Author Archives: FultonHomes

Little Touches Make Kitchen Pop

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Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing 009A smart, functional kitchen can also be lovely. This room, from the Fulton Homes Corsica model at Ironwood Crossing, demonstrates some of the best features a kitchen can offer when the goal is to combine practicality with style.

Let’s start with the cabinets. While glass-fronted doors add appeal to a space, many cooks worry that their cabinets are often just not tidy enough to make glass work for them. By choosing only one cabinet door – the angled one – for a glass front, this kitchen owner can place just the right dishes and bowls in this space to create the impression that every cabinet is this inviting.

Take a look at the type of glass on this cabinet. The vertical lines provide some shielding from seeing exactly what the inside holds and at the same time contribute another design element. Also, this type of glass is less likely to show fingerprints.

The glossy backsplash adds another pop of texture to this kitchen. While the tile and sealed grout make for an easy clean-up of any splashes, the grey, white and light coral tones provide a subtle element of color to the space.

Notice also the high-profile faucet. The clean look and strong curve provides another positive design element, while the skilled kitchen chef recognizes the height advantage when filling large pots. This oversize sink is ready for any culinary adventure.

Finally, the comfortable island invites family and friends to spend time in the kitchen talking to the cook after school or during parties. Overall this kitchen provides high style in its finishes yet still remains functional and welcoming for everyone.

Dining Area Works

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Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing 015If you’ve experienced dining at a circular table, you know how the space encourages conversation while providing an inviting central area for flowers, a centerpiece, or bowls of good food. The table in this dining room – from the Fulton Homes Corsica model in Ironwood Crossing – also works well in the space. When you have a square shaped dining area a circular table takes advantage of the entire space while still leaving breathing room for wanderers.

This table seats six comfortably and could handle up to eight with just a little squeezing. If you want to try this circle shape, look for a pedestal table that allows you the most flexibility in seating – there are no table legs to interfere with your guests.

The round presentation from the room’s chandelier provides the perfect lighting for the table. Choosing a light fixture with upward-facing shades provides a generous amount of light while avoiding glare. Add a dimmer to allow for darker, more intimate gatherings, possibly with added candlelight.

The built-ins offer another lovely feature in this space. Notice how the upper cabinets frame the window with glass doors that reflect all of the light in this room. The countertop provides the perfect spot to serve a buffet, and you could use the cabinets to store serving dishes as well as table linens. The electric outlet right at countertop level supports heated dishes or after-dinner coffee.

Positioning right next to the kitchen makes it easy to make and serve everything from a quick family lunch to a gorgeous dinner party. The two windows add light to daytime gatherings and ambience in the evening. How would this dining space work for you and your family? Visit our Corsica model to see it in person.

Sleek Entertainment Center

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Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing 014Do you like the idea of an entertainment center, but haven’t seen the right look for your home yet? Well, check out this one from the Fulton Homes Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossings. The cabinet style and finish coordinate with the kitchen while the more substantial floating shelves create a look that’s perfect for any living space.

You can use the door-fronted cabinets to hold DVDs, cable boxes, game equipment or anything else that supports your entertainment viewing. Out of sight when not in use but available easily when wanted, this space works for the busiest families.

The shelves could hold books with the help of bookends, or favorite accessories. Shelf size can be set to fit even the largest HDTV and the floating shelves’ absence of hanging brackets keeps the look sleek and contemporary – a fitting complement to the television itself.

To encourage the sense that this space is different from the rest of the room, a dark maroon accent color pulls all of the elements together. The brushed nickel pulls – matching those in the kitchen – combine with sparkly silver accessories to bring a welcome touch of brightness to the arrangement.

If you had a wall like this in your living or family room, how would you decorate and accessorize it? For more ideas, visit Ironwood Crossing and check out this model. Or visit the Fulton Design Center on one of our browse evenings – the first and third Thursdays of the month from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Designed for Entertaining – Living Space

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Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing 007If you enjoy entertaining friends and family in your home, why not consider including a space made for entertaining? This room, from the Fulton Homes Corsica model at Ironwood Crossing, is ready for any gathering.

Whether it’s just you and your daughter after dinner or a troop of teenagers visiting on a weekend afternoon, a pool table adds personality and entertainment to any group. The sleek lines of this table combine with a maroon cover to fit perfectly in this grey-toned room. People of all ages enjoy playing pool, and this table creates an inviting mood in this room.

The table in the corner is bar-height, making it easy to watch the game while enjoying a drink and snacks. This is also a great spot for some appetizers or snacks to make the party more fun. The sleek shelves on the wall bring more personality into the room while using no floor space.

Take a look at the flooring. With the look of hardwood, this rectangular mimics the classic approach while providing the convenience and ease of maintenance of tile. The whitewashed tone fits perfectly into the grey, black and maroon colors of this room.

Notice also the different style of ceiling fan. The retro stainless fans gain a modern look when built into a ceiling fan this way. All of the design elements in this room combine to make a space that shows a unique sense of style – and a confidence that allows the designer to take chances.

Transitional Design – Bedrooms

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Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing 028If you love contemporary design but still want a bedroom that is as warm and inviting as a traditional one, consider a transitional look. This combines the clean lines and colors of modern taste along with some traditional elements to maintain a warmer feel throughout your home. Let’s take a look at this transitional bedroom, from the Fulton Homes Corsica model at Ironwood Crossing.

First, the cool colors in the bedding reflect a contemporary sensibility. Black, grey and purple combine to make a bed that challenges standard color choices. Notice the rich selection of textures to add interest, with the velvet square pillows, wool bed headboard and cotton twill bedspread.

The shape of the headboard emulates traditional wing chair corners, but squared off to modernize the look. This headboard with its padding also makes the bed into a comfy spot for reading.

Matching lamps and nightstands demonstrates a classic traditional look, but the sleek lamp design and pure cylindrical shades provide the modern perspective.  The art is minimal and contemporary in flavor, but still follows the traditional symmetrical approach experienced with the nightstands and lamps.

With minimal accessories and simple window treatments in a contemporary fabric, this bedroom combines the best of traditional and modern to create a transitional space that is clean and still inviting.

Does the transitional style appeal to you? Then you may want to visit our Corsica model to see more ideas for designing and decorating the home of your dreams.

Transitional Design – Kitchen

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Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing 012Transitional design combines the sleek feel of contemporary style with some more traditional elements to maintain warmth in the space. If you’re torn between a traditional look and one that reflects your modern taste, a transitional kitchen may be your perfect choice.

This kitchen, from Fulton Home’s Corsica model at Ironwood Crossing, offers the best of both worlds. Traditional dark cabinet tones in a sleeker look set the pace. The shaker style doors and clean nickel pulls contrast with the moderate but present crown molding. One glass-fronted cabinet corners the kitchen, giving the opportunity to break the cabinet sequence and add an additional design element.

The island is strictly contemporary, with a clean solid surface countertop also running down the sides, coordinating with the bar-height grey chairs in a modern shape and style. Notice the large rectangular tiles on the front of the island. These carry the modern feel to the next step.

Rectangular grey subway tiles – broken in this backsplash with an inviting grey and cream listelle that creates stripes – complement the island and help the kitchen feel integrated. Stainless appliances and brushed nickel finishes on the faucet and fixtures continue the transitional approach.

Finally, notice the pendant lights over the island. The modern nickel finish coordinates with the more traditional shade shape to complete the transitional look. And don’t be fooled by the hardwood on that floor – that’s tile shaped and toned to appear like hardwood flooring. You can have the warmth of a wood look along with the low maintenance of tile.

Are you drawn to a transitional kitchen? Then why not wander over to Ironwood Crossing to see this latest model from Fulton Homes? It’s filled with great design and decorating ideas!

Design Center: Lighting

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Lighting at the Fulton Design Center

Lighting at the Fulton Design Center

Most people pay particular attention to the light over their dining room table. Yes, that’s important, but you don’t want to ignore the power of lighting in every room.

With our hot summers, ceiling fans have a place throughout the house. From a cooling breeze over the family room sofa to a breath of fresh air in the kitchen dining area, fans reduce energy bills over the summer by allowing you to feel comfortable at a higher ambient temperature. Bedrooms also benefit from ceiling fans making the nights feel cooler than they really are.

Some lighting options at the Fulton Design Center

Some lighting options at the Fulton Design Center

Above your kitchen island, pendant lights provide both additional task lighting and an opportunity to showcase your style. The Fulton Design Center provides an inviting collection of styles and colors, including traditional looks that complement your dining chandelier. The photo on the right demonstrates how your chandelier can reflect your island pendants. This approach – having the pendant light mirror the dining chandelier but turned upside down – suits the function of each light while maintaining style consistency.

Perhaps you prefer a delightful contemporary glass shade? Fulton offers those at the Design Center in an inviting range of colors and shapes. Whether you would enjoy a vivid pop of red over your island or soft clear amber – these choices and more can be yours. Check the top photo toward the right for a few of your options.

While you’re exploring your kitchen’s lighting, remember to add ceiling spotlights to provide additional ambient light as well as under-counter task lighting to ease meal preparation.

Lighting has an important and often underrated impact on the look and feel of your home. Enjoy the many options available to you at the Fulton Design Center- helping to create a home that is totally yours and completely lovely.

Design Center: Pot filler

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4 Pot Filler Design Center 016Would you appreciate never having to haul a heavy pot of water between your sink and range again? If you enjoy pastas, soups and stews, you may find that a pot filler reduces back strain, prep time and makes meal preparation that much easier.

Even your largest pasta pot will fit under this faucet. Its hinged design means that you can push it out of the way when you don’t need it and grab it easily when you do. Whether you use it to fill large pots or just add water to your saute pan to slow down the cooking, this pot filler will save steps.

By adding metallic tiles to the backsplash, this pot filler is well integrated into the kitchen’s design. The structure allows you to pour water as needed for any pot or pan on your stove.

Are you not sure how much you would use this? Try an experiment. Put a post-it note above your stove and jot a check for every time you fill a pot, pan or kettle with water from the sink before you bring it to your range. You may be surprised at how often you could save yourself the steps if you could access water right at your stove. Now, multiply that by 52 – and don’t forget to factor in holidays, parties and family gatherings which will only add to the sink-to-stove trips. And don’t forget that all those trips include hauling heavy pots filled with water around!

Well, is it worth it for you? A pot filler may be one of your smartest kitchen features!

Design Center: Using the Kitchen Vignettes

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Design Center 016What do you like about this kitchen vignette from the Fulton Design Center? Let’s take a look at just some of the decisions this vignette can help you with when planning your own kitchen.

Stainless or cabinet doors on some appliances? Would you rather have your refrigerator with doors that match your cabinets like this one, or do you want the pop of stainless? You have a good opportunity to see this look, and can check out other vignettes that have stainless refrigerator doors. Also, this is a built-in refrigerator. Open the doors and see if the space would work for your family. Do you like this look better than a stand-alone?

Matching or contrasting island cabinetry? This island shows the same cabinet style – a good design decision – while demonstrating a darker warmer tone for the stain. Are you drawn to this look or would you rather have an island that matches the rest of your kitchen’s cabinets? Even if these aren’t the cabinets you would choose, you can get a good sense of the approach by walking through this kitchen.

Lower drawers or doors or both? More home cooks today have discovered the joy of large lower cabinet drawers. These can hold pots and pans, table linens, and other kitchen staples without the cook bending over and digging through a cabinet to find something.

Cabinet design characteristics: Do you want this staggered profile for the tops of your cabinets or an even approach? Would you prefer more or less crown molding – or maybe no crown molding?

Whatever decisions you need to make for your kitchen, the Fulton Design Center vignettes can help you when designing your own Fulton Home kitchen. So open doors and drawers, walk around and through, turn knobs and faucets and get a feel for what each vignette offers. This experience will help you make educated choices for yourself and your home.

Design Center: Backsplashes

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Backsplash in a Fulton Design Center kitchen vignette.

Backsplash in a Fulton Design Center kitchen vignette.

This backsplash links the cabinets and countertops, highlights the range through a focal-point approach in the tile design, and increases the easy maintenance of the kitchen. The overall design of the inviting horizontal rectangles takes this kitchen into the range of something special. Your backsplash is the art in your kitchen – one place where you can declare your taste with an eye-catching visual.

Would you like the warmth of stone on your backsplash? Perhaps you lean toward the traditional and might select a high-gloss subway tile. This approach, once considered retro, has developed into a high-style choice for kitchens and baths. Maybe you want something modern to add color. Then you may be inclined to choose glass tile in vivid shades and tones. No matter your choice, how about adding some embossed metal tiles to bring in the bling?

With its inviting and extensive selection of tiles, listelles, which are pre-designed rows of tile or stone, materials, colors and textures, your backsplash is one of the best ways to define yourself and your style in your kitchen.

16 Tile Display Design Center 037Use your cabinet and countertop choices as a starting place. Do you want a backsplash that blends in with your selections or something with a strong contrast? You might want to experiment with the Fulton Homes Kitchen Designer on our website to give you some ideas. Then visit our Fulton Design Center kitchen vignettes to see some of the choices our designers made. Once you see some of the possibilities, you can create a backsplash that suits your style and taste. The relatively small square footage of your backsplash allows you to develop the look of your dreams without a severe hit to your budget.

For insight into your many backsplash options, why don’t you visit the Fulton Design Center on one of our browse nights? We’re open the first and third Thursday evenings of every month to allow you to explore at your own pace.