Tag Archives: fulton homes

Home Tech Center Keeps Life Organized

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Fulton Homes Starlight Model

As we become more and more connected to the outside world through numerous devices, our homes need to make adjustments to fill the requirements of today’s lifestyle.

In many homes, the opportunity to charge phones, tablets and laptops requires a shuffling of electrical outlets while ensuring that the morning rush doesn’t lead to leaving the essential communication tools at home.

At the same time, managing a home and family becomes easier if the home itself provides support for coordinating everyone’s briefcases, homework, and electronics.

Take a look at the Fulton Homes solution – a tech center that provides space to charge electronics, room for book bags and notebooks, and a center for other home administrative tasks.

All this space needs is a laptop to support online bill paying, homework Internet research, space for books and school projects, and a staging center for getting everyone out the door in the morning with a minimum of frustration and fewer searches for lost keys or other essentials.

Without a center like this, the kitchen often becomes the default center for the odds and ends of our to-and-fro lives. Mixing papers and books with breakfast can lead to spills and too many items unthinkingly moved out of sight in the energy of getting dinner or breakfast ready. With this tech-rich drop center, everyone can have the space to keep track of their own materials.

Consider adding an in-basket for every family member so that mail, homework assignments and other personal papers are contained in one place. Add a family calendar on the wall so everyone knows where they are supposed to be on any given day. Or make sure that everyone has their own drawer and files so that things can stay organized thanks to an organized space to work with in the home.

Coordinating an Open Floor Plan – Family Room and Office

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Fulton Homes Starlight Model

An open floor plan makes any home feel more spacious and interesting. Every step opens up a new view of living areas – kitchen, dining, family room and even office.

The office space in this home – the Fulton Homes Starlight model – demonstrates the appeal of an office or den that is open to the family room. the wall openings support a separate living area while still making the office feel part of the greater whole.

Decorating the office and family room to ensure that the spaces are seen as separate but still coordinated requires some planning. Here are some décor choices that make these spaces work well together.

Coordinating color-schemes: Neutrals pair well with black, red and a soft green to build a common theme of colors without too much repetition. The green chair in the office picks up the color of the family room throw pillows while the patterned fabric appears on the office valance and the other sofa throw pillows. Notice that the rug also carries those colors through to the family room.

Lighting: Both rooms have matching ceiling fans, but the real connection comes from the table and floor lamps. The unusual sloping square lampshades in a natural cream tone carry from one room to the next – providing nice focused light while marrying the style of the two rooms together.

Furniture tone: Both rooms feature dark wood – a good choice with the wall and furniture colors. The wood floor mirrors this tone, creating a unified whole. This level of thought and coordination takes full advantage of all the plusses of an open floor plan – maximizing comfort and style.

Ceiling Fans

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Fulton Ceiling FansQuite possibly the smartest decision you may make when determining options for your Fulton Home is having ceiling fans installed throughout. In the summer they make a home feel comfortable at higher temperatures, allowing you to save energy every month. Even in the winter they can bring warm air down to a lower level and give you a chance to pull in more fresh air on those days when you want your windows open.

Years ago, ceiling fans were more utilitarian than attractive, but that has changed. Today’s ceiling fans come in a nice selection of styles that meld with virtually any décor. They can also be positioned right against the ceiling or hung down to a more functional height with an rod that coordinates with the fan’s look.

If you haven’t experienced a ceiling fan overhead when working in your home office or sleeping, you will be surprised at how unobtrusive the air movement is. At the lowest level a ceiling fan provides a gentle breeze that doesn’t disturb papers or flutter drapes. At full power, it can cool you faster than anything other than a dip in a pool when you get home on a hot summer day.

Ceiling fans also provide a helpful solution for families with different temperature preferences. If a warm body marries someone who is always cold, the thermostat can become a battleground. On the other hand, several judiciously-placed ceiling fans allow a warmer climate for the easily chilled while properly cooling the toaster-folks in the family.

Be sure to check out the selection of ceiling fans when you visit the lighting section of the Fulton Design Center.

Fulton Boys & Girls Holiday Toy Drive

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kez fulton holiday driveFor the patients at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, holidays are hard rather than happy. Fulton Homes teamed with 99.9KEZ to provide books and toys to children who face a hospital stay during the holiday season.

There’s something special about receiving an unexpected present, and these surprises can help make a difficult holiday more festive and exciting. Parents also appreciate the attention and positive experience these gifts give their children.

For many of these children, the ability to forget their pain and discomfort for a while in reading a new book or playing with a new toy is the best present they could receive.

“This program is a way for Fulton Homes to bring smiles of joy to the boys and girls at Phoenix Children’s Hospital,” Doug Fulton, Fulton Homes CEO, said. “We are happy to team up with KEZ to bring these wonderful and courageous children the books and toys they need.”

Before Christmas, the books and toys will be distributed to the children in the Emily Center at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

The Books and Toys for Girls and Boys Holiday Drive is another in a series of programs which include the Fulton Homes Noon Salute, Character Counts, Teacher of the Week and Fence Patrol. For more on this and other programs, visit our website.

Fulton Homes wants to thank all of those who contributed to this important toy and book drive. Yes, we’re proud to build, and we’re also proud and pleased to support those children in our community who are facing a challenging time and can use a bit of a boost this holiday season.

Choosing your Fulton Home gas fireplace

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Gas Fireplace Design Center 040As the temperatures hover around freezing at night, this time of the year begs for a fireplace. With the Fulton Homes gas fireplace option, you receive the charm and warmth of a fireplace without the headaches of buying wood, cleaning out ashes, and managing the burning process. You also have the advantage of having a fire even on smokeless days in the Phoenix area when the weather begs for one.

A fireplace provides a natural focal point to a living or family room. People are automatically drawn to a hearth, just as fireplaces in years past provided the center of a home for families to gather together for warmth in the days before central heating.

Today’s fireplaces can bow to tradition or make a more modern statement, keeping in tune with your personal style. Let’s take a look at what makes this fireplace special.

Stonework: Using stone or tile to outline your fireplace and define your mantel makes your fireplace uniquely yours. The choice of the tile design for the mantel can be paired with the same look in your kitchen backsplash to help link your kitchen with your great room space. Notice how the stone shines in the light – the fireplace’s flames will be mirrored on that inviting hearth.

Shelving: Adding the matching shelves on either side of the fireplace itself enlarges the influence of this focal point in your home while allowing you to showcase some treasured accessories. The mantel also provides enough depth to provide the opportunity to display select items that fit your fireplace’s profile.

Lighting: Candle sconces to either side of the mounted television and lights shining down on the shelves provide a nice ambient brightness without overwhelming the space. Once again, the sconces can be selected to match your kitchen and dining light fixtures, helping to integrate the style in every part of your home.

Whether warming your home in winter or adding charm to your family room in the summer, a gas fireplace is a simple way to help create a welcoming feel to your home for family and friends.

Choosing the front door for your Fulton Home

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Door DisplayDesign Center 046We all know the saying, “It’s the first impression that counts,” and Fulton Homes is giving you the opportunity to create a terrific first impression for visitors to your home. With an amazing variety of styles, wood tones or even color, the Fulton Design Center can create the entry look you dream about.

Do you want a traditional door with the strong detailing that comes through as a powerful entrance with an established presence? Take a look at the door to the right in the photo above. With its deeply-grooved panels and oak grain, this door looks as though it’s been around for generations. The old-fashioned brass door handle also conveys this feeling.

Maybe you’re looking for something a little more rustic. Take a look at the door in the center of the photo. The sturdy wrought-iron door handle with its squared-off style fits a more hand-hewn rustic mood.

Then take a look at the lighter-hued door between the other two. With its bead board styling and curved top, this door suits a more casual country feeling. The soft wheat color fits the style, creating an inviting feeling before people even step inside the house.

Your front door introduces visitors to your home. Fulton Homes understands the importance of that first impression, and your selection options for your home’s entry door demonstrate that. When you take the time to find just the right look for your style, your front door will say “Welcome” to every friend and family member.

Choosing the Kitchen Faucet for your Fulton Home

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Fuacets Design Center 022We use faucets every day but don’t really think about them. However, when you walk into the Fulton Design Center to select your kitchen faucet, it pays to consider what you want in terms of both function and style.

Take a look at the faucet selected for the kitchen above. It’s a simple style that would work well in a traditional and a more eclectic kitchen design. The polished nickel finish works beautifully with the stainless appliances while showing fewer water spots than chrome.

Notice the high profile of this faucet. This provides room underneath to easily fill large pots and pitchers. The handle is ergonomically sound. The lever style makes it easy to control with one hand. It also has a pull down sprayer that’s incorporated into the faucet itself rather than set separately. Many of today’s faucets are designed this way.

Some faucets offer water patterns that range from a standard flow to a strong spray designed for rinsing fruits, vegetables or dishes. Many cooks find that they really appreciate the spray option. While you’re selecting your kitchen faucet, you may want to add one or more built-in soap dispensers. It’s tidy and convenient to have easy built-in access to both hand and dish soap without having to pull a container out from under the sink.

Finally, if you’re creating a kitchen with an old-fashioned country look, be sure to take a peek at the pump-style kitchen faucet. It has all the functionality of the modern faucet, while showing a style and finish that makes it feel like it came from your great-grandparents’ time.

You’ll enjoy checking out all of the choices available to you for your kitchen faucet in your new Fulton Home.

Exploring the Fulton Design Center: Kitchen Counters

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Design Center 018In our last Fulton Design Center blog, we recommended starting your kitchen design plan by choosing your cabinets. The next decision is countertops. Do you want granite? The look and feel of real stone is dramatic, and it seems that everyone’s dream kitchen includes granite countertops.

Fulton offers a wealth of granite choices, along with the option to pick out your slab, which helps to ensure that you are happy with your selection. Certainly granite adds to a kitchen. Take a look at the strong personality of the granite in this kitchen. It picks up the warm tones from the cabinets but also adds some cooler colors to connect the cabinets with the stainless appliances. This countertop choice truly pulls the kitchen together.Granite Design Center 015

Large slabs of the most popular granite options allow you to really see and appreciate impact of each stone. And with today’s sealed granite, it no longer requires the repeated treatment that was common not so many years ago.

Although you may be captured by this countertop option, take the time to look at some of the other choices. Quartz and other countertop materials may suit your taste more than granite. It pays to at least consider other countertops.

One final tip when making your selection: remember to create contrast in your kitchen. If your cabinets are dark, a lighter countertop can build a well-defined distinction between various aspects of your kitchen. Decide if you want your counters to add a strong personality or subtly blend into the background.

Will your kitchen be an adventure or a refuge? Your countertop choice helps contribute to the mood and feel of your final kitchen design.

Exploring the Fulton Design Center: Kitchen Start-up

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Bertazonni KitchenReady to plan your kitchen? The Fulton Design Center offers such a variety of styles and options that it may be challenging to narrow down your choices. These suggestions may help you with the process.

Choose your overall style: Do you love the richness of the traditional Tuscan look? Features such as the carved columns on the island above can help recreate that mood. If you lean toward a simpler option, take a look at the Shaker-style cabinets and start from there. However, do not feel obliged to be entirely consistent with your style choices. Take a look at the lighting in this kitchen. The contemporary pendants have a strong impact and help sharpen the more traditional look of this space.

Choose your cabinets: As you can see from the photo above, cabinetry makes the biggest design statement in this room. Your choice of cabinets affects every other decision you make, so make your cabinet choice the foundation of your kitchen’s design.Cabinet Display Design Center 034

The Fulton Design Center has a rich selection of styles and finishes, with sample doors that you can take throughout the Center to coordinate your total space.

Consider cabinet style and tone: You have two important choices with your cabinets. The first – style – provides the framework for the entire kitchen design. The second choice – cabinet tone – affects every other option you select.

A dark cabinet choice may lead to a lighter countertop and flooring selection. Painted cabinets can create a farmhouse feeling and a bright kitchen space. Light cabinets have a younger, more contemporary style, particularly when paired with a dark countertop and exciting backsplash.

So when you make that first decision – your cabinets –you’re well on your way to creating the perfect kitchen for you and your family.

Design Center Magic

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DC SignAre you a fan of HGTV? Do you pause to leaf through home magazines whenever you see them? Are you fascinated by the Pinterest boards that focus on home design or great kitchens? If any or  all of these describe you, then the Fulton Design Center is your version of a trip to Disneyland.

When you select your new Fulton Home, the focus is on square footage, the number of bedrooms, closet size and in general how well the home will function for you and your family. Those are all very important issues. If you think of your home choice as the entrée of a lovely meal, your design center experience is the dessert!

Before your appointment, be sure to visit the Fulton Design Center during one of the browse nights. With designers there to help direct you to the various options available, this provides a no-pressure introduction to the Center. Also check out the online option information on Fulton’s website for a preview of coming attractions.

Visiting the Fulton Design Center for the first time can almost overwhelm you with the variety of choices for every room in your new home. But with the help of your designer, you will soon start envisioning the home you want. Like the Design Center’s motto: “dream and create,” you can create just the right look for your home and have your design dreams come true.

From countertops to carpeting, appliances to area rugs, the Fulton Design Center provides the grown-up version of Disney’s world, where all of your wishes can come true. Enjoy the ride.