Author Archives: FultonHomes

Cozy Play Space

Posted on by

Bedroom20DSC_0256Little ones love little spaces, places where they can tuck themselves in and feel safe, a bit hidden, and above all, in proportion to the world around them. For a child everything is so big and mostly out of reach. A cozy space just big enough for one or maybe two children makes everything better.

This children’s room makes a point of providing that hiding place, perfect for retreat when the world seems more than a bit overwhelming. The little tent, in a circus theme to fit the room’s décor, creates the opportunity for imagination, storytelling and even a bit of adventure. Please pay attention to the fierce tiger playmate in the tent waiting for a chance to pounce.

When planning a small child’s room, be sure to make room for a little nook, hidden corner or just a chance to feel the right size for once instead of so very small. Choose a pint-sized table and chair set, an easy chair made child-size, a canopy surrounding the bed or even a desk or dressing table with a drape concealing a small toddler-sized place.

As your child gets older, old enough to reach the sink for his or her own drink of water, old enough to use the microwave instead of having to ask someone else for help, the need for a cozy space will fade. The desk will become just a desk, the tent will go into the attic or be given away, and the world won’t feel quite so overwhelming. But until then, be sure to make a small space for your small one.

Sofa/Coffee Table Alternative

Posted on by
Loft in the Fulton Homes Daylight Model

Loft in the Fulton Homes Daylight Model

Most people would be inclined to put a sofa in this cozy loft space. But if you think just a little outside the box, you might make other choices.

Is this space a family TV area or a nook for mom and dad to watch a little late-night news or a talk show after the kids are in bed? Or maybe it’s just the two of you, or just yourself with a habit of taking a break in front of the television.

Instead of a sofa, consider the comfort of a couple of chairs and ottomans. These chairs, although armless, are cushy enough to sink into. Choosing two smaller ottomans rather than the traditional coffee table allows each person to create their own space. One might turn over the top cushion to use the tray underneath for a snack. The storage in each ottoman provides the opportunity to tuck away a good book, reading glasses, and even the remote.

Anyone who loves to sew, crochet or knit in front of the TV will appreciate that storage space, making it easy to place projects out of sight when not actively working on them. This is particularly useful if you’re working on surprise gifts for family members.

The ottomans are light enough to move around as you choose, and the cushion on the top creates additional seating for occasional extra viewers. Add in a few floor pillows and the whole family could curl up to watch something special on a Saturday night.

So don’t jump into a sofa purchase immediately to fill up a space like this. Consider the flexibility and comfort of chairs and ottomans instead. They make a room seem larger while still supporting all of your plans for the space.

Dining Room with Drama

Posted on by
From Fulton Homes Daylight Model

From Fulton Homes Daylight Model

What makes this dining space special? A sense of drama captures the eye and invites you to have a seat and a meal. Let’s take a look at why.

Color: The walls have a rich tone that is darker than expected, creating a sense of intimacy. The leather-colored flooring echoes that warmth.

The artwork and tablescape complement each other – with rich red and dark olive green combined with a sunny gold. Brown links it all together, with the furniture, chandelier and art all showing a brown base color.

Comfort: The chairs are built for comfort with backs that slope and cushioned seats. If you want a lively dining experience with people lingering over their meals, be sure to select dining chairs that will be comfortable for several hours. Don’t be seduced into uncomfortable chairs by a certain look or style.

The lighting also makes the space feel inviting. Having the shades facing up makes the room bright enough without any glare. The slight amber tone also warms the space, helping to relax the environment.

Style: Everything in this room is consistent in flavor. The feel is sophisticated Mediterranean, building the expectation of a meal that starts with bruschetta and ends with a bowl of fruit, with pasta and maybe fish in the middle. Imagine the hostess removing the flower arrangement from the center of the table, replacing it with a large bowl of tossed salad and a basket of bread still warm from the oven.

Cloth napkins with napkin rings, the dark red chargers under the white plates – food always looks better on a white plate – and the simple ceramic apples at each dish promise a meal to remember. This room is set up in anticipation of a lovely meal with congenial company, and it invites you to sit down and enjoy it all.

Make the Most of your Kitchen Island

Posted on by

 

Fulton Homes Daylight Model

Fulton Homes Daylight Model

Kitchen islands create a better work situation in a kitchen, particularly when you have more than one cook. For example one person can chop vegetables while another pulls seasonings from a cabinet.

Or with a sink in the island like this one in the Daylight model of the ____ community, one person can stay ahead of the dishes when preparing for a party or big family dinner.

But an island also plays a role outside of cooking. How about using it as a place for appetizers as people arrive for a party? It provides a central location to draw people together as they get to know each other – people will always follow the food. You can start moving appetizers into the family room as your guests get more comfortable and break into smaller conversational groups.

A kitchen island makes a dynamite location for a buffet. Traffic can move on all four sides, and the trip from the kitchen is just a step. This works particularly well for hot or cold food that you want to keep refreshing. Setting chairs and tables in other parts of your home will encourage people to help themselves to food and then settle elsewhere.

When it’s just a few family members, eating at the island opens up a cozy setting for two or three. It’s also a great place for breakfast when family members are short on time and have staggered departures. Just provide plates and platters of food and everyone can help themselves. Or how about a cereal bar – several types of cereal, bowls, milk and extras such as raisins and fruit?

Look at your island as the kitchen’s stage, and you can take advantage of it for all of your food performances.

Furniture Shows its Curves

Posted on by

Family Room rug DSC_0278Rooms, windows and most furniture tend to be sharp-edged. Sofas are basically rectangles. Windows, rugs and cabinets have corners.

You can soften this look by bringing in some curves. Take a look at the coffee table in the photo. The soft oval shape and curved legs bring another inviting element into this room. With the circular side table to the left and table lamps with round elements, the space moves beyond angles.

Take a look at the arms of the sofa on the far wall. These curves soften its rectangle presence. Notice the circular upholstery tacks and the round buttons running under the cushions at the front of the piece. This homeowner clearly understands the value of varying the shapes in this room.

Family Room and courtyard DSC_0272We have a different view of this same room to the right. More curves come into play with a half-oval table behind the sofa  in the same style and structure as the coffee table.

The accessories on the sofa table also focus on curves – from the containers on top to the globe bookend sitting on the lower shelf.

Take a look at your rooms, breaking down all of your furniture and accessory choices to their basic shapes. How many squares and rectangles are there? Have you brought in any curves to add interest and variety?

If you think your spaces could use some curves, consider adding some full curtains, soft pillows and round and oval accessories to the mix. You don’t have to replace major pieces of furniture. Small additions will make a real difference.

Decorating a Boy’s Room for Fun & Flexibility

Posted on by
Fire Bedroom DSC_0287

Fulton Homes Daylight Model

It’s fun to decorate a child’s room, and the photo to the left shows a delightful way to make a boy’s room special while allowing easy opportunities for changes as this child grows up. Take a look at the essential furniture. The headboard and lamps will work with almost any design.

One fun choice in this room comes from selecting shipping containers in place of standard nightstand/chests of drawers. While these will appeal to a small boy, they have the potential to be interesting elements as he grows into his teens. When choosing furniture for a child’s room, don’t be afraid to have fun, but think of the future for more substantial pieces.

The fireman theme carries through with inexpensive pieces such as bedspread, pillows and various toy fire trucks. By using stick-on and peel-off decorations on the walls rather than wallpaper, making a change to reflect the boy’s changing tastes is easy. These are available online and at various home stores in a good selection of themes. Notice that the sophisticated paint color allows transitions without repainting.

Car Bedroom DSC_0288The photo to the right provides a design choice for an older child. The metal signs and old-fashioned posters reflect specific interests while still demonstrating a sense of style.

The strong green focal wall gives extra oomph to the room and pulls in the stripes on the bedspread and pillows.

Both rooms would work well with either wood floors or a neutral carpet choice. It’s also smart to look for neutral window coverings such as wood blinds to keep the space flexible.

By taking this approach to a child’s room, you create the opportunity for the design to change frequently to reflect his or her changing interests without creating a need for a great deal of effort and expense.

Outdoor Living – Many Choices

Posted on by
Courtyard DSC_0273 (2)

Fulton Homes Daylight Model

Now while we’re in the outdoor living stretch in Arizona, take a few minutes to think about how you want your yard to function. Do you enjoy having your coffee and reading the paper in comfy chairs outside in the morning? Are family dinners more fun outside? Should there be a spot for the kids to play, or is your focus entertaining and your dream a plush outdoor kitchen?

This time of year it’s tempting to buy outdoor furniture first and then arrange the space, but you may find yourself with pieces that don’t coordinate, or that don’t meet your real outdoor goals. Just a bit of planning can help you create a space that looks beautiful and really works for you.

Take a look at the table in the foreground. It seats six comfortably, and you could put three chairs on a side and make it big enough to handle eight. Planning a larger party? How about using the table as a buffet, and arranging the chairs around the yard. The raised planters have a nice wide ledge that’s perfect for perching with a plate.

The fact that the two chairs in the background are the same color as the dining set but a different material and style keeps this yard from being too matchy-matchy. With today’s amazing weather-proof fabrics, you can find cushions that can handle the outdoors in a rich selection of colors and prints. Adding cushions to the dining chairs in a stripe that picks up the rust from the easy chairs would pull everything together beautifully.

With careful thought and shopping, you can make your backyard lovely, functional and versatile enough to meet all of your outdoor plans this spring.

More than Pictures on your Walls, Part 3

Posted on by

4552270_SIf you’re looking for ways to make room for some special items, consider turning your walls into active storage, while adding some style and variety to the look of your home at the same time.

The guitarist whose wall is shown in this photo created a truly wonderful display of his instruments while keeping them safe and handy for playing. Other musical instruments could be used in the same way. If you have a favorite hobby, consider hanging some of your favorite elements of it in plain sight.

11323448_SIf you’re a cook who enjoys the ability to grab the right tool without opening a drawer, how about hanging some of your favorites on a wall in your kitchen?

You can purchase a similar system of S-hooks and metal cross pieces at stores such as Ikea, and the pop of all this stainless steel would be a wonderful backdrop to complement your stainless appliances. Add a couple of colorful pot holders and you have a work unit that’s also a work of art.

The kitchen display below combines decorative pieces from long ago with a nice selection of useful pots and pans. Maybe the teapots and trays atop the copper shelves belonged to the cook’s mother or grandmother, and they provide a nice reminder of helping to prepare meals as a child.

493988_SThe bright copper pot racks and the collection of cheese knives below bring life and color to the montage.

What do you have hidden in a drawer or cupboard that could add unexpected charm to some space in your home? You may want to position a shelf or two and see what you like sitting on them. All it takes is some imagination and a little daring and you can have walls as interesting as these are.

More than Pictures on your Walls, Part 2

Posted on by

25932550_SIf you’re drawn to the rustic look or just need to decorate a man cave, look no further than your garage or backyard shed for wall décor.

The display of three hard hats on the left really works, grime and all. It seems as though three guys came in and hung their hats up before taking a well-deserved break from a day of hard work. This hat display is very different from the one in the last blog on wall art!

6715183_SThese work boots have a dramatically different feel from the ballet slippers in the last blog also. Once again, it’s the sense that these boots have seen some hard use that makes them work so well. Don’t discard options because they are well worn. Instead, think of the scars and damage as the patina of long years and enjoy those things that make your choices unique.

Other options for your walls include tools, ropes, harness and tack, and gardening implements. You may find that some things work well together. Creating a montage of old tools or favorite baseball caps could add interest to a weathered wall.

7933900_SIf you’re not satisfied with the options in your own home, shop local stores for collectable items such as the horseshoe to the left. The shoe is well-worn, like the other items in the photos above, but it’s the old handmade nail that brings the age of the piece to life.

Do you have a rec room or family room that could benefit from this type of unique approach to your walls? These photos demonstrate how something that’s thrown in a corner can have a real impact when it’s given a chance to shine. Look with new eyes and you never know what you’re going to find for your walls.

More than Pictures on your Walls: Part 1

Posted on by

5534193_SWhen you plan your walls in your new home, don’t limit your thinking to traditional two-dimensional art.

Yes, posters, prints and paintings make for a wonderful look in a space as well as showing your taste and preferences and providing pleasant views for you. However, don’t let your imagination stop there.

With the help of a few hooks or nails, you can hang almost anything and make an inviting wall display.

Take a look at the simple photo to the left. A young girl’s ballet costume and a pair of classic toe shoes combine to do more than fill space, they tell a story of part of a child’s life.

10483559_SYou can go even simpler with just one hat. The dark painted wood board with matching knobs sends an old-fashioned message which is complemented by the classic straw boater shown here to the right.

This display is functional as well as charming. The other hooks can be used for outdoor gear when needed and in the meantime, it creates the image of a country home from the past.

You may not even need to go shopping to add interest to your walls. Revisit some of the things you’ve accumulated over the years to see if they would make an intriguing wall display.

10703497_SFor example, take a look at the wall to the left. These hats may have belonged to the homeowner, or a mom or favorite aunt. By combining them together in a casual way, they’re out of their hatboxes and given the opportunity to paint a picture of another time.

What clothes or accessories do you have hiding in your closets that would make a fun display in your home?