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The Pleasure of an Open Floorplan

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wModern-Family-Room-Evergreen-Elm-Warner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-011If you haven’t lived in a home where the living space is set in an open floor plan, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Open floor plans, like this one from Fulton Home’s Evergreen Elm model in Warner Groves at Morrison Ranch, change your approach to everyday living.

With an open floorplan, someone working in the kitchen can be part of the rest of the family’s activity. The bar stools at the kitchen island let families gather and talk during food preparation. Those people who are not involved in the kitchen efforts can sit, out of the way, and still interact easily with the cooks.

It’s also easy to cook and watch television, keep an eye on the kids, or chat with guests. As you can see from the photo, you’re just a step away from the action in the rest of the space.

Getting meals on the table is easy too. With a few short steps, you can move from the kitchen to the dining area. Grabbing extra silverware or condiments from the fridge is easy and fast. And dirty dishes have a short hop to get into the sink after a meal.

Open floorplans also work well for parties. The kitchen island is perfect for an appetizer buffet, and mingling is easier with fewer walls. As the host, you can see in a moment if any individuals or groups need a little extra attention.

Finally, an open floorplan makes everything feel larger. With no interior walls, the sightlines give you more of a vista. Instead of three little rooms, you have one generously-sized space. You also have some flexibility on where one living area ends and the next starts.

Once you experience an open floorplan, you may find you love it, for these and other reasons you won’t discover until you’re there. Why not check it out in person by visiting Evergreen Elm today?

Versatile Game Room

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wModern-Game-room-Evergreen-Elm-Warner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-006A game room like this one, in the Evergreen Elm model in Warner Groves at Morrison Ranch, offers the opportunity for versatility in your home. Let’s take a look at how this room adds to the convenience and functionality of your home’s living space.

An alternative for dining: If you are planning a small two-couple dinner party, this round table for four creates a more intimate dining experience. By moving the party away from the kitchen and into this more private room, you can make the dinner feel special. Consider having appetizers at the kitchen island, then moving the meal into the game room where you have the table set and ready for your guests.

As homework central: If your children don’t want to be too separated from the rest of the family while doing homework, this room may be your best solution. The table is large enough to spread out papers and books. And the space is separated from the rest of the living area, yet the interior windows eliminate any feeling of isolation. A parent’s help is one call away. And as a parent, you can easily monitor the action to make sure procrastination is not playing a part in why tonight’s homework is taking so long to finish!

For ongoing projects: Has your child entered in the school science fair? Do you have some crafts or sewing you want to focus on for holiday or birthday gifts? Maybe you need to gather information together for this year’s taxes. As an extra room and table, you can take it over for a week or two without interfering with the rest of the living space. And if you decide to leave it another day before tidying up, why not?

For playing games: Of course, it is a game room after all. Whether it’s an evening of bridge with friends, a rousing Monopoly tournament with your kids, or ongoing games of Settlers of Catan, this room and table is ready to take on all comers. And if you need to stop in the middle because bedtime has come around before you expected it, the game will be ready for everyone tomorrow evening. What could be better?

Fulton Homes a 2016 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year

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energy-star-2016Fulton Homes is proud to receive a 2016 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – New Home Builder Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Fulton Homes received this award for its continuing outstanding efforts to build energy-efficient homes.

This is the second consecutive year that Fulton Homes has received this recognition, and our accomplishment will be recognized, along with all other ENERGY STAR Partners, on April 13th in Washington D.C.

This award comes in recognition of Fulton Homes:

  • Building more than 300 ENERGY STAR certified homes, with a total of over 3,000 since joining the program in 2009.
  • Launching an educational Energy Center in one of our model homes in a 600 home-site community. Visitors can learn about ENERGY STAR and EPA’s Indoor airPlus programs.
  • Offering training for all employees through the Fulton Homes Learning Center with courses covering more than 30 construction topics, with four sections focused on ENERGY STAR.
  • Leveraging social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, and producing a 60-second radio spot featuring ENERGY STAR that was heard on all major radio stations in Phoenix.
  • Committing to building all homes as EPA Indoor airPlus qualified homes, and providing additional comprehensive health protections to homeowners while emphasizing quality control, field reviews, and interest in ENERGY STAR certified products.

“Demonstrating a strong commitment to building energy-efficient homes, Fulton Homes has reaffirmed its reputation as a company that saves the American homebuyer energy and money,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “This award recognizes Fulton Homes as a leader in building ENERGY STAR certified homes while reducing our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.”

Create a Handy Gift-Wrap Center

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Warner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranchwrap-room-webAre you wondering what to do with that extra wall in your laundry room, garage or den? Here’s a great idea that is as useful as it is decorative: create a gift-wrap center. Start by installing several large peg boards. This display, visible at the Fulton Home models in Warner Groves at Morrison Ranch, used some nice wood to frame them, making the boards look finished. You can prime and paint the peg boards to match the colors in the room.

To hang the wrapping paper, you can use closet or curtain rods, set at the right width. These rods are mounted on the wood frames, making them as easy to hang as they would be on any wall. In this room, they chose to hang three rods, but you could easily fit six or even seven rods, giving you a nice choice of wrapping paper. Hooks set into the peg board on either side of the paper hold ribbon and bags.

You could put your scissors and tape in a container on the counter and store tissue paper and other package materials in drawers or baskets under the counter. This is also a great room for storing note paper, greeting cards and address lists.

When special holidays roll around, simply change out the every occasion paper for suitable gift wrap and you have your wrapping station ready. Tune your radio or iPad to holiday carols to put you in the mood and you’re all set!

Use Toile in a Bedroom

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Warner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-master-webPatterned fabric is always a nice addition to your home’s decor. In living and family rooms, stripes are the most common pattern choice, followed closely by geometric options. You will see some florals too. But one of the most intriguing patterns is an old-fashioned choice: toile.

Toile was originally produced in France when cotton fabric was first brought from India. The people of Europe were used to wool and silk clothing, fabric that didn’t wash well and was often hot in the summer. When cotton first appeared with its wash-and-wear sturdiness and cool weight, it was much in demand. The French Government was so concerned that cotton clothing would take over French cloth manufacturing that they tried to make cotton cloth illegal.

That idea soon failed, and printed cotton cloth became extremely popular. One of the first manufacturers used woodcuts and then a printing press to produce over thirty thousand different designs. Many of the designs depicted country scenes or exciting events of the day such as the first balloon ascension.

Most of these fabrics were printed in one color on white or off-white fabric with repeating patterns. The fabric was called toile de jouy which literally translates to cloth from jouy, or the part of France where the factory was based. Over time, the fabric name was shortened to toile.

This style of fabric has enjoyed a new popularity in home decor recent years, and you will see it in bedrooms and kitchens where people want a French country style. The bedspread above in blue and white shows the most popular color combination but you can find toile fabric in colors to suit virtually any decor.

Arts & Crafts Style Home

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Cooley-Station-012-web - CopyAlthough this look has been around for a long time, the appeal of the Arts &  Crafts style has only grown in recent years. When you’re planning your next home, how about considering this warm and intriguing option?

Let’s begin with color. Arts & Craft architecture brings in rich dark colors to recreate the best of nature. This light and dark brown combination brings in classic colors for the style. In particular, the dark brown pediment echoes the feel of yesterday when the Arts & Crafts style first appeared. Notice how the white trim helps make the darker tones pop and keep the home from feeling too dark.

One way to spot an Arts & Crafts bungalow is by the porch columns. They always grow larger at the bottom, not unlike a tree trunk. The three columns here have that characteristic look.

Adding the rock base also demonstrates an understanding of the Arts & Crafts movement. The goal was a return to hand-crafted materials that take advantage of natural elements. This model, Sunset at Cooley Station, shows how the style can be reinterpreted in today’s new homes.

We invite you to visit this and our other models at Cooley Station. We think you’ll find them inviting and appealing.

Spring is Here!

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2016-03-20

In other parts of the country the first day of spring is exciting after what is often a long, cold and gray winter. Here in Arizona our winters are warm. sunny and the envy of most of the Eastern United States. But there is a flavor to spring in Arizona if we take the time to see it.

First we have the orange blossoms blooming. Orchards full of them in some places in Arizona, and it’s rare to drive down the street without seeing at least a few trees in bloom. Roll your car windows down in some parts of town and your nose will be inundated with the smell of orange, lemon and grapefruit trees in bloom.

Even in the desert, flowers cover the normally dry landscape. Yellow, of course, but some blue and purple smaller ones too dot the roadside. Easterners are surprised by the variety of flowers our cacti provide this time of year. We calmly explain, “we had a lot of rain…” In other parts of the country flowers bloom everywhere every Spring. Here, we know how lucky we are to have the rich display we’re seeing this year.

And of course we can add to that with flowers at our own homes. Plants in pots – either individual flowers or luscious mixes – look wonderful clustered around the front door. Consider adding a few flowering bulbs under the trees in your yard. Simply follow the instructions at your local nursery – putting them in the refrigerator for a few weeks will allow you to end up with daffodils and tulips out here.

Don’t forget the pleasure of spring plants in your home. Either in pots or as cut flowers, daffodils make a grand display at a brunch or in your kitchen.

Whether you’re looking at the calendar or outside, Spring is here. Enjoy it!

Let the Sunshine In

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Cooley Station 102Arizona is all about sunshine, and sometimes it seems like we don’t take enough advantage of it out here. Yes, it is easy to become too used to having almost every day be a sunny day. But for those people who grew up in other parts of the country, it’s important not to take our sunshine for granted.

One terrific way to appreciate our sunny climate is with plenty of generous windows. It’s important to look for opportunities to bring light inside and brighten our homes. This window at Fulton’s Surfliner model at Cooley Station does that beautifully. Take a look at the way it brings light into this room.

First, it is set at just the right height to comfortably fit a sofa along the bottom. This gives you a strong design option to choose among a sofa, sectional or two easy chairs at this location. With any of these choices, you have plenty of light for reading.

With the view into the yard, this window also gives a pleasant perspective. The right landscaping choices help make the interaction of indoor and outdoor space inviting and workable. A window this large helps strengthen that connection.

Finally, the Fulton Design Center team can help you make the best decisions for window coverings to show off this and every other window in your new home. This allows you to make the most of our sunshine and the natural lighting available to you here in Arizona. For a closer look at this and other models at Cooley Station, visit our website at: http://www.fultonhomes.com/our-communities/cooley-station

 

Granite Adds Color to Kitchen

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Cooley-Station-106web
If you’re drawn to painted cabinets in a kitchen but worry that there won’t be enough color with your choice, take a look at this option, from the Surfliner model at Cooley Station. The cabinets are white, the appliances stainless, but this kitchen is anything but bland thanks to the dramatic granite countertop.

With every Fulton Home, granite countertops are standard in your kitchen. This choice is perfect with white cabinets. First, there is enough light color in the stone to connect the countertop with the cabinetry, yet there is still enough contrast to be effective. The natural brown and gold elements warm up the space, filling in the tones normally provided by stained wood cabinets.

Notice how the tile work stays light, but adds a rustic charm to the space with its beveled edges and trim. The dark mosaic tile elements over the stove and along the middle section of the island add an interesting dark contrast.

The dark flooring brings out the darkest brown visible in the countertop, connecting everything in the kitchen together. A few touches of black – the sink, the burners on the stove, and some accessories – pull in some additional strong dark tones.

This kitchen doesn’t really need a lot of additional color. A bit of maroon from the bar stool cushions and coffee cups are all that it takes to finish off the look.

Is this the kitchen of your dreams? Come take a look at this choice and more at our model homes at Cooley Station. Visit FultonHomes.com to learn more.

 

Cozy Lounge

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Cooley-Station-089-web - CopyHaving a living space up on the second floor right by the bedrooms makes sense. This cozy area, from the Sunset model in Cooley Station, provides an inviting space for lounging in the evening, watching TV, or just talking together.

This second-floor lounge is perfect for so many things. Parents with small children can relax here after a long day, taking a few minutes for themselves after the kids are asleep. Yet still being handy if someone has a bad dream or needs a glass of water. Teenagers can hang out here in a space separate from the rest of the house yet close by when it’s time for dinner. Or maybe you need a break from your day. This nook is a great spot to read a book, curl up and watch a favorite television show, or just nap on the sofa.

If you sew or have a hobby, this space is perfect to assign as you wish for working on a project. And everything is upstairs and out of the way of the rest of the family.

The colors of this room, rust and navy, work so well together. Using a strong rust-toned focal wall sets the stage for a space that’s not afraid of color. As a separate area, this lounge provides the opportunity to be daring and bring in colors that may not be part of the rest of your home decor choices.

To see this space in person, we invite you to visit our models in Cooley Station. We think you’ll find a lot to like there.