Category Archives: Home Tips

Happy Pet Household

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Pets become a part of the family. They provide love, laughs, and happiness to their owners. It is easy to see all the great things your pet brings to the family, but realistically they can be a lot of work. Whether you have a puppy or a full-grown dog, learning how to live with an animal sometimes becomes a series of trial and error. We have provided some tips for providing a happy pet household:

 

Make it washable. Animals have accidents, it may not be often but they do. From your bedding to rugs make sure it is washable (or easily treatable). Puppies especially do not give us a warning when they have to go the bathroom. Be prepared for any accidents with proper cleaning supplies and washable items. Take some time to think about your major household items and how you would treat them. If it can be ruined easily, try to keep it out your pet’s view.

 

Shedding. Unless you have a hypoallergenic pet, there will probably be a lot of shedding. 

Tips: 

  • Invest in a quality vacuum. Realistically you should vacuum every day, it is good for removing the pet hair and the lifespan of your carpet. Pet hair can be a source of dirt and odor, it is imperative to regularly clean and vacuum your home. 
  • Incorporate your pet’s fur color throughout the house. By using the same color as your pet’s hair, it will distract from all of the hair they leave behind. This may sound crazy but look at your pet as your design inspiration. 
  • Give your pet a bath frequently. Do not give them so many baths that it dries out their skin, but bathe them about once a month. 
  • Trimming their nails will help reduce any scratch marks that they may leave behind. This can be a scary responsibility because some pets have dark nails and you cannot see their blood vessel. If you are nervous about cutting their nails, talk to your vet about the actions you should take. It is always better to be safe than sorry in these circumstances. 

 

Provide them with space. If you have room, provide your pet will a space to call their own. You can convert a cabinet into a cat’s room or a window bench into a dog’s haven. There are endless ideas available online. 

 

Keep it natural. Your pet and family’s health is important. Keeping most of your household items natural will ensure safety. Store hazardous products out of reach from children and pets. 

 

Our pets want the best for us so would not we want the same for them? These tips will help keep your pets happy and healthy. Always remember to consult a veterinarian with any questions or concerns. 


Make your Garage Something Special

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design center 7It’s easy to end up with a garage that’s a catch-all. When you first move in you may find that extra boxes and other items you don’t know what to do with end up in the garage. Then add in the kids sports equipment, yard supplies and tools, and then other odds and ends. Before you know it, the whole space is a mess.

If you find yourself cringing every time you open your garage door, think about choosing some of these garage options when you design your new Fulton Home. Just a few organizing elements could make a big difference in the look and functionality of your new garage. Let’s take a look at some of these choices.

Cabinetry: Garage cabinetry has a heavy-duty structure designed to hold up to power tools, yard equipment and other larger items. This is perfect storage for the home handyman, and it keeps everything under control. The countertop area is great for small assembly projects or organizing outdoor plantings.

Storage racks: Everything is so much more under control if it stays off the floor. With coordinated storage racks designed to hold yard tools and sports supplies you can easily put your hands on whatever you need whenever you need it. And when you are finished you have just the place for it to go back. And when not in use everything stays in place, out of the way and clean until the next time.

A garage can be a messy catch-all or it can be a great resource for storing things that fit well in that space, well beyond a place to keep your cars. Take advantage of options such as these to make it into a functional addition to your new Fulton Home.

Making the Most of your Walk-In Pantry

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wWarner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-053 - CopyIf you’re lucky enough to have a kitchen with a walk-in pantry, you will soon wonder how you ever managed to make meals without one. It can’t be beat for helping you organize your space and make the most of your kitchen. Here are some suggestions to help your pantry really work for you.

Use a FIFO inventory system: FIFO means First In First Out. If you don’t pay close attention to this, it’s easy to let food get lost until it’s out of date. To protect against this, keep like products together and take the time to put the new purchases toward the back.

Use baskets to store small products: Packets of spice mixes or dips will quickly get lost on shelves if you don’t keep them contained. Look for small wicker or plastic bins to hold this type of item.

Store small appliances on lower shelves: It’s easy to have small appliances such as blenders and food processors absorb counter space. Instead, use your lower pantry shelves to store those appliances, keeping them out of the way yet making them easy to grab when you want them.

Use labeled clear airtight bins to store grains and staples: Oxo and other companies make great airtight bins for flour, sugar and cereals. You can use a label maker to print labels or just tape hand-written labels on the fronts of the containers. These are much more efficient in terms of space usage and will keep everything fresher than leaving things in original boxes.

Position a grocery list in your pantry: As you run low on standard pantry items, add them to your list. When you’re ready to go to the store, just add any fresh produce or meat needs and go.

With a little planning, your pantry can be the center of your well-organized and enjoyable kitchen.

Make the Most of your Laundry Room Storage

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From the Rancho Mirage model in Oasis at Queen Creek.

From the Rancho Mirage model in Oasis at Queen Creek.

It’s easy to let your laundry room become a catch-all for those things you can’t figure out where to put. Holiday decorations, extra hangers, cleaning supplies and other odds and ends find their way into your laundry room cupboards and before you know it they’re full. Instead of this kind of unintentional use, how about turning your laundry room into a resource for specific types of storage? Here are a few suggestions.

Entertainment Central: Vases and other elements for table centerpieces and buffet decorations could find a convenient place in one or more laundry room cabinets. Add a frog, some pebbles or marbles for helping to stabilize flower arrangements and you’re ready for flower arranging or creating an interesting base for a buffet arrangement. You might add some of your favorite serving pieces and table linens for one-stop-shopping before a party.

Clothes Management: Pins, scissors and your sewing kit can be kept in the laundry room when you need to sew a button on tighter or stitch up a hem that’s coming loose. Stain removers, wrinkle release spray and even fusible sewing tape for any quick fixes can really come in handy when that jacket and skirt that you really wanted to wear needs mending.

Roadtrip Supplies: Cool bags, paper plates, disposable silverware, condiments in little packets, favorite road games and activities can be organized in one place ready to grab when you decide to take a weekend trip. Don’t forget a map or two for the kids to use to follow along where you’re going – reducing although not eliminating the cries of “are we there yet!”

Gift Wrap Center: Wrapping paper, ribbon, tape, scissors and a nice collection of gift cards help you be ready for those last-minute gift needs. Instead of searching through the house for everything you need, keep a special set of supplies in one cabinet just for gifts.

These are four quick ideas for ways to make the most of the storage in your laundry room. What other ideas can you come up with to make your laundry room useful for more than laundry?

Attack Closet Clutter

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closet_montage_Ironwood-webAre you finding it hard to keep even the most generous closet you’ve ever had under control? Even if your master closet is as spacious as this one from Ironwood Crossing, it may be time for a serious attack on your clothes clutter. Let’s take this step-by-step so you can take back your closet and stop going crazy every time you step into it.

Step 1: Empty your closet. This may seem foolish, overwhelming, or unnecessary, but you need to start this way to truly make a difference. There are several reasons for this. One is you may find that once your closet is empty, it could do with a cleaning. Clothes can hide a multitude of sins. Vacuum the floor and wipe down the shelves and clothes poles. You’ll start feeling better immediately. Pile your clothes on the bed and put shoes, purses and anything else you find in there on the floor.

Step 2: Remove anything that doesn’t belong in your closet from the room. Did you discover where you hid that birthday present for your daughter that you couldn’t find when you wanted to? Maybe your closet has become a catch-all for books, papers or other items you wanted to stash quickly before company came. Whatever it is, if you don’t want it in your finished closet, get it out of the bedroom.

Step 3: Take each clothing item and honestly decide whether it belongs in your wardrobe. You’ll hear people say that if you haven’t worn something in a year, then it should go. Instead, take a look and decide if you feel attractive and comfortable in it. If the answer is yes, it stays. No and it goes. Try on any clothes or shoes you’re not sure about and take the time to look in the mirror. Would you buy each item again if you saw it in the store? If the answer is no, get rid of it. Check the look of purses, scarves or other accessories. Let go of items that are worn, out of style, or that you’re simply tired of wearing.

Step 4: Create a plan before rehanging your clothes. Do you like to have work clothes in one section and weekend clothes in another? Maybe you want to sort by color or type of fabric. Have you been hanging clothes that would do better folded in a drawer? Figure it out and replace accordingly.

Step 5: Use bins and baskets to sort shelves. Keeping smaller things contained by category will make it easier to stay organized. Shop your own home for likely boxes and other containers before rushing off to the store. You may find some solutions that work well and add a decorative touch to your closet.

Step 6: Add some hooks to the door or a free wall. These can be used for clothes you’ve worn once but that aren’t yet ready for laundering. They’re also handy for scarves and belts. Hooks can help you keep everything off the floor, which makes a closet feel more spacious and workable.

Step 7: Pack up the give-away clothes and get them out of the house immediately. Otherwise you may be tempted to dive in and rescue some items later. Don’t let that happen.

Step 8: Step back and admire your handiwork! This has been quite a job but you now have a closet filled with clothes you love. Be sure to reward yourself for your hard work – maybe by going shopping???

Closet Organizing to Start 2015 off Right

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Master closet from the Fulton Homes Legacy Community.

Master closet from the Fulton Homes Legacy Community.

Are your closets organized, making it easy to find what you want when you want it? For most of us, the answer is of course not. Why not start 2015 off by making your master closet a source of pleasure rather than frustration. Here are a few suggestions for organizing this space.

Clear the floor. Closets look worse and are harder to handle if the floor is covered with shoes and other clothing or non-clothing items. So start with your floor. If you want to have your shoes on the floor, look for a shoe-organizing unit or a small set of shelves. Tackling the rest of the clutter will seem les overwhelming once you can actually see the floor.

Get the right hangars. Often closets end up untidy because clothes slip off hangars or end up hanging by one sleeve. The new slim-line hangars hold onto clothes and take up less space in your closet. They are available in many household supply and warehouse stores as well as online. You may find you gain as much as 20 percent of your closet through using this type of hangar.

Keep your main closet area for current clothes. If you are fortunate enough to have a closet the size of this one, set up separate areas for current and out-of-season clothing. Or sort by work and casual clothes. Determine the best sorting process for your lifestyle and use that.

Take baby steps. If you don’t have the energy or time for a full closet overhaul, consider doing just one thing a week to make your closet more accessible and easier to use. Before you know it your closet can be an inviting place rather than a reminder of everything you want to accomplish.

 

The Value of Built-in Cabinets

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Models 082People recognize the value of built-in cabinets in a kitchen, but there are so many other places in your home where built-in cabinetry can make your life easier and your home more beautiful too. Consider these possibilities.

Dining or breakfast room: What better place to store serving pieces and entertainment items than right where you need them. Rather than taking up space in your kitchen, let another room in your home be of help. And a well-designed choice of cabinets including features such as glass-fronted doors and special lighting can make a bare wall into a design feature while providing extra storage. Take a look at how the space above has been transformed by adding the right type of built-in.

DSC_0049 (1)Laundry room: A well-designed laundry room can provide more than clean clothes. Use laundry built-in cabinets to hold cleaning supplies, craft tools, table linens or holiday decorations. The bins shown in the photo to the right could serve as a family “lost and found” with every family member assigned their own place to put anything left around the house.

DSC_0185 (1)Hallway: If you have halls that are wide enough or that have a natural niche, consider adding built-in cabinets. You will have extra storage, something we all can use, and create a space with personality rather than an empty area.

With built-in cabinets, you can customize their size and design to capitalize on all of the space and make maximum use of it. Take a walk through your home. You may be surprised at all the places that could benefit from built-ins.

 

Adding Style and Function to a Hall

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Legacy Models 033Halls can serve two primary purposes: to connect a number of rooms efficiently and to provide some separation and privacy between the main living areas and the bedrooms. But this space can be used for more than an interior pathway.

Fulton’s Legacy community demonstrates this with its three models: The Basha, The Fulton and The O’Connor. Let’s take a look at some of the ways a hall can have multiple uses and design elements.

Take a look at the photo to the left. This niche, from the Fulton model at Legacy, adds an inviting design element to the hallway. Visible from the family room, this lighted niche provides the perfect location for a favorite piece of art. It could hold a wreath for the holidays, a family photo, a shadow-box of memorabilia, or almost anything of importance to you and your family. The glass tile background adds interest and DSC_0177personality.

The next photo, to the right, is from the O’Connor model at Legacy. Here decorative elements combine with some storage to create a feature that is inviting and functional. You could use the chest to store guest linens or anything that’s nice to have in easy reach for the whole family.

The look of this location has been enhanced with the dark plum paint on the hall’s back wall. The contrast between the dark wall and the metallic silver chest and plate above it creates a moment of drama in what is often an overlooked area of the home. Notice that the hall has extra depth at this location allowing you more design flexibility, a thoughtful addition to this home.

DSC_0185For a final addition to a hall space, take a look at this built-in cabinet and counter available in the O’Connor model. A corner of a hallway suddenly can become the perfect central location for charging mobile devices and keeping office and homework supplies handy. With its easily accessible central location every family member can use this as a drop-zone for homework, keys, purses and phones. Consider adding a small bowl or jar for spare change, which could be used for a family treat or dinner out once you accumulate enough. Add a bulletin board or calendar and it could also be the central location for messages and schedules.

For a closer look at these and other interesting approaches to hall space, come see the Fulton Homes models at Legacy in Gilbert. We think you’ll enjoy your visit.

 

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.

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/.