Category Archives: Design Inspiration

Luxurious Master Suite Made for Relaxing

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Today, many master bedrooms & baths are designed to be much more than functional. This roomy master suite, part of the Shoreline model in the Santa Monica community, provides extra space, extra comfort and extra style in every area.

The master bedroom itself is roomy, but not at the expense of the rest of the suite. The long vanity in the bathroom provides his and her areas with individual sinks and plenty of cabinetry to hold personal items without crowding. The center provides a place to sit for applying makeup or just relaxing. The generous glass block window is a rich source of natural light.

Another plus possible because of this spacious bath is a combination of a comfortable soaking tub and a spacious stand-up shower.

Choosing a diagonal angle for the floor tile makes the aisle between the cabinetry and the shower and tub feel wider and more spacious.

The entire space is designed and decorated to reproduce the comfort and luxury of a personal spa. By choosing flooring, countertops and wallpaper that coordinate without matching, the bathroom feels more interconnected. Dark cabinetry provides a nice contrast, and the framing around the mirror brings the darker tone up toward the ceiling.

Notice the large closet at the back of the bath, complete with built-ins to handle all of your clothes. Once again, the closet has plenty of room for two wardrobes. The full-length mirrors on the sliding closet doors help you make sure you look your best without taking away valuable floor or wall space.

With the demands of today’s life and the responsibilities of family and work, a master bedroom suite like this one – with space in every area – creates the opportunity to get away from your tensions without leaving your home.

Create a Welcoming Guest Room

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This guest room is simple yet striking thanks to the combination of dark furniture and rich fabrics.

Let’s consider what makes this room so inviting and ready for your guests.

The matching nightstands provide space for a book or a glass of water. Notice the decorative box at the nightstand to the left. It contains snacks and personal needs such as a toothbrush or shampoo. Both nightstands have lamps, which create the opportunity to read before going to sleep.

A guest room doesn’t need the decorating details you might put in the rest of your home. Lots of furniture, art or accessories may make a guest room feel cluttered or like a guest is borrowing someone’s room for the night. Instead, think of it as a particularly nice and comfortable hotel room, with just enough furniture to be functional and one or two simple accessories.

The chest of drawers at the right side of the image gives the room a great space for guests to unpack and place their things if they will be staying for a while. The top of the chest could hold a flat-screen television or anything else that will make your guests feel at home.

The window treatment is simple, with blinds giving the room privacy when needed. The big splash is reserved for the bed, with a striking rich red patterned duvet and coordinating dust ruffle and smaller pillows.

The final features a guest room should have aren’t visible from this photo, but a smile of welcome and directions to the rest room down the hall are all that’s needed to complete the picture. With just a little effort and a small budget, you can make your guest room as appealing as this one.

Finding Design Inspiration

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We are so lucky to live in an age where great information is available in so many outlets. Today’s world of design is no longer a secret.  Tips, tricks and secrets of the trade can be found online in so many places.

Design inspiration and information can be found through articles, blogs, websites and Pinterest boards. You can find blogs on specific topics, like flooring or paint or furniture, or general information on projects all over the internet. There is so much information out there you can get addicted to searching for design inspiration!

If you are looking for design inspiration online, start with sources you already know. A basic Google image search, online magazines and sites like Houzz and Pinterst are all good places to start. Each of these will probably have links to other resources. Researching online can be daunting so pace yourself!

Design inspiration is all around us. You can find inspiration in any store, in nature or at a friend’s house.  Ask for paint colors! Snap pics of things you like! You never know where you’ll find inspiration for your next project.

We’re here to help if you need us, but until you’re ready, spend sometime seeing what inspires you online!

Coordinate Décor with your Tile for a Bathroom with a Spa Feel

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Creating a spa feel in your bathroom is about the finishing touches. This bath provides a soft, inviting place to relax. Tile, window treatments and accessories all work together to create a welcoming space.

Start with the oval tub. The generous framing provides space for candles, your favorite soaps or bubbles, and even a book to read as you soak. The faucet is positioned for easy filling and a hand-held shower sprayer helps rinse your hair after a shampoo without having to jump into the shower.

Glass block presents the perfect solution for bringing in natural light without sacrificing privacy. The simple valance is all that’s needed to soften the window and connect it with the rest of the room.

The stone feel to the floor tile and bath surround create that natural element that supports a spa impression. The matte finish on the faucet and shower surround match the more contemporary lines while still maintaining a traditional profile.

Wallpaper is a daring choice in a bath, but this selection ties in well with the tile. Overall, the bathroom is well coordinated and has a rich feeling. Simple accessories and art bring in touches of color. Notice the splash of red in the vase and its echo on the valance fringe. This color note adds personality and warmth.

With some simple, thoughtful design choices, you can turn your bathroom into an oasis for relaxing and reducing stress after a long day. This example from Fulton Home’s Harmonique model in the Ashcreek community gives great insight into what you can do with your own space.

Boy’s Room with Grown-up Style

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It can be hard to walk the fine line between a boy’s room that is fun and appealing to your son and still meets your style goals. This bedroom has many features that work for both. Let’s take a look at this Malibu model from the Shoreline community and figure out how and why this room works.

Choose a theme: A nautical theme provides a way to introduce bright colors and interesting accessories. The art and pillows echo the feelings of semaphore flags, and the matching lamps look like large fishing lures. The brightly-striped bedspread brings the look together without pushing the nautical feel too far.

Buy good furniture: The matching chests of drawers provide plenty of clothes-space and can follow your son into his first apartment, or work well for a conversion to a guest room later. The simple red wicker chair adds a touch of whimsy to the room, but it is flexible enough to find a good location later somewhere else in the house. The only piece of furniture with limits is the single bed, but it’s a good decision because it provides plenty of floor room for play.

Choose neutral options: They beige carpeting and walls work great for this design but leave space for completely changing the look later. While the art is set in blocks contrasting colors on the walls, paint is easy to change. Add simple wood blinds under the window valances and this room is ready to work as a boy’s room or anything else.

With careful planning and design choices, you can make a child’s room that will grow with him and your family’s changing needs.

Be Daring with Wallpaper

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How courageous are you willing to be when decorating your home? Would you be brave enough to use wallpaper with this much of a flourish?

The bold red color and the metallic gold leaves make this bathroom pop. Let’s take a look at why it works so well.

To start, a bathroom has a lot of things to break up the vivid wallpaper. The mirrors, windows, shower, and bathroom cabinetry break up the walls so that this pattern doesn’t overwhelm the space. A bathroom is a great way to start expanding your home design thinking.

Second, the rest of the room is neutral. It would be tempting to add red towels and lots of red accessories, but that could overwhelm the room and actually distract from the wallpaper. Instead the red is limited to the walls and a few small pieces. Towels are a simple stone color that fit well with the flooring. Even the chair at the make-up table is upholstered in black.

Notice in the photo to the right that the room is filled with plants. That choice mirrors theleaf wallpaper without mimicking it. This thematic connection in the bathroom is understated but it has a subtle design impact.

Finally, the other tone choices – while neutral – show both light and dark elements. This helps them stand out even against the strong wallpaper.

So if you’re tempted to take a chance with color or wallpaper, consider starting with your bathroom, and you may find yourself becoming more daring throughout your home!

Décor – Bedroom Lighting

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The exaggerated height of the bedside lamps in this bedroom makes the lamps a standout feature in the room. The black headboard anchors the bed area while the tall lamps appear to soar. Bedside lighting can be more than functional; it can become a beautiful design element in the bedroom.

 

Bedside lighting is essential in the bedroom. Whether it is for a master bedroom, a guest room or child’s room, having a light next to the bed is a must.  Even if you have overhead lighting, reaching the switch to turn it off or on might not be convenient from the bed. Adding a lamp to the bedside table or nightstand will make flipping on or off the lighting in the room more convenient.

 

Lighting in the bedroom, like most rooms in the home, should be layered. Overhead lighting is great for getting dressed or looking for a lost earring in the carpet. It can be bright and too harsh for other times. Pairing an overhead light with bedside lighting creates lighting zones and layers of light.

 

Reading in bed or using the laptop is better done with bedside lighting that can create pools of light rather than washing the entire room in light. Stylish bedside lamps can be sat on the nightstand or mounted as wall lamps bedside the bed. Either provides adequate lighting for reading in bed. Look for a pair or near pair of table lamps that are keeping in scale with your nightstand and headboard for stylish and functional bedside lighting.

Elements That Make For A Special Family Room

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Plan ahead and you can create a family room that provides everything you and your family need for an evening’s entertainment.

This built-in cabinetry to the left makes the room a one-stop shop for games, movies and music. The television has a home theater sound system built into the room through inconspicuous speakers set in the ceiling.

The glass doors under the television allow family members to control the cable or satellite system, the DVD player and the Ipod-based sound system with several remote controls. These remotes are hidden from sight when not in use thanks to the drawer in the middle of the coffee table.

Board games join a WII system complete with accessories, all tucked in the cabinets to the left and right of the flat-screen television. The generous space in front of the coffee table and the plush rug encourages kids and adults play games on the floor or engage in sports and exercise using the WII.

This wall of cabinets provides plenty of storage and the lighting is bright enough for afternoon activities such as homework or other projects. With a quartet of matching drawers and cabinets across the bottom of the built-in cabinetry, each school-age child could use one cabinet for storing school books and homework, while school supplies could live in the drawers above.

With a wealth of storage space and plenty of comfy seating, this room provides everything a family needs to enjoy the room. This is one good example of how Fulton builds homes with families in mind.

 

Decorating for Teen Girls

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The old adage that boys are easier to raise than girls is perhaps never truer when it comes to decorating their rooms.  Teen girls can change their style as often as they change their outfits—and that can be a lot. Decorating a room that will keep our teenage daughters happy can be tricky but isn’t mission impossible. Getting input from the teen is important but you have input too. After all, it is still your house.  Working together on decorating your teenage daughter’s room will make you both happy.

 

Keeping the major things neutral and timeless will help the room to grow and change as your teenager grows.  If you are investing in new furniture and flooring be sure to select pieces that can work for several different styles.  Wood floors will never go out of style and can be topped with area rugs that suit this year’s color scheme.  Wall color is a great way for your daughter to express herself. And paint is inexpensive and easily changed as her mood or style changes.

 

Forcing your modern loving daughter into a traditional room won’t work for either of you.  Start by having your daughter pull together images from blogs or magazines of rooms she likes. Create a dialog about what will be possible.  Set a budget and allow her to make some of the design decisions. Bedding and accessories are great for adding a certain style and look.  Keeping furniture to classic forms means you can have more fun in the fabrics and colors of the room.

Classic White Molding and Trim

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Some design elements are classics because they’ve withstood the test of time and trends. White painted molding and trim are classic because they work in so many different types of interior styles.  White painted trim can make both the wall and floor color pop, acting as a frame for a colorful wall. Painting baseboard molding white also helps transition the floor color to the wall color. The white molding acts as a palette cleanser between the floor and wall or two different colors if used as a chair railing.

 

Of course there are other options for molding and trim colors besides white. Some styles like Craftsman or Mission prefer that wood trim, molding and paneling be kept natural stained wood.  There was a time when painting wood molding, wainscoting or trim was considered a design faux pas. That isn’t the case in today’s design world.  To make molding blend in with the wall color or wallpaper it can be painted the same color. It can be painted a highlight color from patterned wallpaper or even a contrasting color to the wall color. These approaches will have a very different visual effect than white painted molding, but can be equally as beautiful.

 

The type of paint used on molding is typically a gloss or high gloss oil paint.  These types of paint can stand up to the wear and dirt better than a flat paint.  The shiny, glossy surface will also draw your eye to the architectural detail created by the molding, baseboard or trim.