Tag Archives: home design and decor

Make a Fulton Home Yours: Bathroom Design Online

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Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.15.52 PMIs this the master bath of your dreams? The rich espresso cabinetry, the daring finish on the vanities and shower surround? What about the oil-rubbed bronze choice for faucets, mirror frame and shower trim?

Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.16.10 PMHere’s the surprise. This really is a dream bathroom, created through the Fulton Homes bathroom design tool on the Fulton website. This is just one of hundreds of choices you can make while experimenting with what your dream bathroom will entail. Do you want a tub and shower – that layout is available to experiment with, or maybe you want tile on the walls or lighter flooring.

Why not try out every choice? It just takes seconds to select another option, and you can save your favorites on your personal Fulton Homes account. Here’s a second approach to the same bathroom, with a lighter and cooler palette and using brushed nickel instead of oil-rubbed bronze.

Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.17.02 PMHere’s another bathroom created on the website. Notice that the details below the image give you the specifics for each product you chose, down to the paint color. Just print your favorite or favorites out and bring them to the Fulton Design Center to help you as you move from imagination to reality – making your bathroom match the one you dream about.

Why not experiment? Visit here to create your own look!

Make a Fulton Home Yours – Kitchen Design Online

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Fulton Design Center Kitchen Vignette

Fulton Design Center Kitchen Vignette

Is this your dream kitchen? Maybe – but what if you would rather have a more traditional cabinet style, a lighter wood, and a more dramatic range hood.

But maybe you’re not sure. You have an appointment at the Fulton Design Center next week, but you are still debating about the look you want in your kitchen.

Well, you’re in luck. With Fulton Homes Design Online program for kitchens, you can take a look at many styles and tones of cabinets, different countertops, flooring, lighting, backsplashes, appliances and even paint. Thinking about lighter cabinetry – try it out here. Are the black appliances too dark against the cabinets you like, switch to stainless steel – you can always switch back if you prefer.

Screen Shot 2014-06-30 at 11.11.39 PMSave your favorites so you can go back and review them later. Fulton lets you create your own account to collect your ideas.

The best part is your ability to try just one little change to see which way you like your kitchen best. Thinking about staggered cabinets but you’re not sure? Try your kitchen both ways to see which appeals to you the most. Dark cabinets can look good with dark countertops, but you might find a golden tone works best for the kitchen you want.

No, Fulton doesn’t offer every choice here that you have at the Fulton Design Center – it would take you forever to narrow everything down online with the incredible mix of options available. But this does give you a tool to figure out what you want as an overall look. Print out your favorite and bring it with you to your design appointment. Then focus on selecting just the perfect options to make your kitchen as unique as you are.

Why not experiment? Visit http://www.fultonhomes.com/kbchanger/changer to create your own look!

Architectural Features Make a Home Yours

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From the Fulton Home Daylight Plan

From the Fulton Home Daylight Plan

A staircase can be so much more than the path between levels in a home. In this case, the combination of wood and wrought iron make this staircase into a central architectural feature in this house. Imagine it decorated with greens for the holidays or used as a background for family photos.

When you buy a new Fulton home, selecting your model and community is just the starting point. When you visit Fulton’s online and physical design centers, you will begin to discover the choices you have to make your home totally yours.

Want a darker or lighter wood railing? You can have it. Would you like a simple modern look? It’s available. And notice the little extras such as the on-the-floor outlet for lighting. If you want wainscoting in your dining room or an arts & crafts look in the living room, the selection of special architectural features available through the Fulton Design Center will help you meet your design goals.

With a Fulton home, you can have the advantage of well-planned communities with production prices while selecting those special extras that make your home feel like a custom creation. With hundreds of combinations of architectural touches, built-in cabinetry, flooring, lighting and other options, your home will be unique, inviting and totally yours.

Our team of skilled and knowledgeable designers looks forward to helping you dream and create the home that fits your style and needs.

A Space all your Own

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Kitchen DSC_0292Yes, this is a lovely kitchen. Pendant lights hang down on an oversized island. You have plenty of room to fix even the most complex of meals. But we’re not talking about the kitchen today. Instead, take a look to the left in this photo – to a small room off the kitchen with a built-in desk and cabinets. That space belongs to you.

What would you do with this piece of real estate all your own with no structured purpose? It could be a spot for organizing the household – keeping the family calendar updated along with lists of responsibilities and plans for upcoming weekends.

It could be used to track and pay bills, check email and visit Facebook or Pinterest. Or how about using the space for scrapbooking or writing holiday cards or thank-you notes? The cabinets above the desk could hold extra notepaper or those holiday cards you bought on sale last January – easy to find when November rolls around again.

What about gift wrapping? It might be the place where you keep extra office and school supplies or even some art supplies for emergency homework projects. You could tuck yourself in here every evening with a nice cup of tea and write up your to-do list for tomorrow – or just read a magazine.

Finally, this space could fuel your dreams. Always wanted to start your own business? You could start it here. It’s your space to do with what you want. Fulton Homes wants to help you make all of your dreams come true, and give you the space for it.

Pinterest on Furniture

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21363428_SIf you walk into a furniture store and immediately want to curl up on the nearest sofa and forget about shopping, you can start the process on your computer instead.

Do you know what you want in a sofa? A chair? A coffee table or bookcase? If you’re not sure, take a cruise to Pinterest and see all sorts of options in a room setting. Many furniture manufacturers have taken to Pinterest, so you can shop there. Or start simpler with a search for the type of room you’re looking to furnish.

Start with your own Pinterest account. Create a board that defines what you’re looking for – say a dining table and chairs. Then do a search for photos of your almost-unlimited options.

Pinterest allows you to envision the exact look you want, down to the paint color and accessories, just by seeing what other people have done. Be specific. If you want a traditional oval dining table, look for that. Or if you’re not sure, just browse the rooms in general and pin the ones that you’re drawn to. There’s a good chance that you’ll start seeing a trend.

Many designers also pin the rooms they’ve created, so you have the advantage of looking at what the professionals do. You can start by pinning everything you like and narrow down your choices later. Once you’ve developed a collection of pins you like, sit down and look at the board you’ve created. Do one or two pins stand out? What draws you to them? Think about color, furniture style and material, shapes and textures. With notes on your favorites, or pins in your Smartphone, you can shop with a much better idea of what you want.

Pinterest is a natural replacement for those folders of favorite rooms many of us keep with us while shopping for our home decor. Take this approach instead. It’s free, easy and much less cluttered than all those magazines and photos. Give it a try.

Pinterest on Paint

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20237301_SWhen you visit the Fulton Design Center, it has a good selection of neutral paint colors for your home. The right neutrals can make a big difference in how your home looks.

Suppose, however, you want to add some color to your walls. Visiting a paint store can seem overwhelming. If you want yellow, how yellow do you want to go? It’s easy to move from a light lemon to a horrifying egg yolk without realizing it until you see the final version on your walls.

With its strong focus on visuals, Pinterest provides a great resource for choosing the right paint colors. Instead of studying 30 different versions of the color you want, you can see various rooms with the paint colors listed. Pinterest also lists popular colors with designers which can help you determine the right choice for your home.

If you need direction for choosing the right color, several pins provide clear steps that explain a process for selection that will help ensure success. In addition, check out the many tips and tricks to enable you to tackle any painting project like a pro.

The Fulton Homes Pinterest site has a board, Painting Your Home with pins selected to help you approach painting successfully. Our board is just the beginning of the support Pinterest can offer as you begin your search for just the right wall colors to make your home perfect. While you’re at it, how about visiting some of our other boards? You may find just the decorating or design advice you are looking for!

Mirrors as Room and Light Expanders

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17799270_SThis contemporary room is appealing thanks to its stone wall, daring staircase and intriguing chandelier,. But the mirrors on the first floor closet doors provide the element that keeps the space from feeling boxy and limited.

These mirrors are large and simply dressed, which encourages the viewer to register the reflection of the room and double the perceived space. These mirrors also reflect the window on the opposite wall, adding more natural light to the scene.

If you cover the mirrors with your hand, you can see that the room suffers without them.

Mirrors can be a powerful tool when compensating for a room with too little space or light. They feel a bit like a window but work in spaces where windows aren’t possible.

16825383_STake a look at the large mirror in the room to the right. Although the frame has a strong presence, its tone and style are consistent with the moldings and doors on the other walls.

By adding a mirror of this size in this position, the room seems to have added an additional window while also expanding the sense of space with its reflection. At first glance, this mirror could be a doorway to an additional dining space just past that wall.

If you have a room with awkward proportions or limited light, consider adding a mirror to help compensate for the space’s limits. Look for an opportunity to connect the frame to the style of the space like the photo above, or minimize its visible frame like the closet doors in the first photo. You may be surprised at how much of a difference the perfect mirror can make in your home.

Mirrors as Art

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8427071_SWith the rich variety of shapes, sizes and frames, mirrors make great art in a room.

Take a look at the mirror in this photo. With its round shape and interesting silver frame, it proves to be just the right addition to this bedroom. The silver tone meshes with the throw pillows on the bed and the circular shape adds needed curves to a sharp-edged headboard.

Mirrors can be found in the nicest furniture stores as well as any thrift shop. Look for beveled edges on the glass and thicker distortion-free views when evaluating a mirror for quality.

Don’t limit your thinking when browsing thrift-store finds. You can cover a mirror and paint the frame in any color or finish, creating just the look you want. For one interesting effect, buy a collection of small mirrors or frames in different shapes and styles and paint them all the same color, arranging them together on a wall.

10355556_SYou can add glass to any frame to custom-make your own mirror. The four frames in the photo to the right would create mirrors with very different styles and moods. With a mirror created with a custom frame, you also can determine the ideal size and have the mirror added to match your need.

When you bring a mirror in as a decorative object, be sure to hang it with thought. When a mirror is used as art, the reflection becomes part of the picture. Some mirrors end up reflecting the ceiling or something like the door to the guest bathroom.

As with any piece of art, hang a mirror at eye level. This may seem too low, but mirrors can also be useful to check your hair or face, and a mirror that is set too high for that can be frustrating. So have fun and include mirrors when you determine what you want on your home’s walls.

Mirrors as Functional Pieces

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HRM0253Mirrors have more versatility than almost any other type of furniture. They can be functional, decorative, light enhancers and space enhancers.

This mirror, from the Fulton Homes Tehama model in Victoria Estates, serves all these roles. As a functional mirror, it provides the reflection needed in the morning, yet the framing adds a decorative element. In addition the large size adds a feeling of space and enhanced light to the master bath.

People have been looking at their reflections since the first child spotted their twin in a still pool of water. Polished metal served as a limited mirror in later years. Glass combined with a reflective backing became more common in modern times, and it’s rare to find a home with fewer than two to three mirrors today.

Bathrooms are the most common locations for mirrors, but they have moved into every room in a home.

Entryway mirrors allow visitors to check their appearance when walking into and out of a home. Full-length bedroom mirror provides a look at the complete effect of an ensemble in the morning.

9985404_SIf you plan to hang a mirror for functional use, be sure to set the position carefully. Make sure that everyone in your home, from shortest to tallest, can see their reflection. Also, any furniture in front of a mirror shouldn’t be too deep, so that its position makes it hard for viewers to get close enough to see themselves easily.

The mirror on the right is low enough for this woman to see herself well, yet the vertical position makes it useful for taller individuals also. Take a few minutes to factor in your home’s population when choosing the right height for a functional mirror.

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.