Tag Archives: decor tips

Kitchen/Family Room with Color

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Kitchen DSC_0324Wood cabinetry, granite countertops and tile floors limit the color options unless you are willing to commit to a strong color choice that you will have to live with for a long time. But color can come into a space like this in so many ways.

This kitchen and family room, from the Fulton Homes Cascade model, demonstrates smart ways to introduce color. Let’s take a look.

Glass cabinet displays: Glass in several upper cabinets opens up a space and adds personality. This kitchen takes advantage of the visual by displaying blue plates. Notice that the tile on the side of the island has a blue cast, and this color is carried throughout the kitchen.

Island chairs: Selecting chairs to match the cabinets would be a safe choice, but lacking in creativity. This blue leather brings the plate colors to the other side of the kitchen while the wipe off finish makes them perfect for coping with after-school snack accidents.

Accessories: Placemats, dishes and flowers pull more colors into the space. Other counter accessories and even the items above the cabinets can carry a colorful theme throughout the room.

Family and Kitchen DSC_0306 outdoor connectionFamily room coordination: The family room provides more opportunities to introduce color, and the sofa, window treatments, accessories and throw pillows echo the kitchen colors. \

These choices keep color front-and-center in this family-friendly space. Blue and rust bring the space to life. What colors would you like to see in your kitchen and family room? Whatever you choose, color will warm your home and add interest while saying welcome to you and your guests.

Your Creative Space

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Tech Center DSC_0310 sewingFulton Homes calls this space in the Cascade model a tech center, because it is ready for any and all of your electronics to be used and charged. For you, however, it can be anything you want it to be.

Do you have the time and space to be as creative as you would like to be? Do you dream of writing, quilting, designing clothes or creating your own art? The absolutely best thing about this space is your ability to make it into whatever you want.

Tucked into an appealing space all its own with two bright windows providing natural light, you can use this space to combine fabrics, weave tales, or draw illustrations. This might be just the place to start up your own business. You can use the desk to plan your future, or just pay bills. But why not take a leap in your imagination and allow yourself to stretch?

Maybe start small with a wreath that looks like summer for your front door or a yarn doll for a little girl you know. You might want to compile a family tree to share with sisters and brothers and cousins. Perhaps you have a favorite holiday and would like to make some of your own decorations. How about giving yourself permission to play and let your creativity shine?

This is your space, versatile enough to change as you do. So decorate it and use it as you will. Create a corner of your home for tomorrow’s dreams and goals.

 

 

Cook Outdoors with Barbeque Options

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Outdoor barbeque from the Fulton Homes Cascade model.

Outdoor barbeque from the Fulton Homes Cascade model.

Your outdoor entertaining options can be greatly expanded by installing a backyard kitchen with built-in grill. There’s no juggling of platters and raw versus cooked food when you have this kind of counter space.

Add a few outdoor bar chairs and you can cook and feed quite a few people right from the grill. Having the counters made from the same stone as the patio helps keep everything connected from a design standpoint.

Courtyard DSC_0301 w barbeque and fountainsThis backyard – from the Fulton Homes Cascade model – also brings in a triple fountain, creating a three-sided integrated space that is ready for a table and chairs or outdoor sofa and loveseat combo. The earth tones of the tile and coordinating stone allow you to choose from a variety of cushion colors and patterns.

A finished space such as this one makes finishing touches easier. The raised beds are ready for bedding plants – or maybe a collection of herbs could combine with tomatoes and peppers to create your own kitchen garden.

From a simple family dinner to a more elaborate entertainment for a larger group of friends, this outdoor space provides the impetus for bringing your yard into the party. With a relatively low-maintenance choice such as this one, you’ll have plenty of time to plan the perfect outdoor brunch or dinner. Just have fun and make the space your own.

Area Rugs Pull Rooms Together

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Family Room DSC_0323 area rug 3Do you find that some of your rooms feel a bit unfinished? If you’re satisfied with your furniture placement, art on your walls and accessory choices, look a little lower and see if a rug will provide the final touch.

Most interior decorators will encourage you to start with the flooring, including area rugs, but if you are already through with much of your decorating, the vast selection of colors and styles means that it’s never too late to add an area rug.

Start by taking a good look at your space. Would a darker or lighter rug fit better? What about colors? Finally, what style would fit your home’s décor the best? Could a contemporary pattern add flash to your traditional furniture selections or would a more classic choice connect everything together?

Next, go online to start visualizing some of your options. The Fulton Design Center carries Feizy area rugs – a company that has a long tradition of quality and style. They have choices in a wide range of colors and materials to fit every budget.

Be sure to bring a few photos of your room when reviewing rugs in person. It will help you understand the proportions of the design and color choices. Notice in this room from the Fulton Homes Cascade model, the rug pulls out the accent colors rather than the primary ones. This brings a rich note to the room through expanding the dark tones with just a few hints connecting to the lighter sofas.

An area rug is a worthwhile investment – one that can add to the mood and charm of your home in any room.

Don’t be afraid of color

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Loft DSC_0312 don't be afraid of colorWhen it comes to larger furniture investments, many people are hesitant to choose color, preferring instead to stick with neutrals. But color creates its own magic, as you can see with these two rooms from the Fulton Homes Cascade model.

You can bring color into a room with less committed options such as paint and pillows, but take a look at how appealing this loft room is thanks to the inviting blue on the sofas and the fun stripe on the coordinating chairs.

Color makes a space interesting. Too many neutrals and you can have a home that looks more like commercial space. Why not show off your color preferences? In this room the soft light-brown carpeting and gold walls provide the neutral tones and then the blue becomes a strong focal point rather than the television.

A red-orange ottoman pulls the pillow and throw colors into the room while the slipper chairs with their stripe play a nice supporting role. Patterns and solid fabrics play well together, creating the feel of a family-only space appealing to kids and adults alike.

Master bedroom DSC_0317 - don't be afraid of colorNot quite ready for prime-time color? How about dipping your toe into the pool with a focus wall such as the one in the photo to the right? The contrast between the light blue and the brown and rust colors from the bedding and curtains works well to keep color front-and-center in this master bedroom.

Blue and brown work well together, creating a sophisticated color palette. If you want to get started with color, you might enjoy visiting a shop that carries upholstery-weight fabric. Choose a colorful print that appeals to you and build your room around it. You may find yourself saying yes to color in your home in ways you would never have imagined.

Say Hello to Spring with Projects

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20849225_SIf you’re looking for a way to give your home a blast of spring color and mood, consider visiting Pinterest for some ideas. Our Fulton Homes Pinterest site has a board “Everything Spring.” with bunches of fun spring photos, design ideas and projects for you to bring the season into your home.

Let’s take a look at a simple and fun way to add an unexpected touch of spring to any room in your home. The photo to the left shows a flurry of paper butterflies in bright yellow. You can cut and set these up in an afternoon, and have a fun wall that says spring in no time.

For paper, visit your local scrapbooking store and investigate your choices. Or you can hit an office supply or paper store. This yellow is available in the Astrobright line of papers in standard paper weight or card stock if you want a sturdier display. You can also find a vivid pink or bright light green in this line of paper.

It looks like these butterflies were cut with a die-cut paper machine – available at hobby stores. The perfect size and shape of these butterflies makes that clear. But there’s no reason not to simply cut your own. A little variety in the look of the butterflies would add charm to the presentation. You could also add flowers and leaves in other colors. Double-sided masking tape or masking tape loops will hold the butterflies to the wall without any permanent damage. You might want to include any children in your life on the project – or just keep it to yourself and have the kids wake up to discover that spring arrived while they were sleeping.

Say Hello to Spring with Home Décor

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25712497_SDo you feel challenged making your home feel like spring without changing out the colors in your home? It doesn’t take a lot of time or money to add a splash of spring.

You can create a feeling of spring in your home simply and easily with flowers. The photo on the left shows several good options.

Forcing bulbs will create a lovely and long-lived flower arrangement. Here snowdrops and daffodils brighten up the day.

Forsythia and pussy-willow branches – cut and put in water – will bloom and last for several weeks. Although these don’t grow in the Phoenix area, a number of grocery stores and flower shops stock them this time of year.

The tulips are cut and in water. If you want to avoid drooping tulips, cut a small slit in the stem just under the flower itself with a sharp knife. By the way, tulips will continue growing after being cut, so don’t be surprised to find your flower arrangement taller than it was.

22337400_SIf you want a simpler arrangement that still adds spring charm to a room, how about the flowers on the right? Some stores sell small bunches of daffodils for less than two dollars in the spring.

By placing one or two flowers in a collection of brightly-colored vases, you can create a festive spot of spring yellow in your home. If you don’t have vases, even water glasses will work. Don’t worry about making it perfect, the flowers will carry the spring mood.

Linking Kitchen and Dining Spaces

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Kitchen20and20Nook20DSC_0244With an open floor plan it’s easy to connect with friends and family when fixing a meal. The distance to the table is short, making the transfer of food to table and dirty dishes back only a few steps.

If you have lived in a home without this kind of space, an open floor plan is a luxury indeed. But planning the décor requires attention to make the space feel unified. This Fulton Home model demonstrates how to connect the kitchen with the dining space. Let’s take a look at some of the decisions that make this space work so well.

Flooring: By staying with dark wood flooring throughout, everything feels like one room. The island provides the only break between the kitchen and dining table.

Cabinetry & Furniture: The cabinetry in the kitchen and the dining table and chairs coordinate in wood tone. Another connection comes when the chairs at the island sport the same design as the dining chairs. This keeps the one-room feeling intact.

Lighting: Although the pendant lighting above the island has a different function than the chandelier in the dining area, the glass globes are the same shape and both have the same brass finish. They are from the same family of lighting fixtures and they help integrate the space beautifully.

Accessories & Colors: The dishes, flowers and kitchen décor mirror the dining table’s tablescape. This causes your eyes to travel freely around the entire space without a pause. A difference in color or style from kitchen to dining room could create a jarring interruption.

If you are moving to a home with an open floor plan for the first time, be sure to factor the need to integrate several spaces into your design and décor plans.

Sofa/Coffee Table Alternative

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Loft in the Fulton Homes Daylight Model

Loft in the Fulton Homes Daylight Model

Most people would be inclined to put a sofa in this cozy loft space. But if you think just a little outside the box, you might make other choices.

Is this space a family TV area or a nook for mom and dad to watch a little late-night news or a talk show after the kids are in bed? Or maybe it’s just the two of you, or just yourself with a habit of taking a break in front of the television.

Instead of a sofa, consider the comfort of a couple of chairs and ottomans. These chairs, although armless, are cushy enough to sink into. Choosing two smaller ottomans rather than the traditional coffee table allows each person to create their own space. One might turn over the top cushion to use the tray underneath for a snack. The storage in each ottoman provides the opportunity to tuck away a good book, reading glasses, and even the remote.

Anyone who loves to sew, crochet or knit in front of the TV will appreciate that storage space, making it easy to place projects out of sight when not actively working on them. This is particularly useful if you’re working on surprise gifts for family members.

The ottomans are light enough to move around as you choose, and the cushion on the top creates additional seating for occasional extra viewers. Add in a few floor pillows and the whole family could curl up to watch something special on a Saturday night.

So don’t jump into a sofa purchase immediately to fill up a space like this. Consider the flexibility and comfort of chairs and ottomans instead. They make a room seem larger while still supporting all of your plans for the space.

Dining Room with Drama

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From Fulton Homes Daylight Model

From Fulton Homes Daylight Model

What makes this dining space special? A sense of drama captures the eye and invites you to have a seat and a meal. Let’s take a look at why.

Color: The walls have a rich tone that is darker than expected, creating a sense of intimacy. The leather-colored flooring echoes that warmth.

The artwork and tablescape complement each other – with rich red and dark olive green combined with a sunny gold. Brown links it all together, with the furniture, chandelier and art all showing a brown base color.

Comfort: The chairs are built for comfort with backs that slope and cushioned seats. If you want a lively dining experience with people lingering over their meals, be sure to select dining chairs that will be comfortable for several hours. Don’t be seduced into uncomfortable chairs by a certain look or style.

The lighting also makes the space feel inviting. Having the shades facing up makes the room bright enough without any glare. The slight amber tone also warms the space, helping to relax the environment.

Style: Everything in this room is consistent in flavor. The feel is sophisticated Mediterranean, building the expectation of a meal that starts with bruschetta and ends with a bowl of fruit, with pasta and maybe fish in the middle. Imagine the hostess removing the flower arrangement from the center of the table, replacing it with a large bowl of tossed salad and a basket of bread still warm from the oven.

Cloth napkins with napkin rings, the dark red chargers under the white plates – food always looks better on a white plate – and the simple ceramic apples at each dish promise a meal to remember. This room is set up in anticipation of a lovely meal with congenial company, and it invites you to sit down and enjoy it all.