Design Tips: Accessorizing Above your Kitchen Cabinets

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11103954_SWhile it may not be a high priority as you move into your new Fulton home and get settled, one day you’re going to look up and realize that you want something above your kitchen cabinets besides air.

The challenge comes from selecting items that have only one purpose, to stay pretty-much permanently on display but out of reach.

This means that you don’t really want to spend a lot of money but you want it to look nice – as if you spent a lot of money. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

3627780_SDecide on the look you want. Are you looking for bright and modern, traditional and homey or antique and unique? Stand back and really look at your kitchen. What look appeals to you?

Shop your closets. Do you have a bowl from Aunt Sally that you like but really never use? How about a couple of baskets that came with fruit which are just to pretty to throw away? Maybe you inherited a lovely pottery vase that you are uncomfortable using around your rambunctious family. Bring what you have into the kitchen and lay everything out on the counters underneath the cabinets to get started.

Include signs and pictures. Do you have an empty frame? Put a nice piece of fabric or scrapbook paper in it and prop it up against the wall. The “Bon Appetit” sign in this second photo was purchased, but could just as easily be written nicely on an old chalkboard.

6732510_SDisplay a collection. The kitchen to the left showcases an interesting group of antique baskets and pottery. If you like this look but don’t have the collection, visit thrift shops and “age” your purchases with watered down brown and black paint or even strong coffee.

Take your time: One final note: You don’t have to finish this part of your kitchen in an afternoon. Start with a few things and add others as you get inspired over time. Move things around. And above all have fun making the space above your kitchen cabinets totally yours.

Design Tips: Setting up your Bookshelves

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12728460_SAs you finish unpacking, do you find yourself staring at those empty bookshelves, unsure of how to tackle filling them so that they are attractive and functional? It may seem a bit overwhelming, but take it in stages and you will find it easier and maybe even fun. Let’s start with a question:

Do you have a lot of books? If the answer is yes, then your goal is to plan your shelves to showcase your nicest hardcovers in your main living area. While you want to keep your books organized, hardcover books will look the nicest on a shelf.

If you have only a few books, then you can still make your shelves attractive. Start by pulling together any larger decorative baskets or boxes that will fit on your shelves. Scatter these and your books in an evenly-balanced way throughout the shelf space.

16564260_SDon’t limit your book directions to vertical. The books in this photo to the right are set slanted and horizontal. Some are even used as a base for smaller vases and pitchers. Look at placing your largest books horizontally on the lowest shelves. This will ground the arrangement while still making them accessible.

This photo also shows an open box. Play with your boxes and baskets to see if different angles or directions make the shelves look more interesting.

Next, add any photos or artwork. You may want to place these around eye level so people don’t have to strain to see them. Experiment with putting a photo or drawing against the back of the shelf with something else in front of it. Take advantage of your shelves’ depth.

17478352_SThis last photo shows a completed bookshelf. While it is a bit busy, you can see lots of good options for making your shelves interesting. Two larger boxes anchor the bottom of the shelves and books alternate with various accessories. The third shelf down demonstrates the power of layering and using different angles.

You may find yourself making changes and additions over time. That’s a good thing. Your shelves announce your interests and tastes to visitors, so have fun and experiment until you’re satisfied – for now!

Design Tips: A bit of Nature

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14892527_SIn our last blog we mentioned that the plant provided a welcome diagonal element, but it also provides something else – a natural element to expand the décor.

By including a bit of nature in your home’s décor, you bring the outside in, add texture and color and connect your home with the world.

Don’t limit your thinking to houseplants. If you have a brown thumb, you can rely on dried plants, fresh flowers or other natural elements such as the bundle of grasses laying on the table in the photo above.

8089534_SThe kitchen to the right comes alive thanks to the fresh flowers and vegetables on the counter. And although these items are only temporary additions, notice the glass jars of rice and other dried items on the back counter. These provide ongoing natural elements in the room.

As you can see a touch of nature warms up a space and adds personality and interest. You can choose seasonal natural elements if you wish to keep your home even more in tune with nature.

8437116_SYou don’t have to go overboard to make a statement, and don’t limit yourself to tables and counters. Take a look at how this chair creates a fall image with the addition of just a few pumpkins and some dried foliage. The chair and glass vase may be everyday design elements, but by adding the seasonal natural touches, autumn is present in the home.

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One final point: think small as well as large when adding a touch of nature. This table setting moves from standard to special with a bit of nature tucked into the napkin ring. It’s up to you to let nature to inspire you to add this type of special touch to your home.

 

Design Tips: Balancing Heights

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22021044_SWhen displaying anything – accessories on a side table, a buffet for a party, birthday or wedding presents, the impact is much stronger if you vary heights.

Designers know that getting the right balance of heights makes any visual more dramatic and interesting.

Let’s start with the photo above. The colors of pink and citrus green contrast nicely with the white china and the fabric to the left provides some textural interest. But notice that the difference between the tallest and shortest element is only a few inches. This pretty picture has charm but really doesn’t engage the eye.

21556061_SIn contrast, take a look at the photo to the right. The colors are actually slightly more limited, but the eye flies across the image thanks to several design choices.

To begin with, the height differential is almost a foot between the lowest and highest elements. The crossed ribbons in the background emphasize the height differences while pulling attention from one part of the image to the next.

14892527_SNow you may have no reason to stack your plates and bowls, but you can use this same concept with accessories in any part of your home. In this last photo, the same concepts are applied to the accessories on a side table.

The grasses lying horizontal against the table are over a foot lower than the red flowers that top the vertical vase. The chair backs and the bookshelf in the background provide strong horizontal lines, so the verticals need to come from the accessories.

Finally, notice how the plant provides some nice diagonals to draw the eye the same way the crossed ribbons did in the second photo above. The look is completely different, but the same design concepts combine to make both arrangements powerful and eye-catching.

Design Tips: Like with Like

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10593053_SDo you have a collection – either small or large – that you value? If so, think about finding a way to display it in your home with flair.

One fundamental design rule is to position like objects together: like with like. But don’t limit your thinking to only combining things that are exactly the same. Like can mean from the same period of time, in the same color or colors, the same shape, the same theme, or anything you can discover that makes a connection.

Now, the old leather-bound books shown above are together, but they don’t have much of a chance to make a statement sitting on a bookshelf.

7786742_STake a look at about the same number of books combined with a roll of older paper, an old inkwell and a feather that could be a quill pen. By combining the books with other items related to writing from approximately the same era, they change from a few interesting bindings to a design statement.

For small items or things that you don’t mind people playing with, look for interesting ways to build displays that use more than the sense of sight. For example, set music boxes or wind-up toys together on a table with a little note that says, “Please touch.”

10847524_SMaybe you have your grandparents’ old collection of buttons or marbles tucked away in a closet. How about pulling them out and placing them in a container that fits the time those buttons or marbles were used? Set them on a side table next to a favorite spot for your visitors to sit, and you may have created an interactive accessory that your guests will really enjoy. For example, by setting the buttons in the photo in an open old tin box, you encourage people to stop, look, and touch the different materials, sizes and shapes.

These are just a few ideas. Now, when you draw on that designer tip of “like with like,” stretch your imagination to create home accessories that are as unique and interesting as you are.

Bridging Generations: Connecting with Each Other

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14579820_SMany people, particularly baby boomers, find themselves taking care of parents and children at the same time. When everyone shares a home, it can be difficult to get everyone to communicate and feel connected.

Even if grandchildren and grandparents get along well for visits, once everyone is living together 24/7 the situation may change. As the person in the middle, it may be up to you to build a bridge between the generations. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Plan family dinners: With crazy schedules this may be difficult, but start with one dinner together a week and build from there. Fix something that everyone enjoys and make it feel special with fresh flowers or candles. Don’t rely on chance for discussion topics. Make a plan for questions that would be fun for people of all ages. For example: what was your favorite birthday and why? If you have trouble coming up with ideas, pick up a packet or a book of fun questions or dinner table topics.

Play games: A challenging game of Monopoly or Clue can bridge generations. Or you may have your children teach grandpa to bowl on the Wii. By sharing fun experiences barriers will break down and everyone will be more comfortable. Shared fun memories are a great way to make friends.

Tell stories: These might be prompted by family heirlooms or just memories of past events that were exciting, funny or important. Remember to draw out stories from every generation. Grandparents may enjoy hearing about last year’s school play and your kids might like to know what it was like to live in a world without computers and the Internet.

Just a bit of effort can help every generation connect with every other, turning a house full of different people into a true family that enjoys being together.

Bridging Generations: Merging Styles

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12310479_SSo your mom is moving in with you and your family. Your new Fulton home has a great extra master bedroom and a bathroom with special easy-access options for her. Everything, you think, is perfect.

Then she says, “Oh honey, I want you to use some of my furniture in your living and dining room. I know you will enjoy having such good things in your home.”

But your taste is very contemporary and her style is very like the photo shown here. You don’t want to hurt her feelings, but you’ve spent years getting just the right furniture in your style. Understanding that this is just the first of a number of bumps in the road as you all learn to live together, here are a few ways to make your home’s style work for all of you.

Go for Eclectic: Select a few of your mom’s favorite pieces and incorporate them into the living space of your home. You may be surprised to discover that a few more traditional pieces actually add character and charm.

Hand her a room: If she has a dining table and buffet that she is particularly proud of, move your more casual table into the kitchen eating area and set up the dining room with her pieces. Add a few pieces of modern art on the walls and a simple window covering, and you may find the room works well for you. Consider a daring paint color to make the space feel more adventurous.

Coordinate accessories: Does she have lamps that could work in your home? How about rugs or artwork? Consider grouping like accessories in one place, allowing them to provide a surprise punch of personality. For example, if she has numerous collector plates, fill a narrower wall at the end of a hall or the side of the entryway with plates set randomly from floor-to-ceiling about an inch apart.  She will see all her plates on display, and you have turned a plain wall into a point of interest in your home.

With a little imagination, you can merge both of your styles together, and who knows, you may find yourself happier building the differences into your home.

Bridging Generations: Together in One Home

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8929512_SIn years past, it was common for three or more generations to share a home. For many years that idea seemed old fashioned, but recently it’s come back. Some aging parents can’t stay in their homes alone anymore, and many adult children need a landing pad after graduating from college, losing a job or experiencing a divorce. Today’s homes need to reflect these new demands.

Fulton Homes has many choices for multi-generational living. From simple shifts such as more bathrooms in a home to garages prepared to handle adult and teen vehicles, you want to find a home that works for you now and in the future as your family’s lives change. Here are some things to consider as you choose a home that will meet today’s and tomorrow’s needs:

Multiple-use rooms: Today’s bedroom can be tomorrow’s home office. A formal dining space could change into a TV room. Look for larger rooms in versatile arrangements. Bonus rooms can change roles as your family’s needs change.

Storage space: When people move in, they bring their stuff. Walk-in closets, built-in cabinetry in the house or garage, and plenty of shelf space can help absorb mementos and other favorite items.

Multiple living spaces: With a living room and a family room, different members of the family can entertain their guests at the same time.

Luxurious master suites: When dealing with three or more generations living in one home, it’s important for you to have an escape. Treat your master bedroom and bath as your private resource for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Today’s empty-nester could be tomorrow’s care-giver or helper for an un or under-employed child. Make sure your home is ready for the challenge!

Fall Tablescapes

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7843574_SAre you ready to bring your dinner table into autumn? If you’ve started making stews and homemade baked beans again because you just can’t wait any longer, how about making the table itself feel like fall?

Start with a walk through your neighborhood. Even desert landscaping may have some dried branches around that have fallen off a nearby tree. If you don’t find anything, visit your local hobby store or florist to pick up some dried branches, pinecones or any other dried plants or branches.

Next, wander through your kitchen for pottery vases or bowls that mirror the fall colors. Any natural-color basket or wood container would also work well.

Fall flowers can be found in every grocery and warehouse market. Consider sunflowers in traditional yellow or bright dark orange coupled with Japanese lanterns and fall berries in dark reds and greens. Fill in with mums, which come in every color of fall. Add a few of those dried branches and you have a floral masterpiece to echo the season.

Because fall is harvest time, you can add almost any combination of fruit or vegetables and have the mix work. Look for pomegranates, bosc or other yellow or brown pears, apples, and dark red or purple grapes.

Do you have a fall table runner? That’s a good place to start. Now, set all of your discoveries on the table and move things around until it looks right. Those branches may work well in a tall vase or pitcher, or maybe just lay them along the center of the table. Pile fruit in a bowl – a couple of apples, a pear, an eggplant and a few fall leaves and you have created the vision of a harvest feast.

Above all, enjoy the process. Celebrate the changing of the seasons with complementary changes in your home, and you can welcome autumn‘s bounty along with the cooling temperatures. For more ideas, we invite you to visit Fulton Home’s Pinterest board: Seasonal décor.

Decorate your Entryway for Fall

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19586378_SDo you find that less is more when decorating your front entryway for the fall holidays? If you’re satisfied with one pumpkin – uncarved –sitting on your front stoop then this blog is not for you.

If, on the other hand, you enjoy making the most of the autumn season both inside and outside your home, consider some of these fun options.

Wreaths: Start with a grapevine frame and weave in some silk leaf sprays from a hobby store. Or you could make life easy and grab a fall-leaf garland and wrap it around your grapevine. Voila, you have a gorgeous wreath, generally for less than$20. If you want, pick up a few yards of wide fall ribbon and add a bow. The wreath in the photo has the added fun of a few pumpkins and a pinecone or two.

5823969_SPumpkins: Yes of course you want one on your porch. You might as well go home if you don’t have at least one. But how about going for broke? The photo below shows three jack-o-lanterns hogging the stairway daring you to ignore their grinning faces.  A couple of gourds add an additional spark of fall gaudiness.

3750054_SMums: Your local warehouse store has huge mum plants ready to pop into bloom in every fall color. Notice how nice the orange and white mums look at this entrance. They send a message that the adults in this home like autumn too.

Finally, you can go all out and display all of these at the same time. Consider adding a scarecrow such as the one in this final photo, or find the autumn figure of your choice. Maybe you’d rather have a few bats or an owl or two. Florists, discount stores and hobby stores have a rich selection of choices to appeal to any taste.

Let your visitors know you’re up for autumn before they even walk in the door. Make your opinions of the joys of fall loud and clear for the neighbors to hear!