Integrating Entertainment Technology in your Home

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Entertainment center from the Rancho Mirage model in Oasis at Queen Creek

Entertainment center from the Rancho Mirage model in Oasis at Queen Creek

Technology has certainly changed since the days when telephones and televisions were the extent of it in your home. As televisions have gotten larger and flatter, and what we can do with them has evolved, it pays to plan for the entertainment technology in your home. Here are a few ideas.

Plan for family viewing: While you may like to have a television in your bedroom or kitchen, it pays to choose one main location for your entire family to enjoy. This allows you to invest in one larger-format set with theater-quality sound for watching films or special programs. Smaller-format sets or even computers work well for everyday screen time.

Build in convenient space for accessories: DVD’s, game consoles and controls, and whatever else you need for family entertainment is more likely to be used regularly if it’s convenient. Close-by shelving and storage helps keep everything in one place and easy to access when you need it. Notice that the shelves and cabinets in this entertainment space keep equipment and supplies out of sight when not in use, a tidier and more attractive look.

Create an integrated look: The wall color, tile insert and flooring, and black finish on the cabinets make the space feel well-planned and attractive. The choice to stay with light tones and black makes this wall a focal point while it still remains consistent from a design perspective with the rest of the room. Notice how the black finish on the coffee table supports this design goal.

Integrating entertainment technology into your home requires you to consider both functionality and design. For more ideas on how to make that work in your home, we invite you to visit our models in Oasis at Queen Creek.

Let Lighting Create Style

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Kitchen from the Rancho Mirage model in the Oasis at Queen Creek Community

Kitchen from the Rancho Mirage model in the Oasis at Queen Creek Community

Because of its position just above eye level, pendant lighting tends to capture the eye. This is even more true when they are lit. So be sure to pay close attention to your options when selecting pendants. Here are some factors to consider when making your decision.

Style: Are you a staunch design traditionalist? If you want to create a traditional feel, be sure to stick with standard shapes and only choose light colors such as white or amber. On the other hand, if you like the old-style farmhouse look, consider the old-fashioned schoolhouse lighting. And if you want to be more cutting-edge, take a look at these light fixtures from Kichler. While they are effective task lights over the island, they also cause guests to take notice with their daring design.

Finish: What metal have you chosen for your kitchen faucets and pulls? You may want to stay consistent with your lighting, particularly when going for a traditional look. If your style is more eclectic, you can mix it up a bit.

Coordinating pieces: Do you want to link your pendants with other lighting fixtures in your home? If so, be sure to take a look at all the coordinating lights in the package. On the other hand, as long as you don’t go too far, different choices can work well together. Be sure to take the time to see how your lighting coordinates from room to room.

Light level: Will these pendant lights be primarily decorative or will they need to double as task lighting? Make sure the size of your pendants and the level they hang at meet your specific lighting needs for your island. After all, style may be important but light comes first!

For more ideas of what’s available in pendant lighting for your Fulton Home kitchen, take a look at the options offered at the Fulton Design Center and visit our models at Oasis at Queen Creek. You’ll see these lights and many other intriguing choices for your island.

When Your Son Leaves for College

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From the Rancho Mirage model at Oasis at Queen Creek

From the Rancho Mirage model at Oasis at Queen Creek

It’s complicated but fun getting your daughter ready to go away to college, but it’s trickier with a son. While your daughter is likely to enjoy planning her dorm room’s décor, most boys, particularly in high school, have no interest in anything related to decorating, and wouldn’t admit it if they had.

So what do you do to make sure he’s ready without adding to the trauma of leaving home and living on his own for the first time ever? Here are a few suggestions to make it easier for both of you.

Focus on the basics: These include warm bedding, clean clothes, hygiene and first aid supplies, as well as adequate lighting and storage. Chances are you’ve taken care of all these things over the years, so it’s quite possible that your son won’t realize what he needs until he needs it. It’s your job to get him ready, and to educate him on what you’ve been taking care of for him.

Bedding: Look for sheet sets. Most dorm rooms offer long single beds, so look for that size when shopping. Places such as Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target are gearing up for the go-to-college set, so you should have a good selection of options available. If your son is going to school in an area that experiences cold winters, be sure to include a blanket as well as a warm bedspread. There are no guarantees that dorms are warm.

Laundry: If your son is not familiar with doing laundry, take the time for a basic tutorial. Pack laundry detergent and plan for at least a month’s worth of underwear, because no college kid does laundry more often than that. Be sure to include a laundry bag rather than a basket – a bag is easier to store and haul around.

First aid: Include band aids and any over-the-counter items that your son is used to having on hand. Find an easy container to hold it all in one place.

Lighting: Many dorms have fair lighting, but a lamp with task lighting is a useful accessory. Look for something simple and light enough to move around as needed.

Storage: Dorm closets are small, so consider some under-bed storage for extra sweaters, etc.

Don’t worry about music and other technology. Your son will probably be on top of that too. And don’t make gender assumptions. You may have a boy that really cares about what that bedspread looks like, or a daughter who just doesn’t care. Either way, follow these guidelines to ensure that your child, whether male or female, is ready to make that leap away from home.

Introducing Slate – GE’s New Appliance Finish

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Rancho-Mirage-kitchen-webFor the last decade and more, stainless steel has been the preferred finish for kitchen appliances. Other choices have appeared, but none with the staying power of stainless.

At the same time there are disadvantages to stainless. It’s a magnet for fingerprints, which requires daily wiping if there are children in your home. The bright shiny surface looks good against dark wood cabinetry but isn’t quite as effective with painted or light cabinets.

Now GE Appliances has introduced Slate. This darker look combines a charcoal tone with a matte finish that hides fingerprints and smudges. It also works exceptionally well with a kitchen that has grey colors. This cooler tone has grown in appeal lately.

Slate doesn’t demand the attention that stainless does. If you want your open-concept home to include a kitchen that incorporates itself into the rest of the space, Slate is more low-key.

Most important of all, so far this new appliance finish seems to have staying power. Introduced in 2012, the response has been so positive that GE continues to expand its Slate line. With its sophisticated look and feel – including just enough bling with glossy handles – Slate creates a feeling of cutting-edge style.

Thanks to its cool tones, Slate can also be used in a mix-and-match approach with stainless if you want. For a close-up look at GE’s new appliance finish in this kitchen, we invite you to check it out in our Oasis at Queen Creek community, where we showcase this and many other kitchen ideas designed with you in mind.

Sofa Alternative

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family room la quinta webThe standard approach to seating in a family room is a sofa with one or two chairs, or maybe a sectional with one additional chair. But how about considering this arrangement from the La Quinta model at Oasis at Queen Creek? Four chairs with an ottoman in the center offers a number of advantages.

Reflecting its space: If you have a square space, a sofa and chair combination doesn’t take full advantage of the area, instead ending up more as a rectangle. This four-chair approach reflects the available space and actually takes advantage of it by supporting the symmetrical structure.

Everyone has a seat: Rather than having to share, every person gets a comfy chair to sit in as they choose. The ottoman is big enough for everyone to share it without getting in each other’s way.

Arranged for conversation: With a sofa, some people end up sitting next to each other, making it awkward to hold a conversation. This four-chair set-up creates an environment where everyone can converse comfortably with everyone else.

Additional seating as needed: The ottoman could also be used as seating, and the space between each chair provides plenty of room to pull up extra chairs and join the conversation.

Color and pattern coordination: By including throw pillows on each chair of the same fabric as the ottoman, this grouping feels totally integrated. The rug, picking up one of the patterned fabric’s colors, wraps up the space.

If you’re planning a living or family room seating arrangement, consider the possibility of using four chairs for a fresh and appealing look that functions as well or better than the standard sofa seating option.

Pink can be Sophisticated

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girl's_bedroom_montageFor most of us, when we hear that a girl’s bedroom has pink in the color scheme, it sounds cute and pretty, but not very sophisticated. But don’t limit your thinking. With the right accents and style, pink will surprise you. Let’s take a look at how this girl’s bedroom makes that happen.

The right accent colors: One quick and powerful way to add sophistication to any room is by throwing black into the mix. Used judiciously, black makes other colors pop and grounds the space. By mixing a light ballet-pink and black together, the final feel is daring and interesting, and definitely more than cute.

Using metallics: The bold gold on the bedding and poster make everything in the room pop. This is a risky choice and you can’t have a sophisticated look without taking some risks.

Mature fabric choices: It’s easy to go with a juvenile fabric when working with pink, but these fabrics pull you away from that. Adult patterns and moods in the fabric help make this room more grown-up.

Unusual artwork: The Wizard of Oz theme on the poster over the bed says it’s a children’s room, but the retro illustration combined with images from the book itself in the background make this poster worth more than a glance. Really, this piece feels like the inspiration for the entire room.

Eclectic furniture choices: The vanity has an old-fashioned style but the white paint makes it feel up to date. The small chest gets its personality with the different designs on each drawer, which are echoed in the canvas above. Once again a risky mix-and-match mood adds a chic feeling to the space.

Altogether, this room works for a young girl, yet opens up a glimpse of what kind of grown up she will eventually become. Visit Oasis at Queen Creek for a closer look.

Design Your Dream Master Bath

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bath_montage_blogHave you ever thought about what you really want in your master bathroom? How about natural light while still maintaining privacy? This bathroom accomplishes that with the trio of square windows near the ceiling over the shower.

Would you like a bathroom that doesn’t feel cramped? The nice amount of square footage and open entrance gives you plenty of space. Using flooring on the diagonal adds to the sense of abundant room.

What about a roomy shower? Take a look at this option with room to move around and a subtle built-in niche that’s perfect for shampoo and body wash.

How about a mirror over the vanity that doesn’t look institutional? Take a look at how framing the mirror in the photo above adds an appealing finishing touch to the vanity area.

Would you like a spot to sit in the morning to apply make-up, or just to relax for a minute while chatting with your spouse before breakfast? This bath has just the place for a comfy chair by the mirror.

And what about style? Have you thought about the colors and finishes you would like in your master bath? What about the soft gold and rust tones of this space? Or maybe you’d rather have gentle green colors. With all of the Fulton Design Center options, it’s your choice.

While we’re at it, let’s add plenty of vanity storage, a double vanity/sink so you don’t have to share, and plenty of good and attractive lighting.

Is this your dream master bath? Want a closer look? Then how about visiting Oasis at Queen Creek Station to see it for yourself?

Imagine Never Stopping at a Gas Station Again

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energy_center_carWhat do you think of pulling into your own garage and adding fuel to your car right there? How about being able to drive in the carpool lane even if you’re alone? Add in the savings – paying the equivalent of $2.09 a gallon for fuel, no matter the price at the pump, and there are plenty of incentives to put a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) system in your garage.

Fulton Homes is the first builder in the country to provide the opportunity to add a CNG system to your home with the new homes in the Queen Creek Station community. This fuel choice is cleaner, noticeably less expensive, and allows you to eliminate that gas station stop, saving time and money.

Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of CNG for you.

Save money: In addition to the lower fuel costs, you receive a reduced rate for your car registration and license fees. You also eliminate the 18% excise tax included in all gasoline purchases.

Save time: No stops at gas stations; refuel at your convenience at home. Also, enjoy shorter commutes because your CNG vehicle has 24-hour access to the HOV lanes across the state.

Save the environment: Natural gas is abundant and much cleaner than gasoline, reducing our dependence on oil and reducing carbon dioxide by 20-30%.

You can buy cars designed to run on Compressed Natural Gas, or have a car converted to handle this new fuel choice. For more information on this exciting new option from Fulton Homes, visit our Energy Center in the Peninsula model park at Queen Creek station.

Recreate this Charming Chest

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whitewater-bedroom-1-webThoughtful touches can turn a child’s bedroom into something special, even on a budget. This chest, seen in the Whitewater model at the Oasis at Queen Creek community, has a charm that is easy to recreate.

You can find a simple chest like this one at an unfinished furniture store or thrift shop. If the piece is unfinished, be sure to prime it before painting. If it is finished, wash it and sand lightly before painting.

Now is the time to decide if you want the piece to have a flat or glossy finish. Select the right paint for your decision. You can also shop for scrap paper or wrapping paper in designs and colors that work well together. Your final purchase is a jar of decoupage medium such as Mod Podge. Be sure to choose a finish that matches your paint choice.

Start with a couple of coats of white paint. You can eliminate brush strokes and speed up the process by using spray paint. Just be sure to work outside or in a well-ventilated area.

Spray using multiple thin coats following the instructions on the can. Remove the drawers and paint separately, inside and out. Spray paint dries quickly, but you may want to wait a minute or two between coats, so you are not spraying wet paint on wet paint.

When you’re done, decoupage the papers on the front of each drawer, cutting to size before with scissors or after with a very sharp knife. Add a couple of extra coats of decoupage medium to each to protect the papers.

Finish with white knobs or choose knobs that coordinate well with the papers. Then just enjoy your handiwork! For a closer look at this chest, we invite you to visit our models at Oasis at Queen Creek.

Architectural Details add Luxury

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La-Quinta-family-room-webIf you want to turn a room from ordinary to something special, consider the opportunity to add architectural detail.

In this family room, from the La Quinta model at Oasis at Queen Creek, ceiling choices combine to make this room extraordinary. First, the coffered ceiling style adds depth and dimension. Choosing a combination of the wall color and a crisp white add valued contrast while emphasizing the structural features.

Lighting choices also add personality. The lights ringing the inside of the ceiling drop bring a soft tone to the ceiling edge. An intriguing ceiling fan and contemporary classic chandelier finish the ceiling’s appeal.

The flooring contributes to the finished look of this room. Porcelain tile planks that mimic wood have increased in popularity lately, as it gives homeowners the chance to have the appealing look of wood with the convenience and low maintenance of tile. This tone complements the wall color well.

The warmth of the room’s color choices are echoed in the décor. Leather seating in the appealing cognac color is supported with a rich pattern and contemporary art in rusts and greens. The room’s layout and the design choices are simple yet inviting. Notice that the baseboards are also white, connecting ceiling and floor in an effective way. This choice provides a good element of contrast.

To see this room in person, stop by our Oasis at Queen Creek community and take the time to visit our models.