Tag Archives: Cooley Station

Inviting Space for Family to Gather

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inviting-space-for-family-to-gatherwWhen you’re choosing your next home, be sure to look at more than room size, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and the amount of storage. Take the time to think about how you and your family will really use the home.

Do some members of your family work from home or have demanding school requirements? Then be sure that you have planned for space that allows them to work or study quietly with minimal distractions. Do you and your spouse enjoy having a cup of coffee together in the morning to discuss the day’s plans or maybe a quiet conversation in the evening to relax before getting ready for bed? You may want to take the time to scope out where you can comfortably have that rendezvous.

And if your family values its together times around meals, this kitchen and dining area may be ideal for you. With island seating for quick short-order-cook breakfasts and a roomy table near the kitchen for full-scale family-style dining, this space is suited to whatever meal patterns your family finds comfortable.

Does everyone gather, working together to get dinner ready? There’s plenty of room and counter space for lots of helpers. Maybe some of the younger ones are up for after-school snacks. That island is the perfect place to munch while sharing highlights of the day with other family members.

There’s plenty of space, plenty of light and plenty of seating for everyday eating and larger holiday events. How about staging a buffet on that lovely island? Take a closer look at this kitchen, designed with socializing in mind, at Fulton Home’s Cooley Station community.

View from a Kitchen

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view-from-kitchenwIf you are someone who wants to eat healthfully, and your family to eat healthfully, unless you can afford a personal chef chances are you spend a lot of time in your kitchen. Whether you are one of those well-organized cooks who plan ahead and spend the weekend cooking and freezing meals for easy warming up during the week or if you’re inclined to throw together a salad at the end of a long day, your kitchen often becomes the place where you spend much of your family time.

So when you choose your next home, be sure to consider what you will be seeing when you spend time in your kitchen. First, is the kitchen itself appealing? Will the cabinets make you smile when you open them? Will the countertop you chose feel nice under your hands when you set out your ingredients? Do you like your faucet handle? Will your refrigerator and freezer be large enough to hold what you need it to? What extra features such as under-cabinet lighting would make your work go smoother?

Next, stand in that future kitchen and look out. How do you like the view? We think this view is pretty nice. You may see your kids doing homework at the dinner table or your spouse reading the paper, or even better helping with the dishes. You may be alone in your home and just find enjoying the view out your back doors, or appreciating how your furniture suits your new dining and family room.

When you’re choosing your next home, take a few minutes when walking through our models like this one at Cooley Station to savor the views from various locations, because they will be a big part of your life once you move into your new Fulton Home.

Hang Out in this Kitchen

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One advantage to an open living space is the opportunity it gives you to spend time as a family. This cozy kitchen from the Capital model at Seaboard in Cooley Station is well set up for chatting with family and friends while cooking.

The island has plenty of room for a couple of kids to sit at the end and talk over their day while munching on an after-school snack. No worries about their tendency to kick into the island base with a tile background that is sturdy enough to take a licking from a shoe or two. And at the same time, that mosaic adds a splash of style to the entire space and links the island to the backsplash.

The granite countertop certainly has an edge that looks made for leaning against if you have party guests who are noshing on your appetizer assortment while catching up with you and each other. Just add a couple of trays of cheese and crackers, maybe a little fruit, and you’re all ready for company in this kitchen. The pendant lights add style and ambience while being set high enough not to interfere with conversations.

And if you have a surprise dessert, how about just tucking it in that pantry of yours? After dinner you can sneak in there and pull out your masterpiece, hidden until you want it to appear. By the way, the pantry is also a perfect place to hide all the containers from the other food that you don’t want visible to visitors.

Finishing an Empty Space

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finishing-an-empty-spacewWhen you move into a new home, you may find that there are walls or corners in a room or at the end of a hallway that feel empty. Take advantage of those spaces to create a mood that matches your personal style.

Maybe you have a yearning for retro furniture and accessories. Or possibly there’s a secret ultra-feminine girly girl inside you that would love to hang a wreath of dried flowers and stack antique hatboxes on a spindle-leg table. Or you may go in totally the opposite direction with a contemporary sculpture sitting on a sleek mirrored dresser. This photo shows one interesting choice from the Capital model at Seaboard in Cooley Station. Let’s take a look at the design decisions made here.

Dresser: This piece of furniture might have been used in a family bedroom once upon a time and is no longer needed. Or it could have been purchased at a consignment store. The finish might be original, but if you found a piece and liked the lines it wouldn’t be difficult to refinish or paint something like this. Another option would be to decoupage the front of the drawers with old maps, flower plates or other images. It’s also easy to change out hardware to get just the look you want.

Mirror: A mirror is always a good choice when finishing up an extra space. Everyone appreciates the chance to make sure they are looking their best, and mirrors add light and space to every room. This mirror has extra interest thanks to the framing. It has the appearance of an oriel window, which makes it inviting and worth an extra look.

Accessories: Chances are you have some extra items that you would like to display. Look for a mix of heights, colors and textures that will suit the space.

Finally, consider all the extra storage you’re giving yourself with those drawers. That might be the perfect place to store table linens, extra towels or out-of-season sweaters. We can all use extra storage. Above all, have fun with these surprising spaces and make them your own.

Game Room Ready

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game-room-readywIf you have the study option in your new Fulton Home and don’t really want to use the space that way, here’s a smart alternative, shown in this room from the Capital model at Seaboard in Cooley Station. Create a game room for your family and friends. With a game table in the center and a bookshelf to hold your family’s favorite board or card games, you’re ready for fun anytime.

More and more, people are choosing to unplug in the evening and spend time playing games as a family or with friends rather than watching television. This table is ideal for bridge or other four-person games. If you want to add more people, choose a table that expands when you want it to.

The design choices in this room suit the game-playing mood. The open shelving allows the board games to play an accessory role. The artwork has a playful ambience. Houseplants scattered around the room add warmth. Even the ceiling fan has a game-like style. When designing a game room, why not let the personality of the space reflect its function?

Tucked away from the main living space, this game room is ideal for ongoing Monopoly tournaments or a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle that will take more than one evening to finish.

To see this room in person, why not come down to Cooley Station and check out this model and all of our others? We’d love to see you there.

Finishing Touches Make Bathroom Special

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finishing-touches-make-bathroom-specialwWhat takes a bathroom beyond its function and makes it special? This bathroom from the Capital model at Seaboard in Cooley Station has elements that make it more luxurious and enjoyable to spend time in. Let’s see why.

Interesting flooring: By their nature, bathrooms tend to be the smallest rooms in a home, which means that your design options are more limited. However it also means that you can splurge a bit on options such as flooring because there isn’t as much square footage to cover. This floor is both interesting and unusual. It has the look of rounded river rocks cut flush to make up the floor. The same stone is used for the sink’s backsplash.

By choosing this as both floor and backsplash, this has become the bathroom’s primary design element. The look takes this bathroom out of the ordinary without making its design too confusing for a smaller space.

Mirror frame: Fulton Homes offers this in its bathrooms, and the option makes the mirrors feel more finished. It adds a touch of sophistication and upgrades the feel of the space. Notice that the mirror choice doesn’t match the cabinets. Instead the dark tone provides a welcome contrasting element.

Accessories: The flooring and backsplash send a back-to-nature message, and the accessories support that. The earth-tones of the towels and the flowers at one end keep up the nature theme.

When you’re designing your home’s bathrooms, take the time to make each one a unique and special reflection of your taste and style. Remember that nice things come in small packages.

What do you want your eating counter to look like?

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what-do-you-want-your-eating-counter-to-look-likewWhen you’re planning your kitchen, take some time to determine whether you want to include an eating counter like this one. There are some decisions to make if you decide a counter is for you, so let’s take a look at the things you may want to consider.

Counter depth: Your Fulton design-center designer can show you examples of standard counter depths. Don’t short-change your counter. You may find that this space becomes more than a snack area. It may be the choice location for your kids to do their homework or your prime appetizer spot when you have people over for dinner.

Counter edge: If you will have people leaning over the counter, make sure the edge will be comfortable. Some of the edges are fun and interesting, but not as easy on the stomach over time as your kids bend over it while munching on breakfast or a snack.

Stool height: Counters and stools come in all sorts of heights. Make sure you know how high your counter will be so that you select stools that will fit your counter well. Too high or too low and your guests will not be comfortable.

Design features: This under-counter area coordinates with the cabinetry. Other islands may have tile under the counter. Think about whether you will have kicking kids sitting at the counter or more well-behaved adults when choosing your materials. This counter also adds a bit of splash with two columns, giving a bit of extra personality to the kitchen. Check with your designer to see all of your column and other kitchen counter options.

Urban Industrial Features Sharpen Kitchen’s Look

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urban-industrial-touches-sharpen-kitchen's-lookwIf you want a kitchen with traditional styling but would like to add a bit of an edge, consider including a few urban industrial touches. This kitchen ups its look with just a couple of smart additions that fit the profile of today’s urban look. Let’s see what choices give this kitchen the flair of a city loft.

Subway tile: This is always as sophisticated option. Subway tile has a smart yet retro look that creates the mood of another time while standing out front in terms of style. This soft subtle cream-toned glaze doesn’t take over the space yet certainly adds life to the look of this kitchen.

Oversize pendants: You could imagine these pendants hanging over an old-style factory or shop in New York or Chicago at the turn of the Century – the one before this last one. The dark trim and speckled glass combine with the industrial shape and size to stretch the boundaries of this kitchen’s look. They add just the right touch of yesterday to the kitchen’s design.

Sleek stainless vent hood: The clean lines of this hood would work in a commercial kitchen and they add a touch of industrial style to this one. Sitting atop the subway tiles, the look would be believable in a restaurant hideaway in lower Manhattan, but it’s in your kitchen instead. Nice.

When you plan your kitchen, why not step just a bit away from the traditional? Add a few urban industrial elements and make your kitchen’s design just that much more daring and unique.

Smart Lighting for Smart-Looking Kitchen

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smart-lighting-for-smart-looking-kitchenwIf you want to add just one touch to make your kitchen stand out from the ordinary, consider unique pendant lighting. Positioned over the island that separates the kitchen from the eating area or family room, an island quickly becomes a focal point in your home. Selecting pendant lights like these makes your island capture attention.

The brushed nickel finish works well with the stainless appliances and sink, and the nickel faucet fits too. The kitchen’s fixtures, appliances and other stainless elements are a nice mix of straight and curvy lines. Notice how the appliance handles have soft curves along with the faucet, but the sink itself is a sharp rectangle.

These pendants almost look retro with the fin design, yet the finish and the light itself definitely put it in this century. In addition to the interesting shape and characteristics, it’s also a good source of light, covering the island well and evenly.

This kitchen has several nice light sources including can lights distributed across the ceiling. There is also task lighting set under the cabinets – handy when doing close work on the countertop. But there’s no denying that what catches the eye are the pendants.

Would you like to check this lighting out – along with this kitchen – in person? How about visiting our newest community, Seaboard at Cooley Station? We look forward to seeing you there.

Add Modern Luxury to Master Bedroom

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Master-BedroomwWhat can you do to make your master bedroom feel special and luxurious while still keeping a contemporary look? Here are a few suggestions to do just that, from this master in one of the Seaboard models at Cooley Station.

Dark colors: The rich dark brown wall behind the bed creates an immediate feeling of luxury. Darker colors are richer colors, and this tone strikes a feeling of bronze. The dark wood nightstands and pot as well as the lamp bases continue the dark tones.

Luxury bedding: With the European shams, two-color duvet cover with shams in a reverse color mix, and a generous number of pillows, the bedding says luxury. Making your bed look like someplace you want to land at the end of a long day is a great way to add a feeling of spoiling yourself to your bedroom.

Large-scale artwork: By positioning the large ocean-scape over the bed, it substitutes for a headboard. The blue tones work well with the dark brown wall to build almost a gallery feeling. This simple approach to art brings in a sense of luxury.

Unique ceiling fan: Investing in a ceiling fan that stands out from the norm turns a typical piece into a more sculptural light element. It makes a statement in the room.

Square shades on the table lamps: Once again, a non-standard choice makes the lamps stand out, giving them a decorator feel.

These elements turn a simple bedroom into something special – a hideaway designed for you to escape, relax, and prepare to face another day awake and refreshed from your moment of luxury.