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Colors Set a Mood

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How do you decide what colors to use in your home? You may have a favorite color that you want to incorporate into your home, or you could prefer to stick with neutrals, but color choices are more complex than that. Colors affect our emotions, and the right choices can make your home more inviting and comfortable. Here are some of the basics of how color affects us.

Red: This is an energizing color. It’s a great color to associate with food and entertaining. It’s flattering to people’s complexions and encourages interaction. That’s why it’s a particularly effective color in dining rooms.

Yellow: This color makes people’s complexions look sallow, so it’s a bad choice for bathrooms. It is an optimistic color, however, and helps build self-confidence. That makes it a good choice for many other rooms. Its energizing nature, though, means that it’s a mistake in bedrooms and a really bad choice for nurseries unless you want your baby to be up all night.

Blue: The most relaxing color of the spectrum, this color is an effective choice for bedrooms. This also means that it’s a bad choice for dining rooms, unless you want quiet and boring dinner parties.

Green: As a natural tone, it’s a stress-reducer that can help people keep their emotions balanced. It’s a good relationship color, which makes it great for living spaces.

Orange: A stimulating color, it’s best used sparingly in a home. It creates a lively mood. This makes it a good choice for restaurants because it will stimulate conversation and enjoyment.

Purple: This is actually a good color for quiet thinking – it can help create insights.

When you plan the colors in your home, you may want to consider what you want to accomplish in terms of mood, and let your colors reflect those choices.

Make the Most of your Closets

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When people use their closet space, it’s common to focus on the linear space, but to use a closet to its full potential, it’s smart to take advantage of the vertical space also. The simplest approach involves putting in double hanging rods so that you have extra room for shirts, skirts and pants draped on hangers.

Thanks to today’s closet organizing options, you don’t have to limit your thinking. Fulton Homes selected Rubbermaid® options for closet organizing. For some examples, visit the Fulton website or the Fulton Homes Design Center for ideas to make your closets more functional and organized.

One of the smartest places to create space and organization is on a closet floor. Often that ends up as wasted space, or just a place to throw shoes in a heap. Instead you can use that space to set shoes in order, provide a hamper for dirty laundry or add a set of drawers.

The space above your clothing racks can also become more functional through the use of dividers and other organization tools. Rubbermaid® closet options vary with your needs and help your closets look more appealing and hold more without becoming scary disasters. This can be especially helpful with adolescents, who are often not enthusiastic about keeping their closets in shape.

For smaller children, combine drawers and lower shelves and hanging areas set so they can easily reach to hang up and put away their own clothes. You can use the space above their heads for out-of-season clothing or other storage. Also consider adding some hooks to enable the smallest child to hang up sweaters and other clothing easily.

If you take the time to think about what you and your family need in closet storage, your storage spaces will be much more functional. For additional suggestions, talk to your designer at the Fulton Homes Design Center.

Choosing the Right Wall Art for Your Home

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When it comes to decorating your walls, everyone has their own taste and there is no right or wrong choice – or almost no wrong choice. However, art is more than selection. It is also placement and setting. For example, this gentleman’s fish is positioned against a strongly patterned wall, distracting from the power of his trophy. It would be much more effective against a plain wall, preferably where people wouldn’t have to sit underneath it. Here are some basic tips for making the most of the art on your walls.

Consider proportion and placement: This fish, while centered against the pattern on the wall, is too close to the wall on the right. Be sure to center larger pieces in a room or they can overpower one side of a wall. On the other hand, a smaller piece of art shouldn’t be asked to support an entire large wall. Either place it on a smaller area or combine it with other smaller art to make an arrangement. Another big mistake people make is hanging art too high. If you hang it at eye level you can see it without looking up.

Select the right hanging method: The ropes holding this fish in place create a sense that the fish may not be stable against the wall. This approach to hanging also diminishes the feeling of movement this fish could create. Since all trophy fish are actually plaster reproductions, there would be no issue with adding a bar on the back to create an invisible hanging system.

Take your time choosing the right art and the right placement. This can make a big difference in the look and feel of your home. Experiment before you decide: Set art down on the floor or a table under your selected location or locations. Spend a few days imagining the art where you’re thinking of placing it. If you still like it in a few days, go ahead and hang it.

Getting Ready for Fall, Arizona Style

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In other parts of the country, September is a reminder that winter is coming and people will be spending more of their time indoors. For those of us who live in Arizona, though, September is just the start of temperatures  that invite more outdoor living. As the heat diminishes, it’s time to prepare for the beautiful weather that’s just around the corner. Here are a few suggestions to make the most of fall.

Look over your outdoor furniture. During the summer, the sun, heat and chlorine from post-swimming use may have caused some damage. Now is the time to stock up on new cushions or consider spray-painting to revive your current furniture. Visit a good hardware store to get insights into what kind of spray paint can perk up your outdoor look.

Consider adding lighting. Does your backyard have the lighting you want for entertaining? How about stringing lights in a tree for a year-round festive look? Inexpensive paper lanterns with LED votives in them can be hung anywhere to add interest and an inviting ambience.

Plan an outdoor party. We’re lucky not to have to worry about bad weather in the fall. In the next few weeks as the weather cools we’re all likely to enjoy getting outdoors again. Host a potluck at your home and pull out some outdoor games such as croquet, bocce ball, or badminton to play.

Include al fresco dining as part of your regular plans. Eating outside is one of the best features of fall in Arizona. Pick up an inexpensive tablecloth and start scheduling some meals outside. At first breakfast may be your best choice but as we reach the end of September almost any meal is more enjoyable out-of-doors.

Take the time to get ready for fall Arizona-style. No leaf turning yet, but the weather we’ve been dreaming about all summer long is just around the corner.

Choosing the Right Cabinets

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Cabinet choice has the strongest impact on the look of your kitchen. It’s worthwhile to spend some time before you choose your cabinets looking at kitchen photos on a website such as Home and Garden Television’s to see how different cabinet styles and finishes affect the look of the final kitchen. We have several kitchen vignettes in our Design Center and sample kitchens in the models. These can all help you determine what you want your kitchen to look like.

Here are a few tips when you’re choosing your cabinets. This photo is from our Design Center, showing some of the cabinet options available to you.

Cabinet style affects the feel of your kitchen: If you want a more traditional kitchen, choose a cabinet with a more patterned door. The door at the top left in the photo above is a good example of a more traditional look. Take a look at the doors showing on the second rows of the next two displays. Those are also good choices for a more traditional appearance.

If you’re looking for a country feel, consider cabinet styles such as the one fronting the second row in the first display cabinet. The bead-board style in the center reflects a country mood. The painted cabinet door in the top row of the second display also provides a country look with a touch of shabby chic thanks to the style of the finish.

For a modern kitchen, choose as simple a cabinet as possible. You may want to consider a door with no molding or a Shaker style with a very simple look.

When you’re selecting your finish, remember that darker cabinets tend to create a formal look and lighter wood has a casual feel. Also some stains, such as cherry, will change color slightly over time. Remember too that your cabinet choice will have an impact on every other kitchen decision, so if you want a dark countertop or floor you may want to think twice about dark cabinets.

Be sure to experiment with cabinet choices, countertops and flooring together, to find the right combination. Our designers can help create the perfect kitchen for you.

Wood floors add classic style

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Whether you’re drawn to the strong face of a hand-scraped wood in a traditional oak finish or the more contemporary feel of dark rich ebony, wood flooring makes a statement in a home. This inviting light maple works anywhere, but is particularly apt for a nursery or children’s room. Its bright versatility makes it the perfect foil for children’s furnishings in pastels or bright colors. Also, as a child grows, it can handle the changes in décor over time.

Wood sends a message of luxury and permanence. It can complement a kitchen with an old world styling while remaining durable enough to handle spills when wiped up fairly quickly. Wood is also a soft flooring surface, which means that it doesn’t wear out your feet at the end of a long day.

Today’s wood options are much more versatile and durable than they used to be. Plank widths, wood tones, and special features such as hand scraping, beveled edges, and strong finishes make wood a virtually permanent flooring option.

Wood flooring can be chosen to contrast with your cabinetry or furniture. This allows you to enjoy a wood-filled home without worrying about matching the stains. A kitchen with painted cabinets and wood flooring provides an old-fashioned look that is as inviting as yesterday.

When choosing your wood flooring, take the time to look at a variety of options. The photo on the right shows the Fulton Home’s Design Center wood flooring selection. Take a look at your possibilities on the floor so that you see them from the right angle. A number of our models also show several wood flooring options.

When you choose wood flooring, your home will be a joy to live in and have a higher resale value when it is time to sell. Consider investing in wood flooring for one or two rooms, or even your entire home.

Area Rugs Define Spaces

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An area rug can serve as artwork for your floor. On top of wood or tile floors or even carpeting, area rugs define conversation spaces and pull colors together while adding texture.

This birds-eye view provides some insight into how an area rug can enhance a room’s look. The rug is primarily rust and brown, and it has tones ranging from light to very dark. This variation captures and connects every other element in the room.

The lightest tones in the rug are reflected in the maple coffee table and the fireplace surround. That light wood wouldn’t work as well if placed directly on the warm mid-range wood flooring, but the rug allows it to serve as a dramatic contrast.

The black of the fireplace opening and tools connect with the dark outlines of some of the leaves in this rug. Two different shades of rust making up the sofa and chair hang together well thanks to the choices of color in the rug itself. Finally, the rug clearly defines the living space in this part of the home, providing a frame for the furniture.

The photo to the right demonstrates another way an area rug defines space. This corner is created by focusing on the space left where the rug’s border ends. A comfortable reading chair under a window becomes a special private nook, with a couple of tables for a cup of tea or a pair of reading glasses.

When you use area rugs to highlight specific design features in your home, the extra layer adds charm to your décor.  Contact us or come to Browse Night and take a look at our new line of beautiful and well-constructed Feizy area rugs or just to get more insight into how area rugs can complement your design plans.

Make your Baby’s Nursery Inviting and Flexible

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When it comes to a nursery, it’s tempting to spend money to make it a dream room for your new child. Wallpaper, furniture and even rugs that say “baby” are an appealing option as you prepare for your little one’s arrival.

But that baby won’t stay an infant or toddler forever, and it pays to buy and decorate with the future in mind.

Let’s look at this nursery from Fulton Home’s Harmonique model at Ashcreek. The crib is classic and charming, but there’s much more to it than that. It converts to a toddler bed and later to the headboard and footboard of a double bed. This simple piece of furniture can go from nursery through high school with just a few adjustments. Choosing a classic cherry stain makes it even more versatile.

The wall design is charming and perfect for a nursery, and it really creates a darling environment. The border is wide enough to make a statement in the room and choosing a design like this that doesn’t immediately say “baby” also makes it able to last for a number of years. But the time will come when the elephants have to come down, and by choosing to use large border wallpaper the task is so much simpler than with a fully-wallpapered room.

The other child-like elements in the room such as the window valance, lamp and accessories are inexpensive enough to be replaced when the décor needs to be more mature. With the neutral carpeting and blinds, this room is large and flexible enough to grow as your child does.

Holiday Decorating with a Designer’s Eye: Part 2

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Does your home showcase your love of color? If so, you may be concerned that slapping holiday elements on top of your already bright home space may make everything overwhelming. Don’t worry; a few adjustments will enable you to blend your current color scheme into your holiday design plans.

Do you have carpeting in a non-holiday color such as orange or blue? Bring in metallics and holiday neutrals to complement your look. Silver and blue make a beautiful combination, and orange goes well with gold.

Even unusual choices such as pink and purple can fit in with traditional holiday colors. Adding some pink and purple elements on the tree and elsewhere in the room can help a table’s colors connect with the space.  You can make temporary pillow covers with some of the same fabric. Cut it in large squares – about twice the length of the longest side of the pillow. Place the fabric on a table on a diagonal, and put the pillow in the center. Tie opposite corners around the pillow and turn it so the knots are in the back. You have effectively covered your pillow in your key holiday tone with a minimum of effort on your part.

Above all, remember that it’s a festive time, and color brightens people’s mood, particularly in the middle of winter. Take some chances and make your home a colorful place for the holidays.