Home Improvement Archives - Page 7 of 34

4 Fall Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

As summer fades into fall, Orange County homeowners pivot their attention from outdoors to indoor spaces. If refreshing your home’s interior strikes your fancy, check out these four kitchen and bathroom remodeling ideas. Get inspired by the work of Inspired Remodels.

Add a Backsplash

Backsplashes make a splash in bathrooms and kitchens alike. Functionally, backsplashes prevent water from damaging drywall and make cleaning surfaces easier. From a design perspective, backsplashes provide a place to let your creative spirit shine.

In kitchens, use mosaic tiles, herringbone patterns, or subway tiles in designer colors for a classic yet contemporary look.

In bathrooms, create a backsplash and accent walls with textured tiles, glass tiles, or use marble or stone to add a touch of elegance.

Choose materials and colors that complement the existing decor, to create a cohesive and stylish look If the backsplash isn’t part of a comprehensive kitchen and bath remodeling project,

Add a Kitchen Island

A kitchen island addition significantly enhances the functionality and aesthetics of the area. It serves as an extra workspace, a spot for casual dining, and even additional storage.

If you love to cook, add an island with a prep sink or stovetop to work more efficiently. Is yours the home where everyone gathers? Create an island space that doubles as a buffet.

Use pendant lighting to transform an island into a focal point. Mix and match island cabinets and countertops to contrast with existing cabinets and countertops.

Whether your kitchen is large or small, a well-designed island transforms the space into a more practical and beautiful space.

Update Countertops

New kitchen or bathroom countertops create a fresh, new look without full kitchen and bathroom remodeling headaches or expenses.

Orange County homeowners love quartz countertops for the kitchen. Unlike granite, quartz doesn’t require sealing, making it an easy-care surface.

In the bathroom, granite has been the go-to option for years, but quartz is quickly gaining popularity for the same reasons people love it in the kitchen.

New countertops elevate the look of your kitchen and bathroom, giving them a fresh, modern vibe without the need for a complete remodel.

Accessorize

Sometimes, the smallest changes make the biggest difference.

Swap out the hardware on cabinets and drawers and update the look of your kitchen and bathroom without breaking the bank. These days, popular finishes include brushed nickel, matte black, and brass because they go with everything from traditional to modern styles.

In the bathroom, add lighted mirrors for enhanced visibility and the feeling of spa-like luxury every time you walk in the room.

Update the lighting fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom to create a dramatic impact without remodeling the entire kitchen or bathroom. Layer your lighting with ambient, task, and accent lighting to create functional and beautiful rooms.

Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling Design/Build Pros

Whether you plan on a minor renovation to the kitchen or bath, get a quote from Inspired Remodels. This Orange County kitchen and remodeling contractor employs a design/build approach to home improvement.

Enjoy a single point of contact and a team of professionals who make your remodeling dreams a reality.

Schedule an appointment today.

Orange County Flooring Contractor Talks 3 Flooring Options

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

Orange County homeowners eschew carpet for living areas and love hard floor options. But even when you set aside carpet options, the wide variety of flooring types can be overwhelming. Inspired Remodels, an Orange County flooring contractor breaks flooring options into broad categories to make the selection process easier.

Tile Flooring Options

Tile flooring continues as a popular choice for Orange County homes. It offers both durability and an incredible variety of shapes, textures, sizes, and styles. Tile floors break down into 3 broad categories.

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile floors appear in bathrooms, kitchens, hallways, and living areas. You’ll even find ceramic tile in Orange County bedrooms. People love these tiles for their durability and versatility. They come in almost any color you can imagine and many different shapes and sizes. Tile floors require grout.

Porcelain Tile

Porcelain tiles are ceramic tiles on steroids. They offer more durability and water resistance than standard ceramic tiles. Confused?

All porcelain tiles are ceramic, but not all ceramic tiles are porcelain.

Porcelain tile provides the ideal solution for areas with high moisture. Find these tiles on Orange County bathroom and kitchen floors.

Natural Stone Tile

Natural stone floors, such as marble, granite, and slate, offer a luxurious and timeless look that elevates the design of any room. Because they are made from natural stone, each tile presents a unique, one-of-a-kind appearance.

Natural stone requires extra maintenance to keep it looking great. Stone floors also require grout.

Orange County flooring contractor after photo engineered walnut hardwood flooring in hallway

Engineered hardwood flooring in walnut

Wood Flooring Options

Wood flooring adds warmth and elegance to any Orange County home. Like tile, you face many options. This includes:

hardness of the wood species
plank width
finish

Harder woods like hickory and oak provide more resistance to dents and scratches, making them perfect for high-traffic areas. Wide planks make a room look larger and offer a modern look, while narrow planks create a more traditional appearance. Wood flooring falls into 3 broad categories.

Solid Hardwood

A solid hardwood flooring plank represents a single piece of wood. When it comes to longevity, hardwood shines. Sand and refinish over again to make it look like new. Homeowners love oak, maple, and cherry in Orange County for different reasons. Oak offers a classic look, maple brings hardness, and cherry provides a rich color.

Engineered Hardwood

Engineered hardwood consists of a top layer of real wood veneer fused to several layers of plywood. This construction makes it more resistant to moisture compared to solid hardwood. Engineered hardwood options cover many different wood species, finishes, and plank widths.

Bamboo Flooring

For the environment-minded buyer, bamboo offers a sustainable and eco-friendly flooring option. Bamboo flooring might technically come from grass, but bamboo flooring scores higher on the Janka hardness scale than wood flooring from trees. Look to bamboo for a unique and contemporary look for your Orange County home.

Floors that Look Like Wood But Aren’t

Look again. That wood flooring might be made from another material. Faux wood floors go where real wood cannot, and require less maintenance. Orange County flooring contractors install wood-look porcelain tiles in bathrooms to achieve spa looks and luxury vinyl plank all over the house.

Orange County flooring contractor photo after installing wood LVP in kitchen with green cabinets and white countertop

LVP looks just like wood

Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)

LVP mimics the look of real wood. Manufactured from multiple layers of PVC vinyl, LVP offers a flooring option that is highly durable, water-resistant, and easy to maintain. LVP allows you to get a wood look without the special maintenance or higher costs associated with wood.

Orange County flooring contractor uses wood-look tile to create spa feeling with white marble walls and white soaking tub

Wood-look tile creates a spa feel in the bathroom

Wood-Look Porcelain Tile

Advances in manufacturing technology make it possible to create porcelain tiles that emulate wood right down to the grain. These tiles combine the beauty of wood with the durability and water resistance of porcelain. Install in wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens for the look of wood and the ease of tile.

Experienced Orange County Flooring Contractor

Flooring impacts the look, feel, and functionality of your home. Whether you prefer the classic appeal of wood, the durability of tile, or the versatility of wood-look alternatives, Inspired Remodels, an Orange County flooring contractor installs floors you’ll love for years.

After kitchen remodeler adds open shelves storing white cups and plates

8 Custom Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

By Inspired Remodels / custom cabinets, Home Improvement, Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

In Orange County, custom kitchen remodeling focuses on creating functional spaces that integrate technology and look as great as the work. Homeowners want kitchens that incorporate light, airy designs, that play off our beautiful natural surroundings. With a focus on indoor-outdoor living, in 2024, custom kitchen remodeling ideas brought to life by Inspired Remodels incorporate blues and greens and favor natural wood finishes. Here are a few custom kitchen remodel trends to inspire you as you dream of your new kitchen.

Open Concept Layout

When it comes to Orange County living, the kitchen remains the heart of the home. Naturally, open kitchen designs continue to be popular. It’s not uncommon for Inspired Remodels to remove walls and rework spaces to create a multifunctional area for cooking, eating, and entertaining.

Open concepts make the most of abundant natural light and make spaces appear larger than they are in reality.

Incorporate High-Tech

From lighting to smart appliances controlled by apps, technology makes its way from Silicon Valley to Saddleback Valley. Induction cooktops keep kitchens cooler and ovens that double as air fryers cook food using healthier methods.

Voice-controlled automation sets a timer and smart lighting options adjust illumination with the tap of a button or your smartphone. If you create a modern kitchen, don’t forget to take advantage of all that modern technology offers.

Functional Sinks and Islands

Sinks provide more than a space to wash your hands or pots and pans. Large workstation sinks and farmhouse sinks offer not only incredible utility but style as well.

Islands now incorporate spaces to prep food, clean up, or eat. Adding water or electricity to a kitchen island increases the possibilities when it comes to design. When used for entertainment, the island also doubles as space for a buffet. Don’t forget to make use of island space for storage as well.

Beverage Stations

Coffee lovers and wine aficionados both incorporate beverage centers to make beverage preparations easier and stylish as well. These stations include appliances like coffee or espresso makers or wine coolers. Once a fringe addition to a high-end custom kitchen, now beverage stations appear in many custom kitchen renovations.

Sustainable and Natural Materials

Natural wood cabinets and natural stone countertops such as quartz continue to be popular in Orange County custom kitchen remodeling projects. Wood floors and even wood-look tile grace custom kitchen floors. This is just one way that kitchen remodeling designs bring the natural beauty of the outdoors into Orange County kitchens.

Drawers Replace Doors

Spacious pull-out drawers replace lower cabinets for storage. Drawers provide more usable space as they make the entire space more accessible and easier to organize. Deep drawers offer an alternative to pull-out hardware in lower cabinets. They represent the next stage in the evolution of kitchen design. Custom and semi-custom cabinetry provides drawers deep enough for pots, pans, and just about anything else you need to store.

Designer Backsplashes

No longer relegated to keeping the area between upper cabinets and countertops clean, backsplashes offer a place to incorporate design elements. From decorative tile to glass mosaics, the backsplash is making a splash in Orange County kitchens.

Nature-Inspired Colors

Warm neutrals and nature-inspired colors like green and blue bring a cozy yet modern feel to Orange County kitchen designs. These colors show up in cabinets, paint, and backsplashes.

Custom Kitchen Remodeling Pros

When you are ready to turn your custom kitchen modeling dreams into reality, turn to Inspired Remodels. Work with a design-build team that offers a single point of contact through the entire process.