Posts Tagged ‘Interior Design’

With the recent debut of Seaboard Junction in Loganville and the upcoming premiere of Gladstone Landing in Snellville, Paran Homes is finding a great reception to its age-restricted communities by Atlanta’s active adult homebuyers. Since the move to a new 55+ community often marks a transition to empty nest-hood, you may want to feather your new nest a little differently than your previous homes. Paran Homes is happy to provide you with a few tips to making your new empty nest feel FULL…

Surround Yourself with Loved Ones

One of the best ways to keep those you love close is by surrounding yourself with photos of their happy, smiling faces. Choose a color theme and stick to it regarding frames, only occasionally mixing in a little metal that coincides with your fixtures and handles – such as a brushed nickel, burnt umber or copper to change things up. If black plays a prominent role in your color story, consider using black frames to highlight several of your favorite photos – then feature them in a collage on a wall or two. Elect to go with all color or black and white in each collection. You can also use standing frames for bookcases and tabletops. Be careful not to overdo it, you don’t want your space to appear cluttered. Clean lines are all the rage these days and fewer frames means less to dust and more time for FUN!

Find Meaning in Mementos

Another way to fill your home with happy memories from your family’s journey is by creating shadow boxes that feature special mementos that hold meaning. Real Simple offers several suggestions for designing beautiful eye-catching shadow boxes that you can cherish for years to come. If your daughter or son played a sport or dance, you could have their jersey or favorite costume quilted onto a backdrop and framed – a great addition to a game room, media space or kids’ room for when the grandkids come to visit.

Choose Happy Colors

Whether for an accent wall or pops of color in your throw pillows and décor, be sure to use happy colors to make your home feel vibrant and full of life. VeryWellMind.com describes this as a modern take on the ancient practice of Chromotherapy and suggests that warm colors like yellow, red and orange are likely the happiest of colors. Although Pink is associated with romance and kindness, purple with wealth and wisdom, white with purity and innocence, green with nature and good fortune, and brown with reliability and strength. When black is used as an accent – particularly in a Feng Shui kind of way to harmonize your home – use it sparingly to have a grounding effect on your environment. It represents power. Blue, on the other hand, is thought to have a calming effect – depending on the shade used.

Incorporate Music to Your Smart Home

If you opt to add the convenience of Smart Home elements to your new home, be sure that music is incorporated somehow. If you have a central system that wirelessly pipes out tunes to various rooms of your home through a series of speakers, you can fill your home with your favorite music. From Mozart to Maroon 5 – and everything in between. According to BeBrainFit.com, “music activates every known part of the brain. Listening to and playing music can make you smarter, happier, healthier and more productive at all stages of life.”

Cozy Up with Comfy Furniture

Although you are an ACTIVE ADULT, you may want to occasionally turn on the boob tube and binge watch your favorite shows. It’s important to have cozy furniture for that reason, but also because inviting overstuffed furniture can help fill a space beautifully without making it feel cluttered. It’s a more practical solution than austere furniture you purchase only for appearance sake. You’ll also want your furniture to rank high on the cozy factor for those grandkid sleepover snuggle fests in front of the fireplace. S’mores, anyone?

Create Dedicated Spaces for Future Visits

While your Master Suite, Kitchen and Family Room may be all about you, you can create dedicated spaces for the people you hope to welcome regularly to your home. If you have grandkids, a bedroom themed just for them is sure to encourage regular visits. You might consider built-in bunkbeds to maximize the space in their room. Theme your adult children’s rooms similarly – maybe a slight suggestion of their room growing up or an homage to a favorite shared pastime like camping or visits to the beach. The same holds true for life-long friends when they come to call for an overnight stay. The point is to create a space that FEELS like it’s all their own – a place they look forward to visiting time and again.

Empty nesters, you aren’t merely limited to our active adult communities for your next home. Many of our communities throughout Metro Atlanta prove an excellent fit for families at every stage of life. To view a list of Paran Homes communities in Atlanta, peruse our floorplans to find the right one for you and check out our inventory of move in-ready homes, be sure to visit www.paranhomes.com.

The arrival of Autumn means different things to different people. It may mean the welcome return of Friday Night Lights to local high school football fields. It could mean the reappearance of long missed “pumpkin-spiced” items to restaurant menus. It might also mark the exchange of flip flops and tank tops for boots and sweaters, as well as the return of fall festivals, corn mazes, haunted houses, hayrides and the prospect for loads of fall fun. Whatever it means to you, it’s likely a season wrapped in warm memories of childhood that you can’t wait to recreate with the ones you love. With a season as well-loved as Autumn, it’s not unusual for people to literally want to surround themselves with the look, smell and feeling of the season. Paran Homes is happy to offer up a list of five tasteful ways you could bring a touch of fall indoors at your own home.

Autumnal Aromas

One of the easiest and most effective ways to set the scene in your home for fall is through seasonal scents. By filling your living spaces with aromas typically associated with the season, you’ll be setting a mood for every guest who walks through your door. From apple cinnamon and pumpkin spice to pecan pie and spiced cider, you can recreate these scents through a series of well-placed candles or diffusers.

Picture This

A very simple way to make the switch from one season to the next is by switching out your wall art and cherished family photos. Your wall art for Autumn could merely reflect colors associated with fall – like the vibrant oranges, reds and yellows – or may portray a fall scene like trees with changing leaves. You could also place a series of images in your favorite frames that show your family during different seasons – like your family at the beach in summer or your kids jumping into a pile of leaves in Fall or the whole family making snow angels on last year’s ski trip. By keeping them all inside the same frame, you could switch them out with every season AND use the frame as a storage space for photos from other seasons until winter, spring and summer roll back around.

Fall Fluff

Much like switching out your photos and artwork to reflect the corresponding season, the same holds true for your throw pillows, rugs and blankets. If you have a neutral backdrop with regard to your walls and furnishings, this should be fairly simple to do. In addition to colors that are commonly associated with fall, there are also prints that often coincide with the season like big bold buffalo check pillows or plaids. Toss a throw blanket here and there to send the message “cozy up and stay awhile.” Tie your rugs in to the season, as well – a great place to add a touch of color like a warm pumpkin geometric area rug or a multi-color stripe that combines rich shades of denim, hunter, crimson and more OR an in your face fall-themed rug that showcases fall leaves. Just make sure all of these elements play well together with one another, your furniture and your artwork.

Seasonal Place Settings

Set your table to reflect the season, as well. From placemats and napkins to napkin rings and plates, find a color story and pattern that gels with your other décor while letting your guests know they’re in for a real seasonal treat. Don’t forget your centerpiece! This is a wonderful place to set the scene for an epic autumnal meal.

“Nature” Up Your Nest

Probably the BEST way to bring a touch of fall indoors is to ACTUALLY bring a touch of fall indoors. Get creative with different sized pumpkins, gourds, acorns, pinecones, dried berries, leaves, dried wheat, twigs, dried corn stalks and more for wreaths, entry hall décor, centerpieces and mantle displays. Don’t be afraid to leave surprising seasonal touches in the powder room and guest rooms so that feeling your trying to create flows throughout the whole home.

If you’re in the market for a new home and hope to move in time to greet trick-or-treaters at your front door, be sure to visit our page of Move In Ready Homes. If you’re hoping to find the ideal community, homesite and floor plan where you and your family can welcome the change of seasons for years to come, visit us at www.paranhomes.com.

Some of us are naturally drawn to the Great Outdoors, while others prefer to enjoy its beauty from the climate-controlled comfort of our homes. Either way, there is a growing trend in interior (and, arguably, exterior) design that calls for a unification of indoor and outdoor living spaces. At Paran Homes, we often design our homes with this in mind – adding lots of windows to let in natural light and provide scenic views, creating outdoor living spaces that serve as great entertainment zones, and providing model homes that embrace this design trend and offer inspiration to our guests. We’ve compiled a list of four tips that you can try in your own home (or future home) to connect your indoor and outdoor living spaces.

1. Mirror Your Interior Design Theme Outdoors: If you have a color story and design theme throughout the interior of your home – say a nautical theme paired with a navy and white color story that boasts pops of bright orange – you’ll want to carry those same colors and theme outdoors to create a seamless flow between spaces. On one hand, it will make your outdoor living space feel connected to the indoors, and on the other, it won’t clash from a color or design perspective when you look out the window at your outdoor living space.
2. Use Window Treatments to “Frame” Your Backdrop: Framing your windows with long curtains hung slightly above the trim and extending all the way to the floor not only softens the room and adds an air of romanticism, but also draws the eye to the window and, more importantly, the scenery beyond the window. This virtually makes your backyard a “work of art” that you, your family, and your guests can enjoy year-round. Other possibilities include plantation shutters with large louvers to let in more light and optimize the view, in addition to shades that can be drawn open on particularly beautiful days.
3. Bring Elements of the Outdoors Inside: A great way to connect outdoor and indoor living spaces is by bringing elements of the world outside your window inside. This can include live plants, hardwood floors and rustic wood walls/beams/furniture, stone fireplace surrounds, nature-inspired artwork and décor, and more.
4. Create an Outdoor “Room”: By extending your ceiling from the indoors to the outdoors, you automatically create the perception that those spaces are connected. A covered porch extends your enjoyment during inclement weather and a screened-in porch could extend it even further. Covered porches also expand your design and usage options so much more so than an open patio. The cover a ceiling provides allows for things like cozy overstuffed conversation seating and wiring for an outdoor flat-screen TV, both of which provide more of a sense of its own space.

If you’d rather start fresh instead of trying to convert your current home to an indoor-outdoor oasis, Paran Homes welcomes the chance to build your next home – complete with a focus on outdoor living spaces. Many of our homes come with options to extend, cover, and screen in the patio. One of our most popular options is our Game Day Patio, featuring a covered outdoor living space complete with a hearth and pre-wiring for a TV. It’s the ideal spot for watching your favorite sports, like college football or major league baseball, while enjoying some fresh air with friends and family members. To learn more about Paran Homes, including our communities throughout the Southeast and our floor plans that offer the Game Day Patio option, please visit us online at www.paranhomes.com. For future tips, news about up-and-coming communities, and more, be sure to bookmark our blog!

At Paran Homes, we applaud and understand that our homeowners have their own interior design tastes and sense of style. After all, interior design can help make a house feel like home, serve as a reflection of a family’s collective personality and act as an inspirational backdrop to all of the memory-making that will occur within the walls, halls, and each and every room of the home.

For those homebuyers and homeowners who also like to design according to the latest design dictates and cutting-edge styles, we’ve looked to our team of award-winning designers to weigh in on the Top 10 Design Trends for 2019. Joy Kirkland of Innovative Interiors and Tracy Cook of Design Etc. regularly create amazing model homes in Paran Homes communities throughout Metro Atlanta and today they share some of their talent and insights with our readers…

1. Focus on Light, Views and Fresh Air: Joy states that many of her clients are seeking a connection with the fresh air of the outdoors. Homes with open floor plans, lots of natural light and outdoor entertainment space is important to buyers.
2. See Your True Colors: The long trend towards grays is swinging back to white, off-whites and beige to appeal to the broadest range of buyers. Joy says that her clients are seeking a more neutral, calm background while Tracy suggests sudden pops of color to add interest. There is less focus on adding color with accent walls and a heightened focus on adding color through accent pieces, artwork and décor like throw pillows, knick-knacks and rugs. Tracy says to keep an eye out for a resurgence of hot jewel tones, as well as a lot of “Blush” color appearing in the spring – thanks in part to the suggestion of Pantone’s Color of the Year: Living Coral (PANTONE 16-1546)
3. And While We’re on the Subject of Accent Pieces: According to Joy, expect to see accent pieces in inky shades of green and blue dominating the accessory market. Mixed metal accents will also be a big trend in 2019, such as soft combinations of silver and gold or nickel and bronze or pewter and aged iron together rather than the traditional purist approach using only one metal house wide.
4. Keep it Natural: When it comes to hot materials and motifs for 2019, Joy suggests that there’s a yearning for more warmth and comfort with natural touches. A mix of warmer natural materials such as wood, leather, silk, and stone will help capture the natural feel. Also adding to the textures are metallic linen draperies, saddle leather, clay accent pieces and woven rugs of cotton and jute.
5. The Ground Beneath Your Feet: One product that is dominating the new home construction and renovation markets is Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring.  Joy says that they are more practical, sustainable and affordable than expensive real wood boards. Elle Décor suggests that you lean towards LVP that mimics light wood floors as opposed to the dark, rich cherry, walnut or mahogany.
6. Relaxed Refinement: Elle Décor predicts that comfort will be key in home décor in 2019 including plush accent rugs and cozy couches. Joy suggests that it will be wise to incorporate warm neutral hues in one’s furnishings using soft, comfortable fabrics like cotton, linen, leather, and velvet.
7. Lighten Up: Joy says that lighting is too often overlooked, even though it’s an essential component of every home. Aside from its functional purpose, when executed properly, lighting can serve as the jewelry of the home, setting a sense of personal style and character for every room. For 2019, the most desirable lighting will consist of clean, simple lines.
8. Go with the Flow: Tracy suggests that in 2019, we should expect to see more tone-on-tone hues on walls and trim – using different finishes. In addition to creating a seamless look, this technique (particularly in shades of white) will give the room a serene and spacious feel. With an open floor plan, this painting style will foster a cohesive flow from one room to the next.
9. Form Meets Function: Tracy also says that there will be an increased focus on creating useful spaces from unused space. Consider the needs of your family and reimagine the use of each space to fit those needs. For instance, an extra guest room might be better used as a playroom and homework station for families that have elementary and middle school kids.
10. Texture Gesture: Last but not least, Tracy suggests that textures will be a must in 2019, but not only textures you can touch – textures that add visual interest. Elle Décor states that measures like adding floral fabrics and wallpaper, as well as boldly patterned backsplashes in the kitchen could help add that textured visual appeal.

From all of us here at Paran Homes, we wish you and your family much happiness in 2019!

Source: https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/trends/g23550602/design-trends-2019/

Paran Homes Debuts Professionally Decorated Model Home at West Forsyth County Community Featuring Single-Family Homes Starting in the Mid-$300s

Duluth, Ga, November 13, 2018 (Press Release) – With the recent introduction of two new floor plans at The Lakes of Franklin Goldmine in Forsyth County, regional home builder – Paran Homes – enhances the occasion with the premier of a new model home. Professionally decorated by Joy Kirkland of Innovative Interiors, the home features Paran’s Azalea brand-new floor plan and its five bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and exquisitely rendered living spaces spread out among the home’s more than 3,100 square foot interior.

“The Azalea offers a large open floor plan which creates a beautiful canvas for the home owner’s vision,” said Kirkland. “I drew inspiration for this model home from the beautiful horse farms and landscapes surrounding the neighborhood. I created a casual farmhouse look with elegant details by mixing natural finishes of wood, metal, stone and greenery along with soft linen and rich leather textures. The most current design trends are all about feelings. Creating a home that feels warm and relaxing can be accomplished with special elements like oil rubbed bronze faucets, rich wood floors, soft neutral paint colors, beautiful stone fireplaces, woven sisal rugs and natural fabrics such as linen and burlap.”

The designer also points to her personal favorite features of the floor plan such as an alluring and expansive gourmet kitchen with a gas range and large central island that’s perfect for cooking and family gatherings and a luxurious master bath with 7’ walk in shower that showcases a rain head, built in bench and natural slate tile which adds warmth, texture and character to the space.

“It’s really no wonder why Joy elected to design the home to appeal to families who desire to be part of a community that offers a multitude of outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, shopping, swimming, tennis,” explained Michael Rosenberg, President of Paran Homes. “The Lakes of Franklin Goldmine is poised at the heart of West Forsyth County, which is rich with family-friendly parks boasting everything from walking and equestrian trails to skate and dog parks to boat ramps on nearby Lake Lanier and a state-of-the-art aquatic center.”

In addition to an excellent network of parks – which includes the 963-acre Sawnee Mountain Preserve, Fowler Park (once named Best Park in Best of Forsyth 2015), Mary Alice Park and Central Park, among others – The Lakes of Franklin Goldmine also comes complete with its own desirable amenity package onsite. Amenities inside the community include a swimming pool and clubhouse, lighted tennis courts, community firepit and playground. For those in search of adventures of an entirely different sort, dining in and around Cumming, as well as shopping at The Collection at Forsyth to the south or North Georgia Premium Outlets to the north won’t disappoint. The community’s proximity to GA-400 proves a major plus for weekday commuters, boaters and fishermen seeking fun on Lake Lanier or outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy everything from hiking to leaf-peeping in the North Georgia Mountains. School-age children living in The Lakes of Franklin Goldmine will have access to the highly acclaimed Forsyth County Public School System, including Sawnee Elementary, Liberty Middle and West Forsyth High Schools.

The new Azalea floor plan at The Lakes of Franklin Goldmine is joined by the new Manchester floor plan – a two-story, four-bedroom, three-and-a half-bathroom single-family home that boasts more than 3,600 SF of living space, two-story great room, secondary bedroom on main, large open kitchen with central island and so much more. Three other floor plans – Bradford, Kensington, and Primrose – have all been revamped to reflect Paran Homes’ dedication to delivering homes that meet the needs and exceed the expectations of home buyers. Homes at The Lakes of Franklin Goldmine showcase price points starting in the mid-$300s.

To get to The Lakes of Franklin Goldmine from GA-400N, take Exit 13 and turn left off the exit. Travel 6.4 miles on Bethelview Road and then turn left onto GA Hwy 20. Drive approximately 2.7 miles and then turn right onto Franklin Goldmine Rd. Community will be 1 mile ahead on left. Prospective home buyers and real estate professionals who wish to learn more about The Lakes of Franklin Goldmine and other Paran Homes communities throughout Metro Atlanta are encouraged to visit www.paranhomes.com.

About Paran Homes:  Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Metro Atlanta, Paran Homes boasts beautifully crafted homes and imaginative communities in some of the Southeast’s hottest housing markets. With a presence throughout Metro Atlanta, as well as in and Nashville, TN, Paran Homes seeks to build houses of uncompromised quality while delivering a stellar customer service experience – from the first community visit to closing. To match the needs and wishes of today’s home buyers, the placement of Paran Homes communities is based on access to great schools, major thoroughfares/interstates, local shopping, dining and entertainment. Beyond the allure of its homes and community locations, many Paran neighborhoods feature resort-like amenities including pools, walking trails, and clubhouses. To learn more about Paran Homes, view available homes and discover current communities throughout the Southeast, visit www.paranhomes.com.

Professionally Decorated Model Home at Chestnut Farms Takes Home the Trophy for Regional Home Builder

Duluth, Ga, November 9, 2018 (Press Release) – Earlier this month, the Sales & Marketing Council of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association (GAHBA) recognized the outstanding achievements of some of the city’s boldest and brightest builders, renovators, designers, marketing experts and sales professionals with the 2018 OBIE Awards. First launched in 1980 and named after the obelisk shape of the actual award presented, the OBIEs are considered a premier award in the new home construction industry. Metro Atlanta-based Paran Homes was proud to be honored this year with an OBIE for Best Interior Merchandising of its model home at Chestnut Farms – a single-family home community in Kennesaw that will showcase 36 stunning new homes priced from the low $400s-$600s upon completion.

Designed by interior decorator, Tracy Cook of Design, Etc., the home that garnered Paran Homes an OBIE Award offers a “vintage meets modern” appeal. The overall design features elements of white on white and soft hues juxtaposed against dark wood floors, textured upholstery and dramatic accent pieces. It also showcases distressed wood pieces, antique elements and thoroughly current upholstered furnishings. While all of the rooms are memorable, the most extraordinary spaces that likely caught the eye of OBIE judges include the stylish dining room, home office with partners desk and reclaimed shutter as an eye-catching wall accent, serene master suite, and welcoming outdoor living space.

“We take our model homes very seriously at Paran Homes,” said company president, Michael Rosenberg. “More than just a powerful marketing tool, if done right, they serve as an immersive experience for our guests – something that they will remember long after they leave our communities. As they stroll through each room, visitors should be able to envision their family gathering around the dining room table for the holidays or sharing stories about the day’s events around the kitchen island. When they see the upstairs media space, they might imagine their kids happily playing there or knocking out their homework before dinnertime. And when they stroll through the expansive master suite, they can see themselves beginning and ending each day in that space as part of their own personal ‘happily ever after.’ This model home accomplishes all of that and more. Through her use of a ‘less is more’ approach, Tracy has done an amazing job painting a picture of what life might be like if one lived in Chestnut Farm.”

Tasked with appealing to a target audience of active families with children – likely drawn to the area by the abundance of recreational outlets and highly revered school system, as well as empty nesters at the other end of the spectrum, Cook drew inspiration from the home itself when planning her design by taking advantage of the home’s natural light which serves as an inviting, happy backdrop. With the lofty goal of creating the ideal representation of what every busy person wants in their own lives – a clutter-free, tranquil, joyful space to raise a family, she succeeded in keeping the look and feel of the home fresh, clean and uncluttered. She also endeavored to make the design as functional as it is fetching with a homework station in the media room and drop station near the garage for family members to drop their book bags, laptop bags and purses while charging their smartphones for the next day.

Paran Homes’ award-winning model home is open to the public at Chestnut Farms Monday-Saturday from 10am-6pm and on Sunday from 1-6pm. GPS users who wish to visit Chestnut Farms, the address of the model home is 825 Mars Hill Road in Kennesaw. Prospective home buyers and real estate professionals who wish to learn more about Chestnut Farms and other Paran Homes communities throughout Metro Atlanta are encouraged to visit www.paranhomes.com.

About Paran Homes:  Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Metro Atlanta, Paran Homes boasts beautifully crafted homes and imaginative communities in some of the Southeast’s hottest housing markets. With a presence throughout Metro Atlanta, as well as in and Nashville, TN, Paran Homes seeks to build houses of uncompromised quality while delivering a stellar customer service experience – from the first community visit to closing. To match the needs and wishes of today’s home buyers, the placement of Paran Homes communities is based on access to great schools, major thoroughfares/interstates, local shopping, dining and entertainment. Beyond the allure of its homes and community locations, many Paran neighborhoods feature resort-like amenities including pools, walking trails, and clubhouses. To learn more about Paran Homes, view available homes and discover current communities throughout the Southeast, visit www.paranhomes.com.