An Inviting Dining Table

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wWarner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-065 - CopyWhen you’re planning the look of your dining area, there are a lot of elements that make the space inviting. Here are a few tips to make your dining area catch people’s attention.

The perfect chandelier: More even than the table itself, the right chandelier makes a dining space stand out. You want something that reflects the style of the space. You also want to make sure that it is the right size for your dining area and your table. It should also hang at the right height – not so low that it shines in your diners’ eyes, but not as high as most ceiling-mounted fixtures. Generally a chandelier should hang 32-40 inches above the table. It should be just large enough to light the table’s surface without lighting the diners.

The right dining chairs: If you want your guests to linger after dinner for an enjoyable conversation over dessert and coffee, pay careful attention to your dining chairs. Make sure they will be comfortable for at least an hour or two. Look for nice padding on the seat and maybe the back, and make sure the backs lean so that people aren’t forced too upright. Be sure to sit in any potential dining chairs for more than a few minutes before you make your choice.

Accessories that add interest: When you are not actually dining, look for a table centerpiece that helps link the table to the chandelier. These tall flowers do the trick in this photo. But when you have guests for dinner, put this arrangement on your island and keep any centerpieces low enough to converse across the table.

Colorful table linens and white plates: This rule is not written in stone, but many chefs swear that food looks better on white plates. Color in your table linens adds interest and personality to your table.

Cozy Outdoor Area for Two

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wWarner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-067 - CopyMost people think about a table and chairs when planning outdoor areas, and that’s always terrific so that you’re ready for meals outside when our weather begs us to get out of the house. But this photo shows another delightful option, an opportunity for a special tete-a-tete in your own backyard.

This patio, right outside the master bedroom, provides the perfect place to relax in the morning before work with a cup of coffee. It’s also a great place for a rendezvous later in the evening. Imagine lingering here before bed, catching up on your day in the privacy of your backyard.

It doesn’t take much to make this idea a reality. Look for outdoor chairs with cushions so that you are comfortable enough to want to spend time there. The shared ottoman means that you can both put your feet up and relax. Other than that, a small table just large enough for a couple of cups of coffee or tea and you’re ready to go. All you need is a little time and an invitation.

So let the kids watch TV in the family room or play video games. You have a chance to get away from it all in peace and quiet, without ever leaving home.

Want to get a feel for this outdoor oasis for two? Visit our Sycamore model at Warner Groves at Morrison Ranch. You’ll be glad you did.

Modern & Traditional Kitchen

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wWarner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-007If you’re having trouble deciding whether you want a modern kitchen or something more traditional, you might want to create a kitchen like this one. It combines the best of both worlds.

It’s easy to spot the modern touches. The island with its solid-surface design demonstrates clean lines and an inviting profile. The light fixture hanging over it also sports a clean style and interesting approach. Slate appliances show the newest finish with a contemporary flair.

The choice of tile set in a chevron pattern matches current patterns, and the grey blend of colors is completely today. Add in the sleek profile of the vent hood and you have the picture of a modern kitchen.

And yet traditional elements also play a part. Notice the crown molding on both the cabinets and around the ceiling. These choices add a reminder of another time while softening the modern aesthetic a bit. The padded chairs at the island also have a traditional profile, although the grey upholstery and dark wood work with a contemporary approach too.

Painted wood cabinets were common at one time, and today they still help to create a light and bright kitchen that works with both modern and traditional styles. They provide a bit of a farmhouse feeling.

One final traditional element comes in the accessories. The blue glass apothecary jars echo a feeling of yesterday. Altogether, the space shows an eclectic mix that takes advantage of the best of both perspectives. So when designing your own kitchen, don’t get trapped in one specific look. Instead create an approach that works for every element of your taste.

A Theme Bedroom to Reflect Interest

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wWarner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-068 - CopyIf you or a child of yours has a strong interest in something, it’s fun to pull that concept into your decor as a theme in a room. This room, from the Sycamore model at Warner Groves at Morrison Ranch, shows how to do this effectively while keeping design elements in place.

To start, the molding makes this room feel whimsical. Wainscoting jumps up to become a headboard for the bed, integrating the space while adding interest. The molding choice is echoed in the white painted furniture, working well with the wall-mounted headboard molding.

With the bright white furniture, this bedroom can handle a vivid yellow on the walls. Yellow is a tough color for walls because it can easily move from this cheerful lemon to a rather discouraging egg yolk if you’re not careful. In this case the shade is perfect – bright without being overwhelming.

The bicycle theme is consistently present in this room, but not to the extent of being irritating. One reason this works is the restraint in its use. The applique on the pillow, bike-themed artwork, and a couple of charming mini-bikes as accessories play up the theme without making the room scream with it. Smart and cute, this room would appeal to anyone who has ever enjoyed the pleasure of riding a bike.

Notice the addition of a grey bedspread and pillow. This tames the yellow, making it feel sophisticated rather than childish. A smart decision. Visit our models in Warner Groves at Morrison Ranch to see this and other charming bedrooms.

Let Color Create Character in a Room

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wWarner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-069 - CopyYou don’t need to spend a lot of money on furniture to create a guest room with personality. Take a look at this bedroom from the Sycamore model at Warner Groves at Morrison Ranch. The room has no headboard and simple matching nightstands with lamps. Yet it has a charm all its own. Let’s take a look at why.

Smart use of paint: The dramatic wide blue stripe is a powerful substitute for a headboard for this bed. By pulling it up and onto the ceiling, the mind translates it into a canopy, making the bed feel very finished, even without a headboard.

Smart art: The distinctive piece of art hanging over the bed pulls everything together – yellow brings the bed coverings up to the wall and the silver frame reflects the grey on the pillows.

Smart bedclothes: Yellow and grey combine for a sophisticated bed. There is just enough white to let the colors pop. Pillows really make a difference with a bed, and they are a low-cost way to create just the right mix of color and pattern.

Smart curtains: Notice that the curtain is a darker yellow in a heavier fabric. This helps to anchor the window and keeps the room from feeling too matchy-matchy. It also provides an inviting contrast to the bright window.

Smart accessories: Lamps reflect the white from the bed pillows but there is just enough yellow pulled in with the accessories to keep that color front-and-center.

When you’re planning a guest room, don’t think that you have to spend a lot of money to make it special and inviting. It just takes imagination and a willingness to draw on color to create a room worth coming home to.

 

Gold Tones Warm up Family Room

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wWarner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-072 - CopyWhen you want to create a warm living space, consider choosing gold as the primary color. The hue fills a space with warmth. It also lends a sense of light.

In Renaissance times, furniture and accessories were often covered in gold leaf, creating a sparkle to any space. Today gold leaf is less common, but the choice of a blend of gold tones still works in any room.

Let’s start with the gold sofa. This sectional is the primary piece of furniture in the room, and it sets the feeling for the entire space. Every other element is built around it. The pillows provide a strong contrast with the sofa and also introduce the darker and lighter elements present in the room – navy blue and a bright yellow-gold.

The cocoa color on the back wall really helps the sofa to pop, and complements the mid-tone gold carpeting. This medium shade for the carpeting is a smart choice – not too dark but dark enough to maintain the mood in the room. All of the major elements hover in a mid-range, but then the pops of dark and light tones in the artwork and accessories keep the room interesting.

Notice the artwork. It depicts a natural scene with enough bright colors to draw the eye. Pieces such as that and the bright yellow bottle on the coffee table help make the room shine.

Decorating a room with a single color makes it restful and inviting, but be sure to add those color surprises to help the room sparkle too!

Daring Lighting Makes a Room

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wWarner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-009The dining area often provides the best opportunity to showcase daring lighting. If you are tired of the classic chandelier look, today’s light fixtures offer you plenty of interesting and contemporary alternatives. This light is a good example.

In the past few years, shades have grown in popularity. They help keep light evenly distributed and provide the opportunity to add a fabric element among all the metal. But this shade is far from standard.

First, the proportions are unusual. Only about six inches tall, the wide circle feels almost sculptural. This is helped by the dramatic rectangular design elements in the light itself. There’s an echo of some mid-century modern fixtures but with a styling that stays true to today.

Notice the second lamp just like the first one in the game room. Having two of the exact same lamps with almost a mirror look adds to the daring feel of this lighting choice. This particular light has a dramatic impact when viewed from a distance.

Lighting is a good way to bring style into a room. When you choose just the right light for each space, your choice can add a strong element of design. In this case the light is clearly the focal point for this dining area.

Fulton Home models provide a great venue for viewing some of the best of today’s lighting choices. Visit our new models at Warner Groves in Morrison Ranch to see this and other interesting and unusual lighting options.

Warm up your Bathroom

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wModern-Shower-Evergreen-Elm-Warner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-014By their very design, bathrooms tend to be colder in style. With all the glass, tile and porcelain, you have a lot of hard surfaces to contend with. But it doesn’t take much effort to warm up the feeling of a bathroom. Here are some tips to make a difference:

Be generous with towels: One of the best resources for adding warmth and color to any bathroom is by your choice of towels. For maximum effect, double up on the towels like these shown here. With the black towels as a base, the bright light green hand towels really pop. Look for opportunities to add more than the basic towels where you can. For example, the towel at the left of the photo on the ring is perfectly located for drying hands at the sink.

Add art: Whether it’s a print like the one shown here or fabric wall hangings, some wall art makes a bathroom more interesting and appealing. But be careful not to put anything particularly valuable in a bathroom. The moisture in the room during and after a shower can damage art, particularly watercolors and pastels. Instead, look for nice prints or photographs with minimal value.

Use accessories: Even a smaller vanity like the one in this photo will carry a simple accessory, and that addition personalizes the space and can make a real difference in a bathroom’s mood. The simple vase of flowers shown here adds charm without taking up too much space thanks to its small footprint.

Bathrooms are a  functional space in your home, but with just a bit of effort you can also make them feel more like a haven for friends and family. So warm up your bathrooms with these simple additions.

Slate Finish Appliances

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wModern-kitchen-Evergreen-Elm-at-Morrison-RanchStainless steel has been the go-to finish for kitchen appliances for over a decade. There is something fresh and crisp about the stainless look, so it’s popularity is no surprise. But it may be time to consider another option: slate. This kitchen, from the Evergreen Elm Model in Warner Grove at Morrison Ranch, shows a full line of slate-finish appliances.

This new look carries the sophistication of stainless steel, but with a darker, matte look. Slate has some of the advantages of stainless but with a sophistication all its own. Here are some of slate’s advantages:

  • It’s completely neutral, allowing you to make color decisions without factoring in your appliance finish.
  • The matte finish does more than reduce shine. It makes fingerprints almost nonexistent. This has always been a concern with stainless’s much less finger-forgiving finish.
  • It’s darker and warmer than stainless, providing some of the advantages of black appliances without taking over a kitchen the way shiny black can.
  • Foir a kitchen as light as this one, it adds a nice sense of contrast without having the appliances yell out in the room the way they would with black.
  • Unlike other finishes that have come and gone since stainless first came on the scene, slate finishes seem to be lasting in interest and appeal.

If you like the sophistication and professional look of stainless but would prefer a warmer look that is easier to maintain, take a look at slate. It’s available in many appliance options, with more coming online every day.

Farmhouse Style

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Warner-Groves-at-Morrison-Ranch-045wIf you’re looking for a home with a farmhouse feel, consider this model at Warner Groves in Morrison Ranch. The Cottonwood showcases all the elements that help this new home echo the style and appeal of a timeless place in the country. Let’s take a look at the design decisions that give this model its farmhouse appeal.

Color: The strong gold in two tones provides a country flavor. Rather than the traditional earth tones we tend to expect in the Southwest, this home takes a page from an older book, to give a long-ago feel to this home.

Barn-style garage doors: As a major element in the front of this house, choosing a style reminiscent of barn doors continues a country theme. The planking and wrought iron handles turn a standard door into something special.

Front porch: A home isn’t a country home without a front porch. This half-porch is a common style in country farmhouses. The walkway and the wall extension makes this space useful as well as decorative. You have plenty of room for outdoor furniture, adding to the charm of the front entrance.

Shutters and Trim: Nothing says country like shutters on front windows, and the extra trim carries on with the look. The brown color choice works well with the two shades of gold.

Plank-style siding: Adding elements featuring a country-style siding adds a touch of country personality.

If you crave that farmhouse look, you can find it right here in Arizona. Just check out the Cottonwood model to get in a country mood.