Some Fulton Homes Design Online Kitchen Options

timberlake bobbys kitchenWhat do you want in your kitchen? It’s an amazing experience to select just the right cabinets, appliances and countertops to make up the perfect kitchen for you.

You can start making choices in these areas with the Fulton Homes Design Online program, and it’s worthwhile to take the time to investigate the rich selection of special features you can add to make your kitchen work particularly well for you. Here are a few options you may not have considered.

77ef275d-fa35-4b83-9da1-e6712804c55dA warming drawer: Do you have trouble getting everything ready at the same time, or do you find yourself rushing through the cooking in the kitchen when you have guests and would rather spend time with them?

A warming drawer can help you coordinate your food by keeping it ready at just the right temperature until you’re ready to serve it. From a roast that needs to rest before you cut into it to keeping stacks of pancakes warm and ready to serve for a full family weekend breakfast, a warming drawer is a wonderful addition to your kitchen toolset. Check for warming drawers under appliances.

1336598b-3d87-44f7-9689-4fd16992f608Dark Kitchen Outlet Trim: This electrical option allows you to select dark outlet and switch plates to coordinate with any dark tile or other wall coverings.

f2c7fb11-b4ec-4ceb-a976-61af9152ef47The SinkTop Switch: This provides a convenient alternative to the standard garbage disposal switch. It is air- activated and easily mounts to the sink or countertop. It is perfect for island installations. You can choose from four different finishes – Chrome, Satin Nickel, Oil Rubbed Bronze or Matte Black – depending upon what works best for your kitchen.

There are so many more choices to explore for your kitchen. Take a peek at the Fulton Homes Online Design options to create the kitchen that will work perfectly for you.

 

Exploring Fulton Homes Design Online

Envision_HomeThere are so many wonderful choices to make when you’re planning your new Fulton home. And there are many ways to approach learning about and determining which options suit you. The models are a great place to start. Take the time to visit a number of models to see various choices in person. Don’t hesitate to take notes on your favorites.

Of course, the Fulton Homes Design Center is set up to help you review and make your selections. In addition to your personal design appointment time, weekly browse nights give you the opportunity to take a look at all of the choices available for you.

Fulton Home’s Design Online lets you review options and make some preliminary decisions using your computer. It’s easy to log on to your own personal design planning space. Start by reviewing the design library which provides blogs that give advice on making decisions, and be sure to take the time to review the included features. You may be surprised at how much is included with your home purchase.

Then move on to the Wishlist. This covers every category of home option, from structural and electrical decisions to design elements such as flooring, cabinets and countertops. Create your Wishlist and you will have a head start when you visit the Fulton Homes Design Center.

Browsing this “virtual” design center online is a fun and intriguing part of planning your new Fulton home. We look forward to helping you make your Fulton home as special as you are.

Decorating with Your Style

12221608_SIf you want to determine your style, start with looking in the mirror. How do you wear your hair? What types of clothes do you like, casual or dressy? Do you tend to wear colors or neutrals?

You choose your personal style to represent who you really are. You may find yourself drawn to retro sundresses in bright cottons, or a simple silk shell and pencil skirt. For a man, would you feel more comfortable in polo shirts and khakis or a t-shirt and jeans? Evaluating your style is a good first step when planning your home, since your taste should be just as reflected in your surroundings as it is in your wardrobe. This woman demonstrates a classic retro-40s look, with high-fashion hat and gloves and a classic black and white dress. Luxury and careful planning also show in everything about this woman’s look. So, let’s determine what sort of space would suit her style.

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How about this room? Black and white starts the look, but it’s the style of the room that mirrors this woman. Notice the black chandelier. It’s classic, but the black updates the fixture and adds an unexpected level of sophistication.

The rug picks up the blond hair and the light flooring provides contrast with the white/ivory upholstered furniture. If this woman walked into this room, she would have just the right look for it.

Does your living room reflect your personal style? Remember that a home that matches your style comfort zone is a home that will make you happy.

 

Decorating with Your Imagination

7413509_SSo… you want to create a room that captures the imagination, with an element/elephant or two to catch the eye. Let’s make it happen.

Does the room have a natural focal point? It might be a fireplace, a view through a window, or sometimes even something like a flat-screen television. (A tip here, don’t let it be a flat-screen television if you want people to do something in the room besides watch television.)

OK – let’s assume the answer to the focal point issue is no, or not really, or I don’t think so. Now it’s your job to create a focal point – something that draws attention immediately upon entering the room. You want something too big, too bold, too there, to ignore. Here’s the first quiz: What is the focal point in this room?

Got it in one! Now, how can you make sure your spark of imagination is just as emphasized in your own home? Think big, think colorful, think dramatic, think unusual. If you decide to be conservative here, you’re going to end up with a “sort-of” focal point. Imagine moving the elephant into the next room and replacing him with the plant on the left. You’re simply asking more of the poor plant than it can manage. The elephant, on the other hand, naturally draws attention.

The final piece – create a room that draws people to the focal point rather than distracting away from it. Too many colors, three or four elephants, or even one additional animal such as a monkey, and your focal point would almost disappear into the wall. And if you’ve taken the time and trouble to introduce an elephant into your décor, you shouldn’t waste him on a room that is too busy to show him off properly.

Any questions?

Fulton Home’s Super Browse Night & Bertazzoni: Italian Passion and Precision

Bertazzoni factory This Thursday night May 16, join us for the Fulton Homes’ Super Browse night, with two great sponsors: Bertazzoni appliances and Poco Verde Landscape.

Spend the evening at the Fulton Homes’ Design Center, explore all of the incredible home options available, and enter for a chance at an iPad Mini.

Thursday offers a great opportunity to learn more about Bertazzoni, combining a passion for cooking at its best with a strong focus on engineering excellence. The family-owned and run business started in the late 19th century and has grown steadily due to their well-designed and crafted equipment made for the serious home cook.

Paolo-Elizabetta BertazzoniPaolo Bertazzoni and his sister Elizabetta are the newest generation to take responsibility for carrying on the family tradition. Under their lead, top Milan designers were brought in to polish the look of their appliances to the height of Italian elegance and finesse.

KBIS-Best-in-ShowWith a worldwide market, Bertazzoni brought its line of kitchen appliances to the United States in 2005, and Fulton Homes is proud to include them as valued options for your kitchen.

Take the time during our Super Browse Night on Thursday from 5:00-8:00 p.m. to learn more about Bertazzoni’s exceptional line of kitchen appliances such as the award-winning segmented cooktop shown on the right. We’d like to thank Bertazzoni for sponsoring Super Browse Night this Thursday and providing the images in this post.

Design around your Goals

6026644_SWant to stay in shape? Dream of writing a novel? Looking to walk away from the donuts and eat more healthfully? You’re more likely to reach your goals if you design your home with those goals in mind.

An extra bedroom could become your home gym. Try out various pieces of gym equipment to help you select what you will enjoy using. Add a small television and DVD player to play exercise videos and vary your routine. Put your scale and a measuring tape in the room and maybe a calendar where you can record your progress. If you don’t have a spare bedroom, consider a corner of your family room or bedroom.

Even without a home office, you can choose a place to keep your laptop available for writing projects. Choose a spot in your kitchen or bedroom to set up a writing space. Plan your novel using post-it notes on any large expanse of wall – writing plot points on each note and arranging them in the order that works for you.

10711425_SStudies show that people are much more successful at reaching their goals if they are written down. Do you have a spot in your home that you walk past every morning? How about putting together a list of your top three goals and posting them so you see them every day?

Are there any special images or symbols that will help you keep reaching for your goals? How about a photo of a time when you were in great shape, or a sample of your last successful project? You can create your own “trophy case of the future,” by setting up a spot with reminders that keep you focused on everything that you want to accomplish.

Design Center Basics: Have Fun!

Design 20Center 20023 designerOne of the best parts of buying a Fulton Home is selecting your options at the Fulton Home Design Center. You have the opportunity to work with a skilled designer to choose your kitchen, bathroom and flooring, making your home uniquely yours.

At first, choosing may seem overwhelming, but if you did your homework before your appointment (see the two blog posts for earlier this week) this can be a truly enjoyable experience.

Design 20Center 20059 carpetingVisiting the Design Center can feel like walking into the HGTV studios. Fulton has pre-selected suppliers and products that are reliable and provide a rich selection of styles to individualize your home. For example, look at the carpeting options available. Take your time to enjoy the various textures and tones.

One of the best features of the Fulton Homes Design Center is the well-trained and savvy designers who will work with you to help make just the right selections. Years of experience working with homebuyers to help create lovely homes provide every designer with the skills to give valuable insights and support as you make your home your own.

Whether your taste is contemporary or traditional, you’ll find the right choices of cabinetry, countertops, lighting and more. Take the time to investigate the kitchen vignettes. They may help you determine whether you want light or dark cabinetry, how much contrast you want in your kitchen and any specific color choices.

Everyone at Fulton Homes wants you to enjoy your time at the Design Center, so relax and take full advantage of this opportunity to make your home as special as you and your family are.

Design Center Basics: Browse Power

Design20Center20078 fulton lobby - receptionistWhen you’re selecting options for your new Fulton Home, one of the best tools you have is the Fulton Home Design Center browse night. Once a week, you can visit the design center at your leisure and look at all of your home choices. Designers and other staff are on hand to answer any questions.

Browse nights are aptly named. You can take your time and sift through the choices for cabinets, flooring and other options without having to make any final decisions. If you really use the browse nights well, you may have most of your options selected before your appointment. This will allow you to take the time you need to review those choices that are harder for you to make.

Browse nights are particularly useful if you and your spouse have differing tastes. The two of you can work out compromises that you both can live happily with, and check out those options you liked online in person. This is also a good chance to see how your cabinets fit with your choice of countertops, backsplash and flooring. You may be surprised to discover that a countertop you hadn’t even considered is just the right choice.

Consider browse nights as a chance to explore all of the amazing options the Fulton Design Center offers with no need to make any permanent decisions. It’s a casual and comfortable place filled with people who want to help you make your home perfect for you. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity.

Design Center Basics: Planning Ahead

Design20Center 20077 built insAll of the options and choices available at the Fulton Homes Design Center can be exciting and a bit overwhelming. You can make the process more fun and productive if you do a little planning ahead of time. Here are a few suggestions.

Visit the models: The Design Center has a number of vignettes to provide ideas, but there is a wealth of options visible in the models, and positioned within a home. From cabinets and countertops to faucets and built-ins, models are a wonderful resource. Spend some time and take notes of what you like in each model. You may even want to take pictures of those choices you particularly like. Bring this with you to your Design Center appointment to help your designer understand your taste and preferences.

Take advantage of browse nights: These provide time for you to look at everything available and make some preliminary choices. Designers are there to answer questions and educate you on various choices.

Visit the Design Center section on the Fulton website: You can pre-design your kitchen and review many of your options. This gives you a chance to experiment with various combinations of cabinets, countertops and flooring at your leisure.

Keep an open mind: While it’s good to get a feeling for your preferences, you may discover something at the Design Center that captures you unexpectedly. There are some amazing choices, and the designers are experts at helping you make combinations that you will love to live with for years.

The more you plan ahead, the more time you will have to make any tougher decisions – and totally enjoy the rich variety of choices that await you when you visit Fulton Home’s Design Center.

Help your Child Redecorate

6607525_SAs your children grow, it’s up to you as a parent to give them opportunities to make decisions. One great way to expand the thinking of a child is to involve them in redecorating their bedroom. You can include budgeting, planning, prioritizing, space planning and combining function with style. Here are a few steps to get you started.

Set a budget: How much money is available for the remodel? Before you and your child make a plan, it’s important to determine the amount that can be spent.

Make a plan: Will you be buying furniture? What about new window treatments? Balancing the budget against the desired changes can help your child determine what goals are most important.

There may also be problem-solving opportunities. For example, if your child would like to replace flooring but the budget won’t cover it, how about an area rug instead? Furniture could be repainted rather than replaced. Using graph paper, draw the furniture layout for the room. Using a tape measure and laying out a room is a great way to show your child how math can have real-world value.

Negotiate: This process also provides an opportunity to negotiate with your child. Would you be willing to up the budget if the child gave up presents for an upcoming birthday? Can he or she grab the desk from the basement to make a homework station in his or her room?

Set a schedule: When you’re redecorating, what needs to be done first? With your child, set up a reasonable schedule for selecting and installing the new look. If you have more than one child, you may want to stagger the remodels so that you are not overwhelmed.

Make it fun: Yes, this is a learning experience, but it’s also a real treat. Look for ways to make the process enjoyable rather than stressful. Mistakes will probably happen, but that’s part of making changes in your personal space.