Exploring Fulton Homes: Visiting a Community

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Queen-Creek-Station-saleswebWhen you’re ready to visit a Fulton Home’s community, plan for more than a cursory look. To do justice to each model, anticipate spending about a half-hour at a minimum in each. Here are some suggestions to improve your understanding of how each model would work for your family.

Walk into every room: This includes bathrooms and walk-in closets. When you live in a home you won’t be merely peering in from the door. See how the laundry room feels as a work room. Experience the master and other bathrooms from an inside perspective. You might even want to step into the walk-in shower to get a sense of the space.

Go outside. Open the doors and wander out to the back yard. Take a look at how the house looks and feels from the back. If there are any side yards or courtyards available, check them out also. Do you like the access from the house itself to the outside? What would you change if you could? How would it work for you when entertaining outside?

Sit down: If there are stools pulled up to the kitchen island, sit down and see how the open style space works for you. Take a few minutes to sit at the dining room table and the table in the eat-in kitchen. While you’re seated, check out window locations and lighting. Before you leave a particular model, sit in the family room and discuss what you like about it and what you would want to change. Remember, each model has variations that may be able to bring you much closer to the goals you have for your home.

Take a final look: Before you leave, sit down in the family or living room and discuss the model. Is this home a possibility for you? What features do you particularly like and what would need to change to meet your needs. You may even want to take notes and/or photos so you will remember each one individually.

There’s one more stop that’s worth making when planning to buy a Fulton Home: the Fulton Design Center.

Exploring Fulton Homes: Models and Floor Plans

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elevationwebEvery Fulton Home community offers a nice mix of home styles and floor plans. It pays to investigate your options on our website before visiting the models.

Our homes range from Easy-maintenance courtyard homes to spacious luxury homes and everything in between. What kind of Fulton Home would best fit your family, lifestyle and price range?

Start by considering some basics. How many bedrooms do you want? Remember to factor in the potential growth of your family as well as changes such as older family members moving in with you temporarily or permanently. Also consider whether you need a home office and how much outdoor space you want for your lifestyle. Do your plans include a pool? A larger property would make more sense then.

Another issue that would affect your design choices might be the age of your children. If they’re relatively young you may prefer to have the master bedroom on the same side of the house as your children’s rooms so you are easily available if they need you during the night. On the other hand, you may want a guest room on the other side of your home to give your family and your guests more privacy.

Older children would prefer their own bathrooms. Fulton Homes offers the option in some models for putting in additional bathrooms to accommodate teens or adults sharing a home. Families with more than two drivers and car owners may also benefit from larger multiple-car garages. Check out each possible home in your preferred communities to see which ones might work best for you.

Next: Make the most of your community visit.

Exploring Fulton Homes: Communities

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community-shotwebIt can be confusing and challenging to start looking for the perfect new Fulton Home for you and your family. Here are some suggestions to help you with the process. Start by exploring all of Fulton Home’s available communities.

Using the interactive map at http://www.fultonhomes.com/our-communities, take a look at the locations of each neighborhood. Which ones would work best for you? Consider distance to work and family as well as the related school districts. You may also want to explore nearby shopping and office space.

As you investigate, remember that newly-opened communities will offer a broader selection of properties to choose from, while communities that are closer to finishing will have more neighbors nearby.

Once you have selected the communities that fit your profile, check out each one’s individual page. You will discover the specific neighborhood amenities available, the size and style of homes in that area, and the price range. You might want to talk to one of our preferred lenders, listed at http://www.fultonhomes.com/preferred-lenders, to determine what price home is right for you at this point in your lives.

Before you visit our communities, take the time to check out the information available for each on the web. The community pages give you location and directions, which models are available, lot size range and more detail about the area. Not all of the plans available in each community has a model available for viewing. Call the sales office for information on which homes offer models for your review.

Next: Finding the right home size and style for you.

Accessorizing your Bathroom

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accessorizing-your-bathroom-webWith a bathroom, you have a limited space to work with when accessorizing, so you want to make the most of your choices.

Here are some things to consider  to make your bath a special space for you whether you’re getting ready for your day or relaxing while preparing for bed.

Color: Do you like soft subtle colors in a bathroom? Take a look at how well grey and white work in this bath from the Rancho Mirage model in the Oasis at Queen Creek community. From the natural look to the diagonal tile floor to the rich soft grey on the walls, the room has a gentle feel that encourages relaxation. Brown and grey towels fit well with this color scheme.

Lighting: Although a bathroom’s lighting is built-in, it has a strong influence in the mood of a room which really makes it count as an accessory. In this room the contemporary fixture features the same brushed nickel finish as the faucets and the trim on the shower. Everything feels coordinated and it all works with the grey color scheme.

Art: Although there is only one piece of art in this bathroom, it has a serene and appealing style, and it is set in just the right place for viewing when in the tub. The darkening cloud-filled landscape pulls some color into the room without requiring all of your attention. It is as relaxing and inviting as the rest of this space.

If you want to take a closer look at this bathroom and a number of others, we invite you to tour our models in Oasis at Queen Creek. You can explore all the choices before deciding on the perfect bathroom for you.

Accessorizing a Dresser

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accessorizing-a-dresserwWhen you have a dresser in your own bedroom, you may use the space on top for personal items. But when it is in an extra bedroom or guest room, your accessory choices are probably going to be purely decorative. Here are a few suggestions for making that dresser top look attractive.

Bring in light: A table lamp like the one in the photo serves several purposes. It can be used to provide ambient light to a room when you don’t want to turn on the bright overhead light. It shines on the surface of the dresser, showing off the gloss of the polished wood surface, and it adds height to the surface display. It can also set the tone for style and color through the lamp’s base and shade.

Vary height: When all of the accessories are the same height, it stops looking like a planned display and starts looking like clutter. On this dresser, the lamp on the left and the flowers on the right add enough height variation to keep the dresser accessories looking interesting across the top.

Bring in color: Red fruit in the bowl connects with the red flowers to add charm. Notice that there is another splash of red across the room by the window that you can see   reflected in the dresser’s mirror. Color helps link the different spaces in a room.

A bit of bling: The basic wood hardware on this dresser demands something shiny on top. The books have metallic covers, creating a spot that sparkles. This sparks up the look of the entire display.

Chances are you have enough odds and ends of accessories to dress up your dressers and coffee tables. Just keep experimenting until you get the look you want in each room.

Celebrate Labor Day Outside

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Queen-Creek-Station-playgroundwebTemperatures are starting to drop in Arizona and we’re having a nice mostly-cloudy weekend. So how about celebrating the end of summer with an outdoor event? Invite some of your favorite neighbors and picnic in your backyard or take advantage of some of your Fulton Community amenities.

Start with a potluck dinner. Divide the meal into categories: salads, drinks, dessert. You can provide the main dish, whether you stick with the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers or add something special such as barbequed ribs or marinated chicken, working together you can have a great meal. Let the kids play in the adjoining playground with the adults taking turns refereeing the event. Or you could hire one or two of the teens in your neighborhood to watch the play so that the adults can relax and enjoy the evening.

One of the best parts of buying a Fulton Home is the opportunity to join a community of friendly people who appreciate the quiet enjoyment of a neighborhood that’s really planned for the way you want to live. You could bring a number of board or card games for kids and adults to play as the evening wears on. Think about a few dollar-store fun prizes to make the games extra special for the children.

And when the evening is over and it’s time for everyone to pack up and go home, the trip takes only a few minutes because you live just blocks away. Summer is almost over. The pleasures of Arizona fall weather are coming upon us, and you can start enjoying it with a Labor Day event with some of your favorite neighbors. What a nice way to enjoy your three-day weekend.

Three Things to Look for When Shopping for a Family Home

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Family-Home-Shopping---sgplaw.com---Shutterstock-webShopping for a new family home is exciting; it is an opportunity to envision your life in spaces that offer more function, more room to raise a family and more amenities. Many young buyers are adding to their must-have lists for neighborhoods that are safe and practical for family upbringing.

If you’re in the market for a family-friendly home, here are some other must-haves to add to your dream home criteria.

Available Safety Elements: Gated communities and quiet cul-de-sacs offer parents the security they desire for little ones. When you’re on a private street with other young families, you can build friendships and trust other parents to provide extra supervision while your children are playing in the driveway. Gated communities typically include a security code, limiting who can enter your neighborhood. Today, many new build homes include home security systems, so ask about this possibility. This can also save you money on home insurance!

Look for Active Play Opportunities: Choose a neighborhood with community parks equipped with play structures to help children explore their physical capabilities through active play. Having a park near your home is convenient because it is easily accessible. Look for other family-friendly amenities in the area, such as community pools and recreation centers, for year-round activities and family fun.

Consider Local School Performance: Purchasing a home in a neighborhood with high-performing schools is a must for many because there is high focus on adequate children’s education for future success. Today, more families are also looking for nearby toddler learning centers to fill the needs of both daycare services as well as early education and development.

Take the time to review all your must-haves while visiting homes, and be conscientious in selecting a neighborhood catered to child development and safety.

This post was provided by Chandler Valley Child Care and Learning Center, a local daycare facility with flexible hours and early education curriculum for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

Bring Color into your Dining Room

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web-bring-color-into-your-dining-room-blogMany people are hesitant to choose color for large furniture pieces for fear that they will tire of it or that it will go out of style. But you can bring temporary  color into your dining room with very little effort or expense. Let’s take a look at some of your options.

Slipcovers: The two chairs in this photo are upholstered in a fun coral, rust and gray pattern, but you can get the same result with slipcovers. Choose chairs in a simple style and you can have slipcovers made in a variety of fabrics and colors. By only covering the chairs at each end of the table, you get a nice pop of color without as much expense or trouble.

Table Linens: The placemats and napkins on this dining table match the colors on the two chairs, connecting everything together. This enables you to carry your colors across the table, once again with the flexibility to change your color scheme to match the season or your mood.

Centerpiece: Whether you use flowers, candles or other choices, your centerpiece can pull in all of your colors and integrate your color scheme. If you plan a buffet as part of your dinner plans, be sure to bring the colors into that area also.

Any dining room can be enhanced by adding temporary bursts of color. Be sure to look for opportunities to include color when planning your entertainment events.

The Right Shower for You

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the_right_shower_for_youwebWhen you combine tiles, panels, listelles and features such as nooks to hold shampoo and soap, your shower can be customized to just the right combination of style and function to suit you. All three of these showers are light neutrals, yet each one has its own personality and flair.

The one on the left uses a diagonal layout for the tile backing with dark squares adding contrast and interest. In addition, the arrow shape coming up from the floor keeps the look from being predictable. The dark vanity connects the rest of the bathroom with the shower, creating a strong integrated look.

The middle shower is generous in size, and that space is emphasized by the dramatic stripes created by an intriguing mosaic. Contrast comes from the random pattern of dark and light squares throughout the mosaic stripes. Your eye shifts from the smooth neutral provided by the plain-colored tile to the pop of personality in the mosaics. The two balance each other out.

The final photo shows a tub-shower combo. Notice that the niche for soap and shampoo is lower, so a bather doesn’t have to stand up to reach their beauty products. In this case one stripe of glass tile adds a pop, which is supported by the shift of the standard tile from a square set on a diagonal to a rectangle set upright. This trick subtly defines a cozy bathing area while taking a more expansive feel in the higher shower range.

Which shower would you pick? Or maybe your ideal shower would be completely different! You can see these and other shower ideas at Oasis at Queen Creek, or visit the Fulton Design Center.

A Ceiling with Personality

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web-a-ceiling-with-personality-blogWhen people plan their home’s décor, they think about flooring and the walls, but many ignore the sixth surface – the ceiling. Fulton Homes understands something that custom homebuilders have known for years – your ceiling provides an opportunity to showcase the lines of your home.

There are many ways to incorporate your ceiling into the design of a space. This photo shows some of the most effective options.

Dimension: By adding dimension to the ceiling the spaces are clearly defined. The living area ceiling builds an enclosure and creates a comfortable coziness. This type of ceiling, known as a coffered ceiling, has a long tradition. In this open living space it adds a line of demarcation as well as providing an additional appealing style element.

Color: By pulling the wall color up into the center of the coffered ceiling, the space is more clearly defined. The combination of dimension and color makes the ceiling even more dramatic. By using the same color on the ceiling as the walls the space has a warm centralized feel.

Lighting: Notice the light running along the edge of the coffered ceiling. This emphasizes the personality of the ceiling and creates a natural focal point at night. Entertaining in this room will be particularly effective thanks to this ceiling design.

It’s easy to ignore a ceiling, but if you do you’re sacrificing an opportunity to add style and drama to your home. Take a moment to picture this room without any furniture. Even empty, this space has its design own strength, and the ceiling is the reason why.