Category Archives: Design Inspiration

Room with a Theme

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495150_SWhen you’re planning to decorate a room, think about starting with a theme. This bedroom has a strong and obvious sports theme, and the art as well as the furniture and accessories play off the idea. Themes are a great way to approach a child’s room, since they often have strong interests.

Adults can enjoy a room that shows off something about their lives or likes also. Do you enjoy traveling through a certain part of the world? How about creating a room around one of your favorite countries or regions?

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You could focus a room around a collection. If you like old silver or movie memorabilia, can you put things together to make a room that showcases your favorite pieces? Think about choosing the right furniture, colors and accessories to create the mood. For example, you might want to go with a black and white look for old movies, complemented with some classic movie stills on the walls. Consider looking for a few antique items to match the feeling of your old-fashioned silver pieces.

Don’t feel obliged to make an entire room reflect a theme. Instead, you may want to incorporate just a few things to suggest a mood or idea. For example, if you like the 1950s, how about picking up an old tablecloth or some retro serving dishes or a toaster to add a fifties flair to your kitchen? Bring in a few classic fifties colors such as this green or even pink to add to the feeling.

Don’t limit your decorating to traditional approaches. Take a favorite idea and make it part of your home by decorating around the theme of your choice.

Room with a View

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6501943_SWhen planning your landscaping, there are really two views to consider: how your home looks from the street, and how your yard appears when looking out your home’s windows.

Consider these issues when making your final landscape layout:

Don’t cut the view: Just as a large or tall centerpiece can spoil your ability to talk to the person across the table from you, a tree can accidentally compromise a view out of a window. Be sure to position any single-trunk large trees so that they run in between the windows.

Consider the future: Might you want to add an outdoor patio or walkway someday? Don’t waste your tree budget if you might have to unearth foliage later. Also, factor in the size the trees or bushes may become when you’re assigning spaces.

Block a view: Placing a lacy tree such as a Jacaranda about ten feet away from a street-facing window means that people passing on the street will find their eyes focused on the tree rather than the inside of your home. On the other hand you, as a closer viewer, will easily see through the thin foliage.

Create a vignette: If you want to plant flowers or set up a bird feeder, make sure you benefit from the added charm without having to leave the house. And if you’re considering flowers at this time of year, consider something that can handle the heat.

Use outdoor lighting: Want your landscape to shine even at night? Look for outdoor lighting options that will showcase your home. You can turn your yard into an evening charmer with some careful light planning.

When you’re planning your home, be sure to consider what’s in view outside your windows as well as inside.

Design Center Basics: Have Fun!

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Design 20Center 20023 designerOne of the best parts of buying a Fulton Home is selecting your options at the Fulton Home Design Center. You have the opportunity to work with a skilled designer to choose your kitchen, bathroom and flooring, making your home uniquely yours.

At first, choosing may seem overwhelming, but if you did your homework before your appointment (see the two blog posts for earlier this week) this can be a truly enjoyable experience.

Design 20Center 20059 carpetingVisiting the Design Center can feel like walking into the HGTV studios. Fulton has pre-selected suppliers and products that are reliable and provide a rich selection of styles to individualize your home. For example, look at the carpeting options available. Take your time to enjoy the various textures and tones.

One of the best features of the Fulton Homes Design Center is the well-trained and savvy designers who will work with you to help make just the right selections. Years of experience working with homebuyers to help create lovely homes provide every designer with the skills to give valuable insights and support as you make your home your own.

Whether your taste is contemporary or traditional, you’ll find the right choices of cabinetry, countertops, lighting and more. Take the time to investigate the kitchen vignettes. They may help you determine whether you want light or dark cabinetry, how much contrast you want in your kitchen and any specific color choices.

Everyone at Fulton Homes wants you to enjoy your time at the Design Center, so relax and take full advantage of this opportunity to make your home as special as you and your family are.

Design Center Basics: Browse Power

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Design20Center20078 fulton lobby - receptionistWhen you’re selecting options for your new Fulton Home, one of the best tools you have is the Fulton Home Design Center browse night. Once a week, you can visit the design center at your leisure and look at all of your home choices. Designers and other staff are on hand to answer any questions.

Browse nights are aptly named. You can take your time and sift through the choices for cabinets, flooring and other options without having to make any final decisions. If you really use the browse nights well, you may have most of your options selected before your appointment. This will allow you to take the time you need to review those choices that are harder for you to make.

Browse nights are particularly useful if you and your spouse have differing tastes. The two of you can work out compromises that you both can live happily with, and check out those options you liked online in person. This is also a good chance to see how your cabinets fit with your choice of countertops, backsplash and flooring. You may be surprised to discover that a countertop you hadn’t even considered is just the right choice.

Consider browse nights as a chance to explore all of the amazing options the Fulton Design Center offers with no need to make any permanent decisions. It’s a casual and comfortable place filled with people who want to help you make your home perfect for you. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity.

Design Center Basics: Planning Ahead

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Design20Center 20077 built insAll of the options and choices available at the Fulton Homes Design Center can be exciting and a bit overwhelming. You can make the process more fun and productive if you do a little planning ahead of time. Here are a few suggestions.

Visit the models: The Design Center has a number of vignettes to provide ideas, but there is a wealth of options visible in the models, and positioned within a home. From cabinets and countertops to faucets and built-ins, models are a wonderful resource. Spend some time and take notes of what you like in each model. You may even want to take pictures of those choices you particularly like. Bring this with you to your Design Center appointment to help your designer understand your taste and preferences.

Take advantage of browse nights: These provide time for you to look at everything available and make some preliminary choices. Designers are there to answer questions and educate you on various choices.

Visit the Design Center section on the Fulton website: You can pre-design your kitchen and review many of your options. This gives you a chance to experiment with various combinations of cabinets, countertops and flooring at your leisure.

Keep an open mind: While it’s good to get a feeling for your preferences, you may discover something at the Design Center that captures you unexpectedly. There are some amazing choices, and the designers are experts at helping you make combinations that you will love to live with for years.

The more you plan ahead, the more time you will have to make any tougher decisions – and totally enjoy the rich variety of choices that await you when you visit Fulton Home’s Design Center.

Help your Child Redecorate -Color and Pattern

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12105159_S This stage is the most exciting part of redecorating a child’s room – or any room for that matter. There are a few simple ways to help your child define the colors and look of a bedroom without taking over the process. Here are some ideas.

Picking colors: One easy way to determine a good main color for your child’s bedroom is to focus on a favorite color or colors. Another option is to consider the colors of your child’s favorite clothes. Don’t discourage bright tones – a child’s room can handle more vivid colors than you may want in the rest of the house. This is a great time to encourage experimentation and creativity. Colors can also be mixed – take a look at the broad variety of choices in the room above!

Choosing patterns: Fabric, rugs, stencils and wallpaper can all add pattern to a child’s space. In the room above, a simple mural provides the largest element of pattern. You might want to visit a fabric store or look at bed sheets and coverlets to see what appeals to your child. Be sure to consider stripes, checks, ginghams, polka dots, and other standard pattern styles.

6249365_SApplying color and pattern: Paint is the easiest way to establish color in a room, and the easiest to change later as your child’s taste changes. This can include walls and furniture. Wallpaper can also be applied to one wall or a piece of furniture to add pattern. Just be sure to prime the surface first so you will be able to strip the paper off later. Curtains, bed linens and rugs also provide methods for introducing color and pattern.

Working with existing choices: You can introduce colors that don’t seem to work with the current room options and still be successful. Take a look at the girl’s room to the right. The pastel pink and blue scheme wouldn’t be expected to connect with the light camel carpeting, but it does. As long as options such as flooring don’t actively clash, they will retreat to the background once the overall look of the room is established. An area rug or two also keeps the focus on the décor rather than the carpet.

So encourage your child to be daring – a child’s room should be fun, colorful, happy and expressive, and as a parent you have the chance to encourage those abilities in your children with their bedrooms and their lives.

Fulton Homes Super Browse Night

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Design20Center20074 kitchen 4Would you like a chance to explore kitchen and bath ideas, talk with designers and product-knowledge specialists, and see some of the latest home design options available?

Fulton Homes invites you to join us this Thursday night, March 21st 2013, for Super Browse Night at our design center in Tempe. With 13,000 square feet of kitchen and bath vignettes, a rich variety of product displays, and our team of designers ready to answer your questions, this is an amazing opportunity to see the newest home products in a comfortable and inviting setting.

Desig20Center20071-doors-2-300x199From countertops to carpeting, cabinet doors to front doors, appliances to area rugs, you can browse every kind of home interior option set up in inviting and exciting displays.

Whether you’re considering a new home, purchasing a new home, or just want some good ideas for your current or future home, you’re welcome to join us for this exceptional event. We’ve invited our trade partners to join our designers and sales associates to share their insights into the best ways to make your home as special as you want it to be.

Design 20Center 20015 listellesJoin us Thursday March 21st 2013 from 5-8 p.m. at the Fulton Homes Design Center, 1241 West Warner Road, #106, Tempe, AZ. To find us turn south on Beck between Priest and Hardy. Turn right in the second driveway.

As an extra incentive (Maybe to help get your spouse to join you?) we’re giving away a 40 inch Samsung flat-screen TV to those who attend our event, with no purchase necessary to win. We look forward to seeing you there.

Anticipate Spring with Accessories

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8755374_SWith temperatures hitting close to 90 this week in the Phoenix area, we need to celebrate spring before we get into the middle of summer. Here are some fun ways to dress up your home to create the spirit of spring.

1) Look for unique and interesting pastel containers to hold fresh-cut flowers. These little ceramic boots with butterflies say spring even without flowers. It’s a nice touch to have two to remind you of a child’s set of boots, but notice that only one vase has flowers in it – you can break the rules and still end up with a charming vignette.

12464404_S2) Look for spring bulbs in pots to have flowers in the house for weeks. Crocuses like these, tulips and daffodils are available at many grocery stores. Pick several types and colors and group them for a spring splash of charm. Consider adding a Hyacinth or two to your selection for the rich floral scent they produce.

17919516_S3) Look for inexpensive plastic and metal children’s sand toys and gardening tools in bright colors. With the selection to the left, you could add a few fresh flowers or spring candies and have a festive centerpiece for a dinner party buffet. You might also want to consider placing your plants in more inviting containers such as these to add to the spring mood.

4) For additional decorative elements, look through your wardrobe for a straw hat or scarves in pastel colors. Placing them among your flowers or other decorations will contribute to a spring mood. With just a few touches such as these, your home will remind every visitor that spring is here.

Cozy Fireplace Space

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Peninsula 155On a chilly weekend like the one we just had, a cozy fireplace creates just the right ambience for relaxing and enjoying an evening.

You could watch a favorite program or movie on the flat-screen television above this fireplace, or maybe just settle down with a book and cup of tea or glass of wine. The extra warmth comes from the fireplace, ready to add color, heat and light to your family room. Let’s take a look at some of the design decisions that take full advantage of the fireplace in this space.

Lighted shelves: You can hold books there, but with the lighting, these shelves provide a great place to showcase favorite accessories such as glassware or framed photos. The lights echo the glow from the fireplace, adding even more warmth to the wall.

Large mantel: Placing a mantel over the fireplace and shelves connects them while providing an additional place for adding accessories. This mantel has an added touch of style thanks to the tile running under the stone top.

Peninsula 156Tinted alcove: Choosing a darker tone for the alcove holding the television adds interest and style to the fireplace wall. It also softens the line between the wall and the TV screen. This is a simple and low-cost way to add personality to a space.

Sconces: The matching sconces provide another source of light and suit the walls to either side of the television alcove.

Many years ago, people needed fireplaces to keep warm through the winter. Choosing a fireplace for your home today is more about adding an atmosphere of warmth. Plan your fireplace to add a welcoming focal point to your living or family room.

Daring Kitchen Tile Choices

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Peninsula 167You don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a kitchen backsplash that captures attention. Take a look at this kitchen design from Fulton Home’s Woodside model in the Oasis at Freeman Farms community. One type of tile in two colors combine to create an exciting look that is different with a modern twist.

The granite chosen for this kitchen has a strong pattern with contrasting shades of gold, brown and black. Combine this with an intense tile pattern and the space would feel busy rather than interesting.

Total room design involves making choices that work well together to make a space intriguing. It’s the interaction among the various elements – cabinets, countertops, tile, flooring and lighting – that makes this kitchen stand out.

Peninsula 165Many people like to have a special look behind the range, and this kitchen creates that impact simply by changing the dark and light pattern of the long rectangular tiles. Notice in the photo to the right, the light tiles move down in a stair step design, but move in a back-and-forth direction over the range. This simple change helps create a meaningful difference in the kitchen.

The imagination of this kitchen designer didn’t stop at the backsplash. Take a look at the tile design on the island below. The same tile laid in vertical rows creates a very different look whilestill keeping everything integrated.

Peninsula 159Here’s a great look at this granite countertop. An island is a perfect place to showcase your granite choice, because the large expanse of open stone really displays the grain.

Don’t be afraid to make a daring choice for one or more of your options when designing your new home. And be sure to take advantage of the knowledge of your Fulton Design Center designer when determining which options will combine to help you create a home that demonstrates your taste and style.