Category Archives: Design Inspiration

Pinterest as a Resource

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10390905_10152277534276574_5215464937568786779_nHow often do you visit Pinterest? If you enjoy visual images and want a way to organize them, Pinterest is just the site for you. At Fulton Homes, our Pinterest boards are organized to make it easy to access information, ideas and images we think you will enjoy and value.

First, we have photos from our models, design center, and communities so you can browse through much of what we offer at home. Next, all of our blogs going back several years are listed by category on the appropriate boards. So if you’re looking for ideas about guests rooms, bathrooms or family rooms, take a few minutes to see if any of our blogs can help.

While you’re visiting, you may also want to look at rooms some of our designers have created as well as examples from other designers around the country. We are constantly adding pins that we think you will find useful.

Finally, we have Pinterest boards developed as a resource for you as a homeowner, homebuyer, or family member. Need tips to sell your home so you can buy one of ours? We have some ideas on that board that may help you. Want to get to know our state better? Check out our Arizona board for ideas. Planning your move and not sure where to start? Our boards help you plan, pack and settle in your new Fulton Home.

We also have ideas for family fun, celebrations and entertaining. If you would like to see other boards on our Pinterest site, let us know. After all, it’s there for you.

Tile with the look of wood

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Design Center 015It can be difficult to choose between tile and wood flooring. Wood feels warm and inviting, and the look works with both traditional and modern homes. For many people, wood will always be their first choice. It may have been the flooring they grew up with, or the way wood works in a space fits their taste and style.

Others prefer tile. Particularly in our hot Arizona climate, tile makes a home feel cooler and is more comfortable for pets in the summer. Maintenance for tile – with the grout sealed – is easy. Little wet kid feet coming in from the pool or pet paws don’t damage tile, and a damp mop makes it look like new again.

One recent entry to the market combines some of the look of wood with the durability and ease of tile: rectangular tiles designed to look like wood. Minimal grout or grout in a similar tone can give you all of the benefits of tile while still appealing to the wood lovers.

The photo above shows just one finish available in this new tile. Others mimic the rich browns of cherry or walnut flooring and all provide enough variation to keep the same organic style you have with wood flooring.

For an opportunity to see the wide choice of colors and finishes in this tile, why not visit the Fulton Design Center this Thursday September 18th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for our browse night?

For more information, visit our website at: http://www.fultonhomes.com/design-center. We look forward to seeing you there!

Just the Right Neutral

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Carpet Design Center 055Most people want neutral carpeting, but how do you choose the right neutral for your new home? Here are a few tips to help you define your best choice.

Choose carpeting later: There is such a large selection for neutral carpeting that you can find a shade and tone to work with any décor. So if your new home has an open floor-plan spend time first on those options that have fewer choices such as cabinetry or countertops. Then bring samples of your choices along when you select your carpeting.

004 carpetingNarrow your search: Select three or four samples of carpeting and pull them away from the rest. Your favorite may pop out at you once you see your selections together.

Look for contrast: Is your furniture dark? A lighter carpeting choice will showcase your décor more effectively. On the other hand, if you have light colors in your home, darker carpeting can add drama. Overall, balancing dark and light creates a more interesting look.

Pull a color out of your upholstery fabric: Are there any prints highlighted in your home? Look for a neutral tone that you could pull out to integrate your furniture with your flooring more effectively. Guests may not notice the connection consciously, but your home will feel more coordinated.

Connect your carpeting with your paint choice. When you visit the Fulton Design Center, you have an interesting selection of neutral palettes to choose from for custom paint for your walls, and you may find it easier to make a paint choice first and then use that tone to determine the best carpeting for your new home.

Kitchens made for Entertaining

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002 super browseDoes your kitchen become the central location for every party you host? Then why not create a kitchen made for entertaining in your next home? This kitchen, from the Fulton Design Center, demonstrates how a kitchen can come alive during a party.

Use your island as buffet central: With its close proximity to the oven and fridge, you can easily refresh the food as needed. Take advantage of this to provide special piping hot appetizers fresh from the oven and even offer a hot drink such as mulled cider on the stovetop for winter events.

Add height to your buffet display: The open flat counterspace that your island provides makes for a great functional kitchen but it diminishes the punch of a buffet. Find ways to include height to make the display more interesting. Place some food on pedestal stands, and include candles and fresh flowers. Setting up the buffet this way also encourages guests to serve themselves on the side away from the kitchen. This keeps them out from underfoot while you’re working.

003 super browseSet up a drinks area: You can use a corner of the island, as shown in the photo to the right, also from the Fulton Design Center. Provide cups and cocktail napkins and place sodas and other drinks in the refrigerator for easy access, or keep wine chilled in an ice-bucket on one section of the counter.

Plan your lighting: This allows you to create several moods in different parts of your home. Want the kitchen to be the light and bright area? Turn on all of your kitchen lights. On the other hand if you want people to linger around the buffet but not in the main kitchen space, use only the pendant lights and keep all the other kitchen lighting off for the duration of the party. You can turn them back on when it’s time for clean-up.

Check out these and other kitchen vignettes at the Fulton Homes Design Center. Our open browse nights happen from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every first and third Thursday of the month. For more information visit our website at: http://www.fultonhomes.com/design-center

Your Home’s First Impression

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Front entry photoWould you like a front entryway for your home that is this welcoming? The Fulton Homes Tehama Model shown above offers an inviting courtyard-style space to introduce guests to your home before they even step inside. People arrive at first impressions of people in seconds, and the same goes for homes. Your guests may form an opinion of your home – and you – even before you open your door to them.

At Fulton Homes we help you and your home make a good first impression – one that demonstrates your taste and sense of style. With our rich selection of exterior doors and hardware, we can create a front entrance unique to you.

Front entry photo 2The photo on the right shows just a few of the doors available to you at the Fulton Design Center. We set each of them in a frame so that you can both look and experience each door as it opens.

By providing a choice of wood, stain and design your front door can reflect your personality – and create a link to your choice of home style and design. Are you drawn to a rustic look? Then consider one of our strongly-presented doors with straightforward rubbed bronze hardware. If you want a classic feel, consider the oak paneled door on the right front of the photo above with a curved satin nickel handle that provides an established, traditional look.

At Fulton Homes we know all of our buyers want homes as individual as they are, and we believe that the best place to start is your own front door.

A Backyard that Fits your Needs AND Wants!

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Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing 008A dramatic water feature shown under construction for the Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing was recently completed, making this backyard patio more appealing and serving as a focal point for entertaining. Three separate fountains create a powerful background sound as well as providing a strong visual impact. Would you want this type of water effect in your backyard?

The location enables homeowners to enjoy the fountains both inside and outside the house, and using a combination of rock and stone allows this piece to remain eye-catching even when the water is not running. The rock-covered ledge in front delivers the perfect location for sitting and maybe even soaking tired toes in the water.

The stone patio looks roomy enough for an outdoor dining table as well as a casual seating arrangement. Certainly an outdoor kitchen with a grill would be a nice addition. What special features would you add to this backyard?

Now that summer is almost over in the Phoenix area, people plan to enjoy the outdoors by scheduling everything from parties to family dinners outside. How would you like to take full advantage of your yard to encourage family and friends to spend time there?

Maybe you would enjoy a comfy lounge chair designed to relax in the evening after work. Could a small bistro table and a couple of chairs just large enough to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning suit you better? Why not check our Fulton Homes Pinterest Board on Outdoor Living for some ideas for arranging and decorating your backyard? Take a peek here: http://www.pinterest.com/fultonhomes/outdoor-living/.

The Right Kitchen for You

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Design Center 009Tell me about the right kitchen for you. Will it be contemporary and dramatic like the one above? Are you drawn to this dark cabinetry and crisp light granite? Would you enjoy pendant lights over your island similar to the ones in the photo above or would you rather have the shaded lights in the photo below?

When you walk into the Fulton Design Center, check out the kitchen vignettes including the originals of these photos. But don’t just look. Pop open drawers and cabinets, turn knobs on appliances, walk around the islands and look up at the lights. Fulton’s vignettes are designed to give you a good idea of the features and style you want in your own home.

Design Center 016From a functional standpoint, would you like bookshelves built into your island to hold favorite cookbooks? Or maybe you prefer the opportunity to provide kitchen seating for quick breakfasts or as a place for the kids to do homework nearby while you fix dinner.

While you’re at it, take a look at how the different styles of granite work in each kitchen. With a Fulton Home, granite is standard so you don’t have to worry about budget issues to get this appealing stone look.

Would you like a stainless refrigerator or do you prefer a facing to match your cabinets? And speaking of cabinets, be sure to get the feel for your options for wood, finish and style. The Fulton Design Center offers a rich selection for your perfect kitchen, all with a focus on beauty and quality of construction.

Are you ready to create the right kitchen for you? Then visit us at the Fulton Design Center and let us help you make your kitchen dreams come true!

Fulton’s Design Center Approach

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Carpet Design Center 057A good design center creates just the right environment to help you make your dream home come to life. Let’s take a look at some of the good decisions that make the Fulton Design Center a great resource when you buy your new Fulton home.

Updated options and vignettes: As new products come on the home market, the Fulton team reviews them and determines what will best serve the needs of Fulton’s customers. Quality, value, reliability and style all combine to make your selection process easier and more rewarding.

At the same time, as products lose their appeal they are phased out or replaced with new more-updated options. This ensures that the spacious Fulton Design Center can showcase the choices that will prove to be the most valuable for you and your family.

Opportunities to browse: With so many choices, it would be hard to make all of your home decisions on the spot. So Fulton Homes offers two browse nights every month – on the first and third Thursday evenings. With designers there to provide insights and answer questions, you can take your time exploring your choices in a no-pressure environment. Fulton Home’s online design also provides chances to review many of your options and make some preliminary selections.

Skilled designers: Your personal designer will help you make the right decisions for your home. Their experience with many other homes and homeowners will stand you in good stead when you need information or advice. Our designers are trained to help make the decision process easy and fun.

When you choose your new Fulton Home, everyone at the Fulton Design Center will do everything possible to help you make it the home you’ve always dreamed about. We look forward to seeing you!

Working with a Design Center

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Design Center 005When you walk into a design center such as the Fulton Design Center shown here, you have a choice – to feel overwhelmed or to prepare ahead of time to turn the visit into a pleasure. A good design center serves as a one-stop shop for every option that will make your new home uniquely yours. From flooring to lighting to creating the perfect kitchen for you, a design center is like walking into your own version of HGTV.

You have many decisions to make, so take advantage of everything a design center can offer to make the process easier and fun. To start, wander through the models available. Do you see a kitchen you particularly like? What about a type of carpeting or a certain tile? Take a picture with your phone and jot down some notes of what you like and why. You can start planning your future home even before you buy it!

Do take the time to take a look at various magazines or online resources for home design. Pinterest provides a great resource for ideas. We welcome you to check out our Pinterest boards at: http://www.pinterest.com/fultonhomes/ They are designed to provide ideas for every room in your Fulton home, as well as additional tips for moving, selling your old home, entertaining and even keeping your kids happy in the summer.

Finally, visit the Fulton Design Center during one or more of our browse nights: every first and third Thursday evening of the month. This gives you a chance to take your time looking at all of your choices, talking to our exceptional design team, and starting to decide what options you want in your new Fulton Home. We look forward to seeing you there.

Guest Room Comfort

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Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing 027When you stay at someone’s house, what special features make the guest room memorable? The first and best thing a guest room can offer is comfort. After a day of sight-seeing or socializing with friends or family, it’s a pure pleasure to sink into a bed with a good mattress and a nice selection of pillows. This bed provides extra coziness with the plush bedcovering and plenty of pillows in all shapes and sizes – enough to prop your back against if you want to read in bed.

Have you thought about what guest room amenities you would appreciate? This room, from the Fulton Homes Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing, offers a nice desk with a comfy chair in case you want to check email on your laptop, phone or tablet. Selecting a transparent desk and lamp keeps them unobtrusive while still functional.

A ceiling fan helps visitors from more temperate climates handle our hot summers in Arizona. And choosing carpet for the flooring will be appreciated by guests who forget their slippers.

To make your guest room more inviting, how about fresh flowers, several books or magazines for reading or just browsing through before bed, a few favorite snacks and some space in the closet for hanging clothes that wrinkle easily. Welcome your guests with a few little touches – if possible tailoring those special features to the personality and preferences of your guest.

So spend some time thinking about what you want in a guest room when visiting, and apply those thoughts to your own guest space. You’ll find that welcome guests enjoy their stay and will visit again.