Home Improvement Archives - Page 23 of 32

Do Your 2018 Interior Remodeling Plans Include a Fireplace?

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

Have you resolved to have a new look in your home for 2018? If so, consider adding the fireplace to your list of interior remodeling plans. Updating or adding a fireplace warms a room and makes it more inviting. A fireplace is the focal point of a room in any season. And if you don’t want to hassle with going all Boy Scout to learn to start a fire, technology can help. Some fireplaces are on with the flick of a switch! Here are hot trends for fireplaces in 2018.

Contemporary Fireplaces

Fireplaces today have a contemporary look. Notice that today’s fireplaces are wider than traditional fireplaces. Contemporary fireplaces don’t need a hearth. They may be placed at eye level or below for a stunning look. Because many contemporary fireplaces are gas burners, you don’t need to worry about a chimney and they can even be placed on interior walls without breaking the bank.

grey is a popular interior remodeling color even for fireplaces

Grey fireplace surround

One of the hottest trends in interior remodeling is the use of grey. Grey has been the new neutral, replacing white and black for at least ten years now. That’s because grey works and plays well with other colors. The contrast of dark, matte grey with the glossy white mantel makes this fireplace hot, even when it’s not lit.

All Season Fireplaces

Another trend in fireplaces is creating a space that can be used year around. You might not want a fire in July, but you want a fireplace that looks good in all seasons. By replacing grates and andirons with candles, this fireplace can still provide a warm glow in warm weather. Be sure to select pillar candles that won’t drip wax into the fireplace. Even better, go for LED pillar candles like the Mognad candle at Ikea.

Pillar Candles in Fireplace

Taper Candles in Fireplace

Brick is Back and Stone is in Too

After riding in the back seat for the last 20 years, brick is back and it is big. That’s because brick is not only durable, it is versatile. Brick works and plays well with other materials (both man-made and natural) and brick is durable. When brick made a comeback, it brought stacked stone with it. Stacked stone rocks (pun intended) bathroom and fireplace projects. Inspired Remodels crafts some amazing fireplaces with brick and stacked stone. If your interior remodeling plans include a fireplace, brick or stacked stone is worth a second look.

remodeling project idea using rustic brick

Rustic Look Achieved with Bricks of Varying Sizes

Stacked Stone Wall with Fireplace

Inspired Remodeling Projects Begin With Inspired Remodels

Whether your 2018 remodeling projects include a fireplace or are focused on the bathroom, kitchen or any other room let Inspired Remodels be your inspiration. As a design/build remodeling contractor in Orange County, they are with you from initial idea to project completion. Call (949) 716-1938 to schedule an appointment today.

General Contractors Guide to the Best Halloween Jack O’Lantern

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

As general contractors, Inspired Remodels knows a thing or two about designing and building great spaces. We understand physics and design. To celebrate Halloween, we’re putting that knowledge to practical use to help you select, design and carve the best pumpkin ever.

Start with the Right Structure

If you’re going to have the best Halloween Jack O’Lantern, you’ve got to start with the best pumpkin. Pumpkins are a member of the Cucurbit family of plants. Their cousins are cucumbers, gourds and other squashes. The word pumpkin comes from the Greek word pepon which means large melon. Why is this important? Because what we call “pumpkin” in the US is called winter squash elsewhere. And in the Caribbean they call the squash we know as “calabaza” pumpkin. By the way, did you know that most canned pumpkin is actually butternut squash? See, they can get away with it because pumpkin has no set botanical or scientific meaning.

For the purposes of carving your Jack O’Lantern, you’ll be faced with a choice of two types of pumpkins: hard and sugar. Sugar pumpkins are the small, cute white or orange pumpkins you see. They have a round shape. Sugar pumpkins are fleshy. They have a high sugar and pulp content. Sugar pumpkins make awesome pies. But, they are too fleshy for a good carving structure.

For carving, you want a pumpkin that is hard. The skin must be thin. You want stringy flesh. Autumn Gold and Hobbit are popular here on the West Coast. If you want a monster, find a Gold Rush.

Pick the Best Pumpkin

Now you’ve narrowed down the choices, here’s how to pick a pumpkin that will stand up to carving. As general contractors, we know that structure is important.

Get a hollow pumpkin. Pick the pumpkin up and tap it. It should sound hollow.

Get a flat bottom. If you want your carved creation to sit properly, you need a flat bottom. It’s easier to pick a pumpkin with a flat bottom than to level an uneven pumpkin later.

Get a fresh pumpkin. Inspect the pumpkin carefully to make sure it is fresh. Look for bad spots that indicate it is starting to rot. Touch the surface of the pumpkin. Feel for soft spots. Soft spots are a sign of a rotting pumpkin.

Get it home carefully. Always carry your pumpkin from the bottom. The stem is not a handle. Secure it in the trunk or back of your car so it does not roll. The floorboard is better than the seat.

Get Carving

The internet is loaded with templates and ideas for carving. Here’s a link with over 50 ideas for pumpkin designs. We’re not going to duplicate that information here. What we will do is give you some solid carving tips.

Scrape scrape and scrape again. This is the secret to a long lasting pumpkin. Make sure you get all the seeds, pulp, and flesh out of the pumpkin. When you think you have it scraped clean, scrape it again. There are claws to make this work easier. Spoons do it too.

Use the right tool. Make sure you use the right tool for the right cut. Small double edged saws are great for carving. Make your cuts straight, not on an angle. Angle cuts expose more surface area. More surface area means more area exposed to air. Air leads to rot. Cut straight!

Vent. No, this doesn’t mean complain about the work involved in scraping. You need a little chimney for your pumpkin. When you finish carving, light a candle, place it in the pumpkin, and set the lid on top. Let it burn for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove lid and blow out candle. The top of the lid should have a small black spot from the candle soot. Take an ice pick or awl and make a vent here.

Bonus tip. Now here’s a bonus tip. When you are through with your pumpkin carving, wipe the inside of the pumpkin with a paper towel. Then rub cinnamon, allspice or ginger on the inside. As the candle burns, it will release a warm, spicy aroma.

Inspiration from Inspired General Contractors

We hope this post has inspired you to get out and create the best carved pumpkin ever! Inspired Remodels is the home remodeling contractor that specializes in helping people turn ideas and inspired dreams into reality.

When you’re ready to remodel more than a pumpkin, give us a call at (949) 716-1938.

Orange County Flooring Contractor Talks Flooring Trends 2021

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

Note: This article was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the latest trends as seen by Inspired Remodels, the leading Orange County flooring contractor.

Changes in flooring trends lack the speed of other interior design trends. But flooring does have trends. Inspired Remodels, Orange County’s go-to flooring contractor shares what’s hot in 2021 and the trends that are here to stay.

What’s Hot in Flooring

Orange County still loves hard surface flooring. It’s perfect for our active lifestyles. Carpet still has its place in 2021, but it is not in Orange County homes. We continue to skip over carpeting until it regains popularity (if it ever does). But trends many of the trends we saw in 2017 persist today.

Wood Look Floors

First, there was tile, then there was wood. The hottest trend in flooring continues to be a tile that looks like wood. You get the durability of porcelain with the beauty of wood. Wood look tile makes for an easy-care routine and comes in a wide variety of colors, grains, and textures. It’s a favorite of this flooring contractor and Orange County homeowners.

In 2021, hardwood and wood-look floors get a twist. Hand-scraped flooring hit the design scene about the time as barn doors. The flooring provides a distressed or rustic look that goes so well with many Orange County homes.

Hand-scraped finishes show up on wood, bamboo, and wood-look tile. You’ll even find some engineered click-lock flooring sporting the hand-scraped finish.

You don’t need to utilize Mission-style decor to enjoy hand-scraped flooring.

Light Wood Floors

Whether it is engineered wood, natural bamboo, or even wood-look tile, light-colored floors are hot. Move over espresso and make way for blonde floors. Red oak and white oak are both light woods with beautiful grain. Hard maple costs more, but as the name implies it is hard. An even harder “wood” is bamboo, which is increasingly popular. Technically a grass, bamboo scores higher on the hardness scale than actual hardwood. Eucalyptus provides another eco-friendly option and is naturally light-colored. Birch and ash are both light, but don’t take stain well. They work best when you want a natural poly finish. You will find all of these wood finishes in natural wood or wood-look tile.

Grey Tones

Grey continues to be the new white. This shade continues to top the color charts in 2021. People flock to grey for its calming influence. These days, we can all use a little calm. Grey flooring is perfectly at home in a traditional or modern room. It’s great for the kitchen or bathroom because it works and plays well with so many accent colors. Grey is chic and grey is clean and we think it is will enjoy continued popularity for the next 10 years and beyond. Wood-look tiles in grey tones are showing up in more and more Orange County bathrooms. That’s because tile is perfect for the bathroom and grey compliments most all cabinetry. Add on the appeal of a wood appearance and you’ve got a winner for bathrooms.

Patterns

Geometric patterns migrated from backsplashes to the floor in the last few years. Find chevrons, herringbones, and other patterns in bathrooms and kitchens too. Wood and tile floors gain interest when installed with interesting patterns.

Patterns offer the potential for fabulously inspired design or can create an incredible eyesore. Ensure your pattern works well with the rest of the interior. Patterns provide the perfect level of detail when perfectly executed. The tile medallion design gracing this entranceway will look just as stunning in 20 years as it does today.

And the combination of a herringbone tile pattern with a neutral color creates a fashion-forward look that endures.

And speaking of patterns, the herringbone continues to offer a cost-effective way to achieve the chevron look. Chevrons require a miter cut on every tile or wood plank to achieve their vee look.

On the other hand, chevrons pull off the same visual effect without the time and material-consuming miter cuts.

If you want the visual interest of vees, opt for a herringbone pattern every time.

Flooring Contractor Tips for Flooring Selection

With so many options, choosing is difficult. Inspired Remodels recommends that you consider 3 main factors when choosing flooring material:

Room Use. First, think about how the space is used. Usage determines factors such as durability and ease of care. High usage rooms need a surface that stands up to foot traffic. Kitchens get messy, kitchen floors need to be easy to clean. Formal areas may not require durable surfaces. A room used by pets requires stain and scratch resistance.

Room Location. Entrance rooms must combine wow factor and durability. Most dirt, mud, and moisture get deposited on the floors next to exterior doors. In addition, entry areas need to make a statement. Whether it is a cheerful “welcome home” or a grand “welcome to my castle”, flooring plays a starring role in staging entryways. Also, consider light exposure. Rooms that face south or west receive the most sunlight. This means more damaging UV rays and glare.

Budget. Flooring costs add up quickly. Factor in the useful life of the flooring material when evaluating costs. A hardwood floor can be expensive upfront, but can be refinished and last over 50 years with proper care. Laminate flooring may cost less initially, but has a much shorter life. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of padding if you decide to buck the trends and go with carpet.

Get Inspired Flooring

For inspired flooring designs, talk to Inspired Remodels. View our inspired flooring portfolio to see what’s possible and then Contact Us on-line or call (949) 716-1938 and talk to Jason and Joe Mueller.