how each room looks from the hall. That glimpse through the door generally provides a guest’s first impression of a room. In both these first photos, the rooms have some furniture facing the hall, making each room seem welcoming from that vista.

Hall-view-3Mirrors: Using a mirror at the end of a hall can make the space seem larger and reflect light, adding brightness to the hall.

Consider trying one or more of these options to make your halls much more than just a passageway. Make them an integral part of your home’s design.

Photos taken at the Whitewater model in Oasis at Queen Creek. We hope you’ll visit for even more design inspiration!

Queen Creek Station: Looking to the Future

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Queen_Creek_montageFulton Homes believes in building homes and communities that will last, with a focus on the future. That’s one reason why all Fulton Homes are Energy Star® certified, and Fulton builds the only homes in Queen Creek that are Indoor Air PLUS® certified. These two valuable certifications allow you to benefit from state-of-the-art energy efficiency and the opportunity to live in one of the healthiest homes available.

Fulton Homes continues to take the lead in innovation in master plan home building with Queen Creek Station. We are pleased to build the first community in the United States to include a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station in all of the homes we build. Fulton Homes is proud to partner with Honda and Southwest Gas to bring this first-of-its-kind program to Queen Creek and the nation.

Visit Peninsula model park to see the Energy Center there. You can take a look at the 2015 Honda Civic and learn how you could fill the car with compressed natural gas right in your own garage. This will eliminate stops at gas stations, save you dollars over standard gasoline and allow you to use the HOV lane during your commute as well as giving you reduced auto registration fees.

The easy walk or bike ride to nearby restaurants, shops and other services can save you even more energy while promoting a pleasant and healthful lifestyle for you and your family.

One final bonus: Fiber-connected ultra-high speed Internet is available at all Queen Creek Station homes, offering speeds up to 1 Gig. So meet the future at Fulton Homes Queen Creek Station. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Fulton Homes at Queen Creek Station

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queen_creek_station_master_planFinding the right home is about a lot more than a floor plan and the number of bedrooms. When you choose a home, you’re also choosing your neighborhood. Would you like to have parks and trails practically right outside your front door? What about living an easy walk or bike ride to a nearby marketplace that includes restaurants, small coffee shops and big stores?

What else are you looking for in a neighborhood? How about easy access to the new Harkins 14 Cineplex, Williams Gateway airport, and Queen Creek Marketplace?

With all this and special amenities such as ramadas, barbeques, basketball courts, toddler play areas and a generous 5000 SF community pool, why not take a look at Fulton Home’s Queen Creek Station? This masterplan community, developed by Fulton Homes with you in mind, also has over three miles of hiking and jogging trails meandering through the area.

Queen Creek Station offers three different series of homes: The Reserve with 1,594 – 3,172 square foot homes from the $230’s, Oasis, with 1,997 – 3,801 square foot homes starting from the $260’s and Peninsula, with 2,714 – 4,204 square foot homes beginning in the $320’s. With 24 different floorplans, you’re sure to find the perfect home for you and your family. And of course, these are all Energy Star® and Indoor Air PLUS® certified Fulton Homes, built with an emphasis on quality.

Why not take a drive out to Ellsworth and Queen Creek Road and see what Fulton Homes has to offer in Queen Creek? Our models are open from 10-6 daily, giving you an idea of how your home could look and feel. Or learn more about Queen Creek Station at our website: http://www.fultonhomes.com/our-communities/queen-creek-station. We look forward to welcoming you.

Try out Unusual Neutrals

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From Ironwood Crossing

From Ironwood Crossing

Are you getting just a bit tired of earth tones and beiges? If you’re not ready to go all out with color, but you’d like to expand your options, consider these almost neutrals: dusky lavender and soft green. Here are a few suggestions for pulling them into your home.

Mix with other soft neutrals: With the addition of grey and cream, this bedroom doesn’t feel like it’s swimming in color. The grey captures elements of the soft light purple, creating echoes without overwhelming the room. Light green on the walls is made gentler with cream drapes and shades. This room has invited color in without making too much of a statement.

Choose a cool metal accent tone: In this case, silver enhances the connection between lavender and grey and it easily reflects both tones.

Don’t be afraid of contrast: Dark nightstands keep the room grounded, and the depth of tone is mirrored in several of the throw pillows, the bed skirt and the frames on the artwork. Although the actual colors vary, bringing in a number of dark elements lets them work together to make the room more interesting.

Minimize the hues: Notice that the walls are a slight green, such a delicate tone that it almost seems to disappear. Green and lavender are an exciting combination, but in a bedroom the goal should be a soft appeal rather than splashy and attention-getting. The lavender tones selected are darker, but contain so much grey that they don’t announce their color. Only the three accent pillows remind you that purple is in the house.

If you’re ready for a new color, a bedroom provides a great place to start. Paint and bedding are not expensive, allowing you to try new ideas.

Building Intimacy in an Open Design

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Ironwood Crossing

Ironwood Crossing

An open floor plan has much to recommend it. Everyone can be involved in different areas of the main living space yet still connect and communicate. And the open style makes a home feel more spacious and welcoming. Open living areas are also ideal for parties and family gatherings.

Given all of this, there are still times when your goal may be to create a cozier, more contained atmosphere. You can have that feeling within an open floorplan if you develop it as part of your overall design. Here are a few steps to help you create that intimate corner in your home.

Define the space: In this case, the rug provides the starting point. Its position just under the furniture makes it clear that this is a conversation grouping.

Use furniture to focus inward: The sectional sofa faces into the room, but the chair to the right and the two ottomans are positioned to focus people toward the middle of the space rather than outwards. Smart choices such as using two ottomans on the outside of the square maintain a sense of separation without completely cutting the space off.

Connect with color: Ottomans and throw pillows bring in maroon tones. Three throw pillows draw the eye with a matching pattern. The artwork brings the brown up onto the wall while still providing some colors that coordinate with the rest of the space.

This space is perfect for those quiet times when a party is winding down, or your family relaxes before dinner or bedtime. Consider finding an intimate corner of your open floor plan to bring cozy in.