Kitchen Remodel Archives - Page 19 of 35

Flooring Contractor Reviews Trends for 2020

Can you believe the year is half over? Perfect time to pause and review what’s trending in floors for Orange County. Inspired Remodels, an Orange County flooring contractor, shows what’s going on with flooring in local homes.

The Return of the Blonde Bombshell

Light colored plank flooring is making a strong comeback. The honey oak of the 80’s and 90’s was so overused it almost killed blonde wood.

That’s a shame. Because light oak or bamboo hardwood flooring adds warmth to kitchens, living areas, and bathrooms.

Hardwoods like bamboo are hot, but honestly any hardwood floor, blonde or not, is an investment with long-lasting returns.

The floor in this kitchen combines light wood and wide planks in a staggered design that’s just stunning. Because light wood is even more susceptible to fading from UV light, pick a plank with UV and scratch resistant coatings.

Wood Look Tile

Wood look tile is showing up all over the house. No longer confined to bathrooms or children’s playrooms, it’s gracing kitchens all over Orange County.

Wood look tile can emulate wide or standard plank widths. Some wood look tile even offers graining, so not only does it look like wood it feels like wood too.

You’ll find this tile in almost every hardwood tone you can imagine. From oak and ash to mahogany and Brazilian cherry, there’s a wood look tile to match your decor. Stop by the Inspired Remodels showroom and view samples.

Alternative Patterns

Recently, we took a look at some of the more common tile patterns. Doing something as simple as turn the tile 90° and installing on a diagonal can make a real difference.

Diagonal install patterns make small spaces look larger. So, they are perfect for small powder rooms, bathrooms, and even galley kitchens.

Herringbone patterns like the one above add instant elegance. The vee shape created by the overlapping tile ends draws the eye out. It’s a great way to make a room appear larger and provide a touch of drama. Similar to the chevron (same design with mitered ends), the herringbone doesn’t require as much labor to cut the wood or tile flooring so this pattern usually costs less to install than the chevron.

Geometric shapes like the polygon shaped tile to the right are migrating from backsplashes and shower walls to the floor.

We’re glad to see them make the move.

Geometric shaped tiles are one of the best ways to give any room a completely custom look. Use contrasting grout to accentuate the tile shape!

Flooring as Art

No longer a simple surface for foot traffic, this Orange County flooring contractor is seeing a demand for flooring as art.

Whether it’s a dramatic entry way or a fun and funky bathroom, art is no longer reserved for the walls of a room.

Trusted Orange County Flooring Contractor

Trust Inspired Remodels to be your flooring contractor for your next remodel.

Wood, tile, carpet, polished concrete, or stone. If you want it on the floor, Inspired Remodels can make it happen. Call (949) 716-1938, Contact Us online or stop by our showroom.

See the latest trends in flooring and get inspired with Inspired Remodels.

Kitchen Remodeler Tips for a Contemporary Kitchen

By Inspired Remodels / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

With so many restaurants closed due to COVID-19, Californians have a newfound respect for their kitchen. The right kitchen environment makes eating in almost as fun as eating out. Except you still must do the dishes. If you’re looking to update your kitchen, here are tips from an Orange County kitchen remodeler on creating a contemporary space.

Let’s Look at Lighting

Contemporary design focuses on space. And to show space you’ve got to have light. From a style point of view, lighting is important in any room.

It’s seriously important in the kitchen. After all that’s where you keep those sharp knives and boiling water.

To get that contemporary feel, you’ve got to have more than task lighting. Your lighting must accentuate the clean lines inherent in contemporary designs.

In the kitchen above, the recessed lights and overhead lights are simple geometric shapes. The down light pendants incorporate sleek, industrial lines. In addition to the natural light from the window and the under cabinet task lighting, you’ve got all the light you need day or night.

In this kitchen, the frosted glass cabinet doors on the upper cabinets reflect light from the recessed ceiling light.

Polished subway tile reflects under cabinet lighting.

When you reflect light, you double the amount of light you have.

Light makes areas appear larger than they are.

When you have a small space, you make it look larger with the simplicity of the contemporary design.

Shaker Simplicity

Shaker style may date back to the 18th century, but the Shaker’s love for simple design melds perfectly with the 2020 contemporary aesthetic.

Simple cabinet fronts and an updated industrial take on the traditional farmhouse sink borrow from the designs of yesteryear to create a completely contemporary kitchen.

Instead of focusing on color, a contemporary kitchen is awash in neutral tones.

You could even use it’s neutrality as a backdrop for a splash of bold color with a rug or decorative canisters. Just don’t get carried away.

Keeping it contemporary means keeping it simple.

Lines are crucial in good contemporary design. The goose neck faucet provides curving lines that contrast with the stark vertical and horizontals of the cabinet hardware.

Shaker cabinetry contributes clean, straight lines that are always at home in any contemporary design.

For this design, the kitchen remodeler replicated the Shaker lines on the cabinet fronts with the lines of the subway tile backsplash. You can’t go wrong with subway tile in a contemporary kitchen.

Same for the use of brushed nickle. Save the rubbed bronze for other styles. Brushed nickle is a cornerstone of a contemporary kitchen.

Contemporary Kitchen Remodeler

Inspired Remodels is the kitchen remodeler for your contemporary kitchen, French country, Mediterranean, or any other style you love.

You’re going to be spending more time in the kitchen. Make sure its a space and design you love. Inspired Remodels makes it happen.

Call (949) 716-1938 or Contact Us online to schedule your consultation.

Kitchen Contractor Tips for a Great Kitchen

By Inspired Remodels / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

What makes a great kitchen great? Is the the gleaming floor, the smudge free fridge, or the whimsical backsplash? All of those elements may be present in a great kitchen. But you don’t need them to have a great kitchen. A great kitchen is great because it’s got an easy-to-use design and no space is wasted. Inspired Remodels is the Orange County kitchen contractor that knows what makes a great kitchen. Here’s a few tips to make your kitchen great.

Let There Be Light

You never stumble around in the dark in a great kitchen. A great kitchen makes the best use of natural light and adds in room lighting and task lighting.

Recessed lighting brightens the kitchen. Lights under the upper cabinets sneaks in additional task lighting. Who doesn’t want to see clearly when you’re slicing, dicing, and chopping?

Decorative lighting helps set the mood. Dimmer switches are great when your kitchen is part of an open concept area.

This kitchen uses decorative pendant lights to provide task lighting. Now that’s a lighting two-fer. Two-fers are great in the kitchen; they are the antithesis of the unitasker loathed by TV chef and cultural icon, Alton Brown. Unitaskers serve one purpose and take up valuable space.

Great Kitchens Make Great Use of Space

There’s not an inch of wasted space in a great kitchen. It’s one of the things that makes it so great.

Above, the slender space between the custom cabinets and stove was used for a small pull-out cabinet. Now you aren’t storing 10 pounds of rice here, but what are you doing with 10 pounds of rice any way?

It’s size and location make it perfect for salt, pepper, and any other spices and seasonings you might want to grab while using the cook top.

Another place space is frequently wasted is the lower cabinet kick space. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

A savvy kitchen contractor knows one way to turn a kitchen into a great space is to add a pull out step in place of a kick space.

This is particularly helpful for reaching the top shelves of upper cabinets. Even those that aren’t vertically challenged appreciate this type of convenience.

Or how about a kitchen island that doubles as a table? Once again, this kitchen contractor slayed the evil unitasker by making the island large enough to double as a table. A normal island doesn’t seat 6 comfortably. This one does.

The eat-in kitchen isn’t dead, it just looks different. It’s one of those things that makes a great kitchen great.

A Great Kitchen Contractor Crafts Great Kitchens

Inspired Remodels is a great kitchen contractor serving the Orange County area. They design and build great kitchens. And, they turn your inspired kitchen dreams into inspired remodeled kitchens.

Ready for your great kitchen or want more ideas? Call (949) 716-1938 or Contact Us online today.