bathroom flooring Archives - Inspired Remodels

kitchen and bath remodeling after picture white and brown cabinets stainless steel appliances La Cabana windows

Orange County Flooring Contractor Introduces Truly Luxury LVP

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

Most people consider luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring a low-end option for flooring. Once upon a time, in the product’s infancy, LVP flooring lacked durability and beauty. Not today. Inspired Remodels, the premier Orange County flooring contractor, proudly includes the CORETec Premium line of LVP flooring in their showroom offering. Here’s why.

Truly Luxury Flooring for Luxury Homes

COREtec Premium products bring you the thickest plank flooring you can imagine in an LVP plank. You enjoy enhanced stain resistance and unbeatable comfort and beauty without the hassle of wood floor care.

The CORETec wood plastic composite (WPC) core provides a softness underfoot that is impossible to achieve with traditional hardwood flooring. It also offers the assurance of a core that won’t warp or buckle because it is completely waterproof.

The stone plastic composite (SPC) found in other flooring products results in a flooring plank that is cooler and doesn’t absorb impacts as well. Why is impact absorption important? Stand in the kitchen for an extended period of time to prepare a large meal or special dish, and your body will tell you why it is important.

Comfort and Beauty

Recently, flooring contractors like Inspired Remodels gathered in Dana Point to learn about the latest improvements in flooring products. Many manufacturers displayed beautiful flooring.

What impressed the flooring experts about CORETEec planks is the integrated foamy, resilient core. This core absorbs some of the pressure from the feet, reducing stress on the ankles, knees, hips, and lower back.

Standing or walking on an extremely hard surface (think ceramic tile, hardwood) requires muscles to constantly make little adjustments to maintain stability. This creates muscle fatigue. It seems contrary, but the slightly softer surface provides more give, and this reduces strain on leg and core muscles. When you walk, the WPC core disperses the impact, so less force transfers to your body.

COREtec offers pet-friendly options

Better Than Wood?

Wood and bamboo flooring requires acclimation before installation. Skip this step and deal with warping, buckling, and anything but a beautiful floor.

LVP requires no acclimation period. In addition, COREtec planks feature beveled edges that add to plank definition and realism when installed.

The texture and appearance of the graining on the planks match. You see wood but enjoy a surface that requires much less maintenance.

These LVP planks offer pet- and kid-friendly options that aren’t available in natural wood. Busy families appreciate the forgiving and easy-care option afforded by COREtec premium LVP flooring.

Orange County Flooring Contractor Offers LVP

Ready to see the CORETec difference? Make an appointment with Inspired Remodels. Meet with a flooring contractor who matches your budget, lifestyle, and design dreams with the most appropriate flooring for your needs.

Browse the showroom with a design professional who turns new flooring dreams into new flooring reality. As part of a whole home remodel or just an update to a room, find the right flooring for your home.

local bathroom remodeling contractors (Orange County) after photo with seamless glass shower, white soaking tub, dual mirrors, and 3 contrasting tile patterns

Bathroom Remodeling: What Do You Decide First?

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

When faced with a math problem, we solve it from left to right and follow the PEMDAS order of operations. Need a refresher? Start with parenthesis, exponents, multiply, divide, add and subtract. When bathroom remodeling moves from an idea to reality, what decisions do you make first? Does bathroom remodeling have an order of operations?

It does! Follow along and discover the order to make decisions in bathroom remodeling.

Settle on Design and Layout

Start your bathroom renovation journey by settling on the overall layout and design for the room.

Make this decision first. The design and layout determine your plumbing and electrical needs. If the design calls for moving these systems, this increases the cost. That’s important to know right off the bat.

Determine The Budget

Now look at the amount you have in your bank account and consider your ability to pay debt. You may pay for your bathroom remodel in cash or financing may be required. Depending on how much work you do or if you hire a fully licensed and insured bathroom remodeler like Inspired Remodels, you can spend $25,000 to $60,000 or more.

Remember, things like moving plumbing, electrical, or even walls drive up the cost and duration of your renovation.

Knowing your budget or getting approved for a home improvement loan or line of credit (if you need to do so) before you start shopping makes good sense.

Select Your Style and Palette

Now you know the basics, next comes the fun part. But before you get down to details, make some overall style decisions.

Do you want a modern, transitional, or traditional look? Do you like the look of Mission style but want a modern take? Settle on a style and let this decision inform your next decisions. Not sure where to get started or how to define your style? Find inspiration on websites like Pinterest, Houzz, or even design magazines. Gather the things you are drawn to and find the commonalities.

Picking a color palette goes hand-in-hand with the style decision. Also, keep in mind the size of the room and the natural light. Light colors and minimal design make rooms look larger. Large spaces can support darker colors and more detail in the design elements.

Select Vanity and Cabinets

Selecting your vanity and cabinets becomes easier once you’ve determined your budget, style, and color palette.

Midnight blue works well for modern styles but will be out of place in a traditional environment. See how easy this is getting?

The most common bathroom cabinet and vanity colors work well in small and large bathroom bathrooms. This includes white, grey, and light-finish wood.

Select Tub/Shower and Toilet Fixtures

Does the bathroom remodel include a new tub, shower, or toilet? Make these decisions based on the plumbing and layout you’ve selected.

Remember, modern smart toilets and bidets require hot and cold water as well as access to electricity.

Pick Flooring

Your flooring covers more area than the shower and tub area. That’s why you pick flooring first.

Bathrooms require waterproof flooring. Decide on natural stone, ceramic, porcelain, or wood-look tile. What’s the difference between ceramic and porcelain? Both are made of clay, but porcelain is a type of ceramic made from finer clay and gets fired at a higher temperature. This makes them more durable.

All porcelain is ceramic, but not all ceramic is porcelain. Got it?

Pick Shower/Wall Tiles

Now let’s pick the shower and wall tiles!

Use shower and wall tiles to bring design interest. Add texture and pattern if that is your desire. Keep the tile in your shower pan to allow for proper drainage and anti-slip qualities. Determine if you want to create a feature wall on a single wall or if you want to carry the same look throughout the space. There’s a look for everyone!

The services of a designer and bathroom remodeler help make choices that keep the entire room cohesive.

Select Lighting

Pick overhead and task lighting. Consider the amount of natural light at all times of the day.

Bathroom Remodeling Contractors Make It Easier

Starting the bathroom remodeling process with a contractor makes decision-making easier.

Your contractor maintains relationships with vendors and knows from experience the quality of products available. They help you work within your budget.

Want to work with an experienced bathroom remodeler in Orange County, California? Schedule a consultation with Inspired Remodels.

Flooring Contractor Uses Biophilic Design in Orange County

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / 1 Comment

Biophilic design evolved from Biophilia and was introduced by Stephen Kellert in 1983. It has gained popularity ever since. This design connects our indoor living spaces with the outdoor environment through design. Inspired Remodels, an Orange County flooring contractor, understands that the choice of flooring materials and colors plays a key role in the overall biophilic design. Think of a color palette that resonates with the local Orange County landscape, from desert to mountains, sea, and sky. Consider natural and man-made materials that emulate their natural counterparts.

after flooring contractor installs grey flooring in living area

Grey wood floors, plants, and natural fiber rug contribute to biophilic design

Flooring Material Options

Any Orange County flooring contractor that uses biophilic design looks first to natural materials. Some examples of natural materials that could be used for flooring options include stone, wood, bamboo, concrete, or even tile made to look like these materials.

Natural Stone

For the Orange County landscape, slate, sandstone, and travertine offer the rugged textures and tones of our beautiful mountains and rock formations. The use of a matte finish maintains the earthy look of the stone. It is important to note that natural stone may not be right for every home as it does require regular maintenance and sealing.

Engineered Wood

While any wood does the job, selecting lighter tones or weathered woods maintains the biophilic aesthetic and complements other natural design elements. Woods like oak or hickory bring warmth while mimicking the sun-bleached look of our arid region. Available from most brands are wide planks which help to maintain the natural feel. Engineered wood has shifted from the shiny, polished look of the 90’s to a more matte or wire-brushed finish.

Alternative Tile Options

Natural stone or engineered wood may not be the right fit for every home. If you are looking for the biophilic aesthetic without the care and maintenance of natural materials, tile brands like Arizona Tile have created porcelain tiles made to look like wood, concrete, slate, or even marble.

Color Schemes

Natural finishes make the ideal starting point for color options. Matte finishes maintain the aesthetic. The flooring color should complement or contrast with the other colors used in the room.

Popular not only to biophilic design but also deemed as one of the industry’s trends for 2025, earth tones. Think colors that appear naturally. Colors such as sandy beige, soft taupe, or warm terracotta pair well with rust red, ochre, or burnt orange to mirror the rocks in the Santa Ana mountains.

Neutral grays mimic the weathered look of rugged stone and mountain shadows. This flooring color pairs well with warm walls and balances cool tones in the room.

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

LVP looks like wood

Desert greens like sage or olive echo native flora. Soft blues and blush pinks bring in the colors of the Pacific and sky at dusk or dawn. Luxury vinyl flooring (LVP) planks in ash or oak naturally match these colors.

Accents in Natural Finishes

Other ways to incorporate biophilic design into your home include accents and accessories.

Wood accents. Things like floating shelves, mantels, or accent walls finished in a natural wood bring natural warmth into the space and embrace the tones of biophilic design.
Natural fiber rugs and carpet. Whether sisal, jute, seagrass or another natural fiber, accent rugs or even carpet are available through brands like our partners at Fibreworks.

Flooring contractor after picture: Hardwood flooring on stairs and landing

Stair flooring is not a DIY project

Orange County Flooring Contractor for Biophilic Design

Not every flooring contractor in Orange County understands the use of biophilic design. Get your flooring through Inspired Remodels and you will be assured that your design incorporates biophilic design if that’s your preference.
Bring your design ideas to Inspired Remodels and reap the benefits of a truly inspired design for years to come. Schedule a consultation today.