Category Archives: Flooring

Flooring that stands out

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DSC_0086Flooring often serves a passive role in decorating, as the background for other, more exciting things. But take a look at what happens when you give flooring top billing. These two examples from Fulton Home’s models at Legacy demonstrate the power of bringing flooring to the foreground.

The picture above shows the floor extending out from an entryway. Immediately your eyes are drawn down the hall and into the home. This combination of stone and wood provides a path and a promise that this is no ordinary place. The diagonal setting makes that point stronger and adds a dynamic feel. It pays to consider placing flooring on the diagonal. It can create a feeling of added space and energy. In this instance, the strong contrast also provides interest.

DSC_0108Small spaces provide another place to experiment with unusual flooring choices. This basic bathroom becomes intriguing with the addition of flooring in an ascending block pattern. Three shades of tile make up the drama here, capturing the eye. One of our Facebook fans suggested adding Escher prints on the walls to make this bathroom a statement space.

There’s no denying that these floors are a design risk, but why not take a few chances in your home? If these are too far out of your comfort zone, how about adding a border or some sort of contrast in your flooring. Remember that your floor and ceiling are the fifth and sixth walls in your home, so why should the first four have all the fun?

 

Make a Dramatic Entrance

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DSC_0086Your foyer creates the first impression people have when they walk into your home. What can you do to improve the impact of your entryway? Let’s take a look at the Fulton model from the Legacy community to get some ideas.

Flooring: The foyer provides a great place to be daring with your flooring. In this home the design includes a dramatic flooring layout. This floor combines dark and light contrast with a strong diagonal pattern to pull people into the home and announce immediately that this is no ordinary space.

Legacy Models 014Lighting: Most foyers have one primary light fixture, and this one is designed to draw the eye. The rich bronze echoes the brown lattice in the flooring.

Architecture: While the flooring is all sharp angles, the ceiling adds some soft curves to the design. The circular coffering on the ceiling, highlighted with a lighter color, takes advantage of the architecture of the space to add another layer of contrast. The curve is gently echoed with the high window, adding a spot of daylight and another point of interest. Overall, the architecture of the space contributes to the drama of this entrance.

DSC_0085Vista: What do people see beyond your foyer when walking into your home? In this case the flooring carries the eye into the rest of the home. Notice, however, that there are two unique sconces framing this view. Once again the dark bronze and long lines of this lighting choice mirror the flooring, pulling the room together.

What do you want your home’s entryway to say about you? If you take advantage of all of your choices, you can create a space that provides just the right first impression.

 

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.

Hardwood Flooring

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Hardwood Design Center 058With a classic and timeless look, hardwood flooring is hard to beat. Hardwood flooring, with its long life, flexible background for any décor, and variety of tones and finishes, can work in any room in your home. At the Fulton Design Center, take the time to investigate our hardwood options for flooring.

Fulton Homes offers a choice of Shaw, Armstrong or Holland Hardwoods brands for flooring, all three with a long-term and well-deserved reputation for quality materials and construction. Hardwood flooring has been designed to last, and it has a significant impact on resale value and speed. But the main reason to select hardwood flooring comes from the elegant appearance of this choice.

Many of today’s hardwood finishes tolerate more wear due to modern coatings. But hardwood flooring gains personality with wear. If you’ve ever visited a historic home, you may have noticed that those hardwood floors can last through generations of use, and a few scratches and dents don’t detract from the way this flooring creates an environment of tradition.

With hardwood flooring, changes in décor are easier, as wood makes a perfect background for any combination of colors and style. Hardwood provides the perfect background for area rugs, adding an additional layer to your home’s design.

Hardwood flooring isn’t for everyone. When you’re ready to choose flooring for your new Fulton Home, talk to your designer at the Fulton Design Center to determine if hardwood is a good choice for you and your family.

As you will find out when you talk to others who have chosen hardwood flooring, it’s an option you won’t regret. To see the full range of Fulton Homes’ hardwood flooring, visit the Fulton Design Center on one of our browse nights: the first and third Thursday evening of every month.

Designed for Entertaining – Living Space

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Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing 007If you enjoy entertaining friends and family in your home, why not consider including a space made for entertaining? This room, from the Fulton Homes Corsica model at Ironwood Crossing, is ready for any gathering.

Whether it’s just you and your daughter after dinner or a troop of teenagers visiting on a weekend afternoon, a pool table adds personality and entertainment to any group. The sleek lines of this table combine with a maroon cover to fit perfectly in this grey-toned room. People of all ages enjoy playing pool, and this table creates an inviting mood in this room.

The table in the corner is bar-height, making it easy to watch the game while enjoying a drink and snacks. This is also a great spot for some appetizers or snacks to make the party more fun. The sleek shelves on the wall bring more personality into the room while using no floor space.

Take a look at the flooring. With the look of hardwood, this rectangular mimics the classic approach while providing the convenience and ease of maintenance of tile. The whitewashed tone fits perfectly into the grey, black and maroon colors of this room.

Notice also the different style of ceiling fan. The retro stainless fans gain a modern look when built into a ceiling fan this way. All of the design elements in this room combine to make a space that shows a unique sense of style – and a confidence that allows the designer to take chances.

Transitional Design – Bedrooms

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Corsica Model at Ironwood Crossing 028If you love contemporary design but still want a bedroom that is as warm and inviting as a traditional one, consider a transitional look. This combines the clean lines and colors of modern taste along with some traditional elements to maintain a warmer feel throughout your home. Let’s take a look at this transitional bedroom, from the Fulton Homes Corsica model at Ironwood Crossing.

First, the cool colors in the bedding reflect a contemporary sensibility. Black, grey and purple combine to make a bed that challenges standard color choices. Notice the rich selection of textures to add interest, with the velvet square pillows, wool bed headboard and cotton twill bedspread.

The shape of the headboard emulates traditional wing chair corners, but squared off to modernize the look. This headboard with its padding also makes the bed into a comfy spot for reading.

Matching lamps and nightstands demonstrates a classic traditional look, but the sleek lamp design and pure cylindrical shades provide the modern perspective.  The art is minimal and contemporary in flavor, but still follows the traditional symmetrical approach experienced with the nightstands and lamps.

With minimal accessories and simple window treatments in a contemporary fabric, this bedroom combines the best of traditional and modern to create a transitional space that is clean and still inviting.

Does the transitional style appeal to you? Then you may want to visit our Corsica model to see more ideas for designing and decorating the home of your dreams.

Area Rugs Pull Rooms Together

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Family Room DSC_0323 area rug 3Do you find that some of your rooms feel a bit unfinished? If you’re satisfied with your furniture placement, art on your walls and accessory choices, look a little lower and see if a rug will provide the final touch.

Most interior decorators will encourage you to start with the flooring, including area rugs, but if you are already through with much of your decorating, the vast selection of colors and styles means that it’s never too late to add an area rug.

Start by taking a good look at your space. Would a darker or lighter rug fit better? What about colors? Finally, what style would fit your home’s décor the best? Could a contemporary pattern add flash to your traditional furniture selections or would a more classic choice connect everything together?

Next, go online to start visualizing some of your options. The Fulton Design Center carries Feizy area rugs – a company that has a long tradition of quality and style. They have choices in a wide range of colors and materials to fit every budget.

Be sure to bring a few photos of your room when reviewing rugs in person. It will help you understand the proportions of the design and color choices. Notice in this room from the Fulton Homes Cascade model, the rug pulls out the accent colors rather than the primary ones. This brings a rich note to the room through expanding the dark tones with just a few hints connecting to the lighter sofas.

An area rug is a worthwhile investment – one that can add to the mood and charm of your home in any room.

Don’t be afraid of color

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Loft DSC_0312 don't be afraid of colorWhen it comes to larger furniture investments, many people are hesitant to choose color, preferring instead to stick with neutrals. But color creates its own magic, as you can see with these two rooms from the Fulton Homes Cascade model.

You can bring color into a room with less committed options such as paint and pillows, but take a look at how appealing this loft room is thanks to the inviting blue on the sofas and the fun stripe on the coordinating chairs.

Color makes a space interesting. Too many neutrals and you can have a home that looks more like commercial space. Why not show off your color preferences? In this room the soft light-brown carpeting and gold walls provide the neutral tones and then the blue becomes a strong focal point rather than the television.

A red-orange ottoman pulls the pillow and throw colors into the room while the slipper chairs with their stripe play a nice supporting role. Patterns and solid fabrics play well together, creating the feel of a family-only space appealing to kids and adults alike.

Master bedroom DSC_0317 - don't be afraid of colorNot quite ready for prime-time color? How about dipping your toe into the pool with a focus wall such as the one in the photo to the right? The contrast between the light blue and the brown and rust colors from the bedding and curtains works well to keep color front-and-center in this master bedroom.

Blue and brown work well together, creating a sophisticated color palette. If you want to get started with color, you might enjoy visiting a shop that carries upholstery-weight fabric. Choose a colorful print that appeals to you and build your room around it. You may find yourself saying yes to color in your home in ways you would never have imagined.

Fulton Homes Design Online – Area Rugs

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Qing in roomArea rugs create an island of interest in an open-concept home, bring in color, warmth and softness, absorb sound, and give a finished look to a room’s décor.

How about a visit to Fulton Homes Design Online to take a look at the rich variety of area rugs available for your new Fulton home? Whether you’re looking for an abstract floral sasha alonewith an Asian flair such as this hand-knotted example from Feizy Rug’s Qing collection, or a more traditional classic Oriental style such as the choice shown to the right from the Sasha collection, you will find your favorites displayed through Fulton Homes Design – either online or at the Design Center.

Feizy Rug® was selected by Fulton Homes as the supplier of choice for area rugs thanks to their over 40 years in the rug business, and their focus on quality and value. Feizy is committed to uniting its heritage of distinction with worldwide resources, revealing inspired methods that mirror ancient visions. Feizy Rug owners can be sure they will receive consistently excellent quality and cutting–edge design.contour collection

If you plan on hardwood or tile floors, area rugs add personality and charm while connecting each living area’s furniture into one integrated whole. And the selection of options is varied in color and style. Want a more contemporary look? Consider the Contour collection – a variegated soft stripe that can connect furniture colors.

Channels in roomOr if you’re looking for a more neutral look, the Channels Collection – in aqua, beige or ivory – uses texture to stay interesting while maintaining color consistency.

If you dream of the lush look of hardwood or tile floors combined with just the right area rugs, take a few minutes to visit Fulton Homes Design Online and travel through your choice of styles, colors and sizes offered to you as a new Fulton Home owner.

A special thanks to Feizy’s website for these great photos.