Fulton Homes Design Online – Tile Flooring

Ceramic Tile in Design Center- Rachel's KitchenWhere would you like tile in your home? Most people would choose it for bathrooms, many for kitchens, and some people want it throughout much of their living space.

Tile is extremely low-maintenance and lasts for the life of your home – two good reasons to choose it. The exciting thing about tile comes from the incredible variety of looks, sizes and shapes available.

Take a look at the tile above – Interceramic Royal Windsor 10 inch by 20 inch brick pattern staggered. You can take an in-person look at this tile at the Fulton Homes Design Center. But you might want to start your search earlier with Fulton Homes Design Online.

In addition to ceramic, porcelain tile is available for your Fulton Home. Porcelain is harder than ceramic, and more complex to install. Many people are drawn to its stone-like appearance.

Ceramic Tile in Design Center - Bobby's KitchenYour tile flooring can also change dramatically with your choice of installation options. For example, the flooring to the right is set at the diagonal. This can make a room feel larger, and draw people through an open-concept space. Talk with your designer to learn more about installation choices.

Finally, don’t ignore the variety of grout choices. A neutral, light or dark grout can dramatically change the look of your floor. While you’re at it, be sure to have your grout sealed. Grout is the only part of a tile floor vulnerable to staining. Sealing your grout eliminates this situation.

Take the time to consider tile. In the right place with the right selection, it provides flooring to suit your taste and your maintenance goals, and it’s a dramatic option in your home.

A Bathroom Designed with You in Mind

glass block showerDo you want a master bath that makes you feel spoiled, with a style that speaks of old-world charm? Maybe you prefer a simple functional space with just a few special touches.

Whatever look you want, take a peek at what Fulton Homes Design Online can show you. From various bathroom layouts, such as the one above that includes a low-threshold walk in shower, to your choice of cabinetry, flooring, countertops, sinks, faucets and finishes, you’ll find everything you need to make your bath work for you.

brushed nickelIn addition to the chrome finish that everyone is familiar with, Fulton also offers brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze. Both provide a matte finish that helps your bathroom feel unique. Brushed nickel is ideal for contemporary spaces. Oil-rubbed bronze works well in more traditional designs. Lighting and mirror frames can be selected to complement your faucet oil rubbed bronzefinish choice.

Fulton even offers a variety of water-conserving toilets suitable for your bathroom’s style. Be sure to consider options such as the elongated bowl and the ADA luxury height specially designed for ease of use for anyone who has difficulties transitioning from standing to sitting. And you may want to consider the off-white “biscuit” color finish to maintain a softer look and fit well with warm tones such as the oil-rubbed bronze option.

vanity valetWe talked about the Vanity Valet when it was introduced, but it’s worth mentioning again. It allows you to use the wasted vanity space in front of the sink to house beauty tools such as hair dryers and curling irons, keeping everything tidy and off your counter.

Bathrooms need to function well to meet the needs of you and your family. And if you can also make those spaces personally inviting and designed to follow your taste and style, that’s a bonus you can enjoy every day you live in your new Fulton Home.

 

A Beautiful Bath is all in the Details

Oasis at Freeman Farms 081Monday’s blog took a look at how finishing touches could dress up a kitchen. The same approach can turn a nice bath into an oasis in the middle of your home. Let’s check out the choices that are showcased in the master bath at the Fulton Homes Whitewater model in the Oasis at Freeman Farms community.

First, a double sink allows space for two to get ready for work in the morning. Many couples value their own sink, and both of these have plenty of counter space and storage.

Separating the two, a lower counter with a drawer provides the perfect place for styling –with a hair dryer and/or make-up. The comfy ottoman adds a splash of class with its simple cylindrical shape and luscious upholstery.

Oasis at Freeman Farms 082Warm tones enrich the look of this bath with gold/brown porcelain tile on the floor, different but still coordinated tile countertops, and inviting wallpaper carrying the gold tones up to the ceiling. Notice the backsplash behind the sinks. The small tiles set the space apart. The large mirror is framed to coordinate with the cabinetry – another option offered through Fulton Homes that creates a more finished look.

Oasis at Freeman Farms 083Oil-rubbed bronze faucets and lighting stay with the warm-toned theme. This finish has become a classic since its introduction and it works beautifully in both modern and more traditional homes. The light fixtures with their bronze bases and amber glass shades echo that warm feeling while their design stands out over the more standard bathroom fixtures.

These details separate this bathroom from a more basic look, and create a space that will serve as a particularly enjoyable spot to get ready in the morning and prepare for bed at night.

 

Power Shower Creates Good Mornings

Oasis at Freeman Farms 079With our busy lives, who has time to linger long enough for a bath in the morning? This master bath, part of the Fulton Homes Whitewater model in the Oasis at Freeman Farms community, offers a generous-sized shower option. Here are a few things that make this shower something to be appreciated.

Sheer size: No running an elbow into walls with this shower. With lots of space and dual shower heads, there’s room for two on busy mornings. For those with limited mobility, this shower has plenty of room for a seat, and the handheld shower head makes washing much easier.

Step-up entrance: Rather than dripping water through the bath, this side opening provides the perfect spot to towel off after a shower. Add a couple of bath mats – one just outside the entrance and another at the bottom of the step, and your bathroom floor will stay dry easily.

Light-rich space: The glass-block window just outside the shower combined with the clear glass shower surround provides plenty of natural light to help wake you up in the morning. The feeling is airy rather than over-enclosed.

Shower with style: The tile surround complements the rest of the bathroom. The row of decorative tiles running along the upper third of the shower area adds personality. The oiled bronze shower fixtures and trim on the shower surround connect with the sink faucets and bathroom lighting to create a feeling of indulgence.

How about giving yourself a chance to start your days with a power shower in a bathroom with this level of luxury? It will help you start every morning in a really good mood!

Glass Block Allows Light and Privacy

It’s a challenge with a bathroom. You want natural light but without losing the privacy that this room requires.

Here’s a great solution. This bath, from Fulton Homes’ Rancho Mirage model at the Oasis at Freeman Farms community, uses glass block to provide both natural light and privacy in one.

In this location, right above the bathtub, privacy is critical, but standard window coverings could be awkward. With block, you don’t need any additional screening, and the glass itself provides an inviting clean look. Glass block works well in both traditional and modern environments, and gives an inviting backdrop for accessories such as the vase of flowers on the tub surround.

Another smart feature with this bathroom design is the clear shower surround. This allows the natural light, or the bathroom lighting, to shine into the space, providing plenty of comfortable light for showers.

This type of four-piece bathroom design is popular for master bedroom ensuites (or bed and baths combined into one suite) because you have the option of showers for quick mornings and a tub for long soaks in the evening. This helps turn the bathroom into a place to relax and unwind from a long stressful day.

The décor uses brown and gold tones on the wallpaper, accessories and towels. This design choice helps to warm up the space. If you prefer a cooler look, consider doing this bath in blue and white. The glass block will combine with those colors to create a seaside feeling.

As you plan your bathrooms, consider including glass block to solve the light/privacy challenge, and to dress up the room with this interesting design element.

Tile Wainscoting Creates Charming Guest Bath

Guest bathrooms are often the throw-away rooms in a home. Smaller and more utilitarian, many people see this space as a place to save money. But because of its small size, a half-bath invites a few more luxurious choices. The additional cost is minimized by the limited square footage.

Take a look at this half-bath in the La Quinta model of Fulton Homes’ Oasis at Freeman Farms community. The flooring runs from the living space, connecting the bath with the rest of the home. But the color and finish choices make this space unique.

Smaller rooms can be compared to jewel boxes, because luxurious touches create an inviting and refreshing feeling. Choosing Kohler’s “Memoir” pedestal sink with matching toilet makes good use of the small space while adding an old-fashioned element to the style. The wainscoting is also an old-fashioned touch, but by using modified subway tile instead of wood it provides a nod to the bathroom function while adding a bit of a modern mood.

The space is beautifully finished with sophisticated green and gold wallpaper that integrates wainscoting and walls into a style-unified whole. The addition of one of Fulton’s framed bathroom mirrors and complementary accessories and art, and the final result is an interesting and appealing moment of style in your home.

Your guest bath sets a tone and sends a message to visitors about your design standards and aesthetic. Take the time and a little of your budget and make it something special rather than a throw-away space.

Thinking about Walls: Yellow

Yellow can brighten up a bathroom or kitchen, or make a bedroom seem extra sunny. But it is the most difficult paint color to get right. The wrong choice can make a room gold instead of yellow, or turn a space into egg yolks rather than lemon. If you want to bring yellow into your home, take these steps first.

Go lighter: Yellow dominates a room much more than you would expect. Whatever tone you want, choose one at least two shades lighter. The color strips available at paint stores make this easy. Don’t worry that it will be too light. Yellow reflects off every wall and the color naturally intensifies.

Test test test: Buy a sample of two or three possible yellows. Paint poster boards, one in each color, and try them close to each other. If one of the yellows has an orange or green cast, you’ll be able to tell thanks to the contrast. Choose the purest yellow you can find. Also, put the painted posters on every wall of the room and then see which works best. Yellow changes its mood depending upon the type of light, so check in daylight and artificial light.

Combine with white: Don’t be tempted to use too much yellow. Paint the ceiling white and don’t add yellow cabinets or furniture. Too much yellow quickly takes over a room. White areas help the yellow look brighter without becoming overwhelming.

Yellow can be gorgeous or a real problem. Doing your homework at the start will give you a space that uses yellow at its best.

Let Your Personal Style Lead in your Home

When you’re not sure where to start when decorating your home, let your closet give you ideas. The style choices you make in your wardrobe can start you in a good direction.

The clothes in this store window speak to a specific style, feminine with an old-fashioned country touch.  The pastel and white colors are common.

Think about creating a room in your home with some of the same taste and style. While you can’t totally recreate the look, you can make choices that will remind you of your preferred clothing.

The bath below offers some of the charm of the clothes in the window. There is a generous use of white, the cabinet and light fixture offer some old-fashioned ruffles and the flooring carries that theme through the space. The only hint of color comes from the artwork on the walls and items in the small cabinet to the right.

This bathroom carries us back to a simpler time with its classic pedestal sink and traditional medicine-cabinet mirror. The crown molding finishes the look.

Take a peek in your closet. Do you have a preponderance of green? Are you drawn to darker jewel tones? Does your wardrobe lean toward beige? Are you surprised by the amount of red in there? Anything you discover can be used as a starting point for your home’s design.

So grab your favorite sweater and those shoes in your favorite shade of brown and let your wardrobe lead the way to your dream home.

Customize your Kitchen or Bath with Listelles

Would you like a kitchen backsplash with panache? Listelles provide a great way to make your kitchen unique. Listelles are pre-designed borders in tile or stone with designs and even images. They are pre-set on a mesh backing so that they are easier to install.

Take a look at some of the listelles available at the Fulton Homes design center. Our designers will work with you to create the perfect look to complement your cabinets and countertops.

Listelles are a wonderful design tool and a budget-saver also. Choose a less expensive tile and then incorporate a listelle to make everything stand out.

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to incorporate this concept, Fulton Homes provides a number of examples of listelles as design tools in a bath in the display shown in the photo to the right. Add interest to a shower by running a listelle through it. As this photo shows, your options are only limited by your imagination.

Listelle styles are available in both traditional and contemporary styles. Metallic tiles are often incorporated with a listelle, bringing a subtle sheen to your home’s tile or stone installations.

We invite you to investigate our rich selection of listelles and other enhancing options for your home during one of our browse nights at the Fulton Homes design center. Give us a call for details on dates and times. Come in and take your time discovering just the right listelle to match your home’s style and design.

Large Master Bath with Cozy Feel

This generous master bathroom has everything you could ask for. Features include a large soaking tub, a substantive shower, husband and wife sinks and vanities with a sit-down make-up and hair station for the wife, lots and lots of drawer and countertop space, and enough room to make sure nothing feels crowded.

What makes this space special is the comfort element–It’s cozy. All of the design details and colors work together to make this bath a spot to relax. Let’s take a look at how various design decisions turn this bath into a haven for its owners.

Start with the colors. The rich selection of warm neutrals provides an instantaneous level of comfort. The tile, countertops, and wallpaper all combine to create an integrated space that says relax. The choice of rubbed bronze for the metal finishes on the faucets and lighting complement the color scheme. The only moderately cool tones come from the bath, sinks and lighting, but they just add to the clean, inviting feel of the room.

The cabinetry’s design and glazed finish make the pieces feel more like furniture. It helps to have the lower sitting area with the comfortable chair. The trim between the countertop and mirror is echoed around the tub, linking every part of the room together.

Finally, there are certain touches that make this bath special. Framing the glass in a way that suits the room, and the glass block windows that provide plenty of daylight while protecting privacy help this bathroom feel warm and intimate. Altogether, this bath is designed to please.