Category Archives: Uncategorized

Fulton Home’s Super Browse Night & Bertazzoni: Italian Passion and Precision

Posted on by

Bertazzoni factory This Thursday night May 16, join us for the Fulton Homes’ Super Browse night, with two great sponsors: Bertazzoni appliances and Poco Verde Landscape.

Spend the evening at the Fulton Homes’ Design Center, explore all of the incredible home options available, and enter for a chance at an iPad Mini.

Thursday offers a great opportunity to learn more about Bertazzoni, combining a passion for cooking at its best with a strong focus on engineering excellence. The family-owned and run business started in the late 19th century and has grown steadily due to their well-designed and crafted equipment made for the serious home cook.

Paolo-Elizabetta BertazzoniPaolo Bertazzoni and his sister Elizabetta are the newest generation to take responsibility for carrying on the family tradition. Under their lead, top Milan designers were brought in to polish the look of their appliances to the height of Italian elegance and finesse.

KBIS-Best-in-ShowWith a worldwide market, Bertazzoni brought its line of kitchen appliances to the United States in 2005, and Fulton Homes is proud to include them as valued options for your kitchen.

Take the time during our Super Browse Night on Thursday from 5:00-8:00 p.m. to learn more about Bertazzoni’s exceptional line of kitchen appliances such as the award-winning segmented cooktop shown on the right. We’d like to thank Bertazzoni for sponsoring Super Browse Night this Thursday and providing the images in this post.

Design around your Needs

Posted on by

2555983_SDo you want to help your children with their homework while you fix dinner? Then plan for homework space in or near your kitchen. Have pets? Consider durability and maintenance when planning your flooring. Are seniors with canes or walkers regular visitors to your home? You may want to choose a plan that provides a bathroom and guest bedroom on the first floor.

Before you make decisions about your home’s plan or design, take a minute to consider your current and future needs.

Many people today find themselves caring for children and parents or grandparents at the same time. When you plan your home, think about providing the options you may need if a family member needs to stay with you to recover from surgery or an accident.

Be sure to choose a home that gives you and your family plenty of opportunities to interact. Whether this means a dining area that encourages eating dinner together every night or a family room with a game table for board games in the evening depends upon your family patterns. As you plan your new home’s layout and design, talk to everyone in your family about what they love (and don’t love) about your current home and what they would like to have as part of the new one.

Think about your own needs too. Do you dream of having a deep comfy bathtub for taking a luxurious break from everything? Maybe outdoor space for your morning coffee is your top priority. How about closets and other kinds of storage?

Design around your needs and your new home will be comfortable and enjoyable for everyone in your family.

Design around your Goals

Posted on by

6026644_SWant to stay in shape? Dream of writing a novel? Looking to walk away from the donuts and eat more healthfully? You’re more likely to reach your goals if you design your home with those goals in mind.

An extra bedroom could become your home gym. Try out various pieces of gym equipment to help you select what you will enjoy using. Add a small television and DVD player to play exercise videos and vary your routine. Put your scale and a measuring tape in the room and maybe a calendar where you can record your progress. If you don’t have a spare bedroom, consider a corner of your family room or bedroom.

Even without a home office, you can choose a place to keep your laptop available for writing projects. Choose a spot in your kitchen or bedroom to set up a writing space. Plan your novel using post-it notes on any large expanse of wall – writing plot points on each note and arranging them in the order that works for you.

10711425_SStudies show that people are much more successful at reaching their goals if they are written down. Do you have a spot in your home that you walk past every morning? How about putting together a list of your top three goals and posting them so you see them every day?

Are there any special images or symbols that will help you keep reaching for your goals? How about a photo of a time when you were in great shape, or a sample of your last successful project? You can create your own “trophy case of the future,” by setting up a spot with reminders that keep you focused on everything that you want to accomplish.

Design around your Dreams

Posted on by

7889516_SFor most people, moving into a new home is a dream come true. You can extend that feeling by decorating your new home with your dreams in mind.

Sometimes linking to your dreams may mean taking chances with some vivid colors. Do you secretly wish for a gypsy life? How about using rich reds, yellows, oranges and purples to create the impression of a caravan in a bedroom or bathroom?

Dream about traveling? Visit import stores to discover treasures from other parts of the world, and make your family room a reflection of your aspirations. Maps, photos from different countries, and any souvenirs can create a space designed for you to make travel plans.

If you want to set up a more positive attitude, consider adding meaningful quotes and phrases to your décor. This could be a small framed message next to your bathroom mirror reminding you to think positive when you start every day, or a special quote painted or stenciled on a wall. Check the Internet for sources of familiar phrases, or order a custom sentence that has special meaning for you. You can specify type style, size and even color for a minimal price.

As you plan your space, be sure to leave room for dreaming. This may mean extra bookshelves to hold new books or tools, a great space for relaxing and visualizing where you want to go in the future, or lovely things and words to remind you of those things you most value about yourself and your life.

Decorating is about more than making a space look nice. It’s about making the space ready for who you are today and who you dream of being in the future.

Room with a Purpose

Posted on by

19115175_SDream of painting? Have way too much fabric stored in boxes and closets? Love to create pottery for yourself and friends? If you have a hobby, how about creating a special space to make those dreams come true?

An extra bedroom provides a good start. Consider a sleeper sofa if you are converting a guest room to your own space, so that guests can be accommodated when they visit.

Planning your space to make it truly work for your purpose requires more than a casual approach. Addressing the following issues will help create a space that’s perfect for you to…create.

Lighting: Artists claim that good natural light from the north works best for painting and sketching. This is great if you have a north-facing room, but if not you can add full-spectrum fluorescent lights. These will enable you to see colors inside as clearly and accurately as you see them outside under the sun. This type of lighting is also valuable when coordinating fabrics.

17471515_SStorage: Both closed and open shelving can be handy for supporting your hobby. You may want to have some shelving specially built to take the best advantage of the space you have available. Fulton Homes also offers lovely built-in options that can provide a nice looking addition to your purpose-driven space.

Work space: How much room do you need to spread out and complete projects? Balance that space against what you want for storing materials and tools. Consider fold-out tables or desks, or tables with leaves that you can add for larger projects if space is limited.

Sometimes it’s hard to find the time to work on the hobbies and projects you love. If you create a space dedicated to those creative efforts, you can come and go on projects without having them interfere with the rest of the house or family. And you may find yourself accomplishing more than you dreamed.

Room with a Theme

Posted on by

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?

8426032_S

 

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

Posted on by

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.

Preparing for Summer: Staying Cool

Posted on by

7226666_SNo matter how interesting you make the inside environment, you can’t spend your entire summer in air conditioning. What can you do to keep your family and yourself cool in the summer heat? As we head into the tough months in Arizona, here are a few ideas to make your summer more enjoyable.

Cool the car: We’ve all seen those dashboard screens to shield our cars from the summer sun. They may seem like a nuisance but they really make a difference. With youngsters in the back seat, consider a cooler filled with cool packs in the trunk. Drop one in each child’s lap to move around and cool off. Keep some small bottles or containers of water to keep everyone hydrated.

Focus on water: Make sure everyone in your family drinks enough water. Water bottles or glasses that are color coordinated for each family member can help remind everyone to drink water during the day. Include water when running errands and encourage breaks for water and cool foods when they are playing.

Cold food: Keep chunks of watermelon, other melons, and strawberries in the fridge ready to grab for a snack. If your family likes frozen treats, look for fruit-based low or no sugar pops, or make your own with fruit juice. Freeze fruit juice into cubes to add to water or lemonade for an extra treat. Frozen grapes are also tasty and fun.

Make a splash: If you have a pool, a dip several times a day will keep everyone cooler. Even without a pool, turn on the hose and spray your family to take advantage of the natural cooling power of evaporating water.

Plan a few things like this and you can make the summer a better experience for everyone in your family. And you can always hang a few photos of people shoveling snow to remind you why you

Preparing for Summer: Indoor Plans

Posted on by

13138856_SAs summer approaches, finding ways to keep your children – and yourself – active and happy while stuck indoors becomes more challenging. Here are a few ideas for making the time spent indoors more enjoyable.

Dance: Children naturally love to move to music, so how about a regularly-scheduled dance time? The music can be pop, rock, bluegrass or even hip-hop, and dancing can be structured or spontaneous. Experiment with different approaches, and encourage your children to invite their friends to join them.

Active props: Simple items such as soft balls, hula hoops or large exercise balls can add to an inside free-for-all. Research simple exercises and look for videos designed for children. And if you participate with them, your figure may benefit also.

Active games: We may remember Twister from years ago, and there are other games that keep the body moving. Do you have room for a table-tennis game – maybe in half the garage? How about an indoor bowling game or Nerf-ball basketball?

Active video games: Certain electronic games have programs that encourage movement. You can rent several games and try them with your family before determining which ones will be the most popular.

Water games: This is not indoors, but it can keep active ones still comfortable in the heat. Encourage pool games or activities that take advantage of water’s cooling properties. Just be sure to keep the sunscreen coming and if possible keep out of the sun during peak sun hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

With a little imagination and a few small purchases, you can keep your children and yourself active and happy all through the summer months.

Preparing for Summer: Outdoor Prep

Posted on by

6089971_SNow that summer’s heat is upon us, it’s time to come up with ways to enjoy being outdoors in spite of the temperatures. Here are a few suggestions to make the most of the season.

Al fresco breakfast: The temperatures stay cool in the morning here in Arizona well into the summer. How about planning breakfasts outside instead of dinners? Place dishes, bowls and silverware on a tray, and add cereal, eggs or whatever is planned for breakfast that day. It only takes a few minutes to move outside, and you and your family will have a cheerful start to the day before temperatures rise.

Shade: The best shade comes from trees, but a covered patio or umbrellas such as the ones in the photo provide a close second. Just remember to close the umbrellas when you’re not using them, because our Arizona sun can fade and wear them out quickly.

Misting: You can hire a company to install misters or pick up a do-it-yourself kit at your local hardware store. The cool damp air works well in our dry weather as an informal evaporative cooler. When sitting under the mist, the temperature can feel much more enjoyable.

Outdoor ceiling fans: NOT to be combined with misting systems! These fans don’t actually lower the temperature, but they can make you feel cooler when sitting under them. Even though your fan may be under a covered patio, be sure to buy one designed for outdoor use. It is then protected from dust and other weather elements.

Choose your best options from among these or others, to allow you to extend your outdoor enjoyment for a few more months every year.