fbpx

Call us today! 949-716-1938

Inspired Remodels

Home Improvement

Changing the Conventional Wisdom on Orange County General Contractors

By / Home Improvement / Comments Off on Changing the Conventional Wisdom on Orange County General Contractors

Orange County general contractors often get a bad rap. People call them sleazy, unresponsive, unreliable, and dishonest. They refuse accountability. Then, when you need them the most, they disappear.

The contracting industry contains good and bad apples. Unfortunately, stereotypes rise from the actions of a few bad actors.   Inspired Remodels changes the view of Orange County general contractors.

General Contractor Horror Stories

Hire a general contractor and expect licensed, professional, and skilled workers.  The last thing you expect is a job that drag on for months. Or, subcontractors showing up to threaten placing a lien on your property because you haven’t been paid. That’s what happened to Robert S when he hired a general contractor to remodel his kitchen.  Read the entire horror story on Yelp.

Or, how about Susan? She hired a general contractor to redo her kitchen.  The job required the general contractor to replace ceiling popcorn with texture.  Sounds nice? Well, Susan received more than she expected.  The crazy general contractor hired a subcontractor to remove the popcorn and apply texture to every surface in the kitchen!  That’s right, imagine your ceiling and every wall covered in texture.  Talk about going overboard!

orange County general contractor adds blue lower cabinets and white upper cabinets to kitchen with grey and white blacksplashcustom kitchen remodel features blue cabinets

Design/Build Orange County General Contractor

Inspired Remodels paints a different picture of general contractors in Orange County.  See, Inspired Remodels maintains an active license, has full insurance, and keeps your best interest at heart.  They act as a design/build firm. Therefore you never suffer from miscommunication between the design firm and the contractor. So, whether you want a bathroom remodel, a kitchen remodel, or  custom cabinetry or flooring, they create the plans and specifications. Once you approve the design, they schedule the work. Next, they perform the work to your delight.

Patty G in Trabuco Canyon posts on Yelp

screenshot of Orange County general contractor review for Inspired Remodels on Yelp

Call (949) 716-1938 or Contact Us online and schedule a consultation.  Share your project ideas, budget, and needs. Then, prepare for amazing results.  Get quality work performed to your satisfaction with Inspired Remodels.

Article originally published on 7/29/2016. It has been updated to reflect current information.

Kitchen Renovation Must Haves

By / Home Improvement, Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off on Kitchen Renovation Must Haves

When you are planning your next kitchen renovation you will be thinking about flooring, cabinet styles, finishes, counter tops, ovens, ranges, and refrigerators.  Those are all key components to any kitchen renovation.  But sometimes its the smaller things that can have a big impact on the finished kitchen.  Inspired Remodels shares a few must haves to incorporate in your next kitchen renovation.

Drawers Over Doors

When you think about new kitchen cabinets, you need to think about more than the finish and style.  You need to think abut how you will be using the storage space.  For maximum efficiency in the kitchen, select drawers over doors for the base cabinets.  Instead of opening a door, bending down, and rummaging around to get the item you need you can just pull out a drawer and the item will be right at hand.

use drawers instead of doors during your kitchen renovation to make space easier to use

These Orange County homeowners understood the benefit of drawers over doors during their recent kitchen renovation and are glad they made the switch every time they cook.  Extra deep drawers are perfect for storing pots and pans out of sight but within easy reach.

Maximize Natural Lighting

Mission-Viejo-Kitchen-11

Make the most of sunlight.  It makes even small kitchens look larger.  Saves on electricity too as natural lighting can be used for tasks during most of the day.  Avoid heavy window treatments. They block light and make the kitchen look smaller.

Centralized Pantry Area

pantry wall next to fridgeDesignate at least one wall as your pantry wall.  This saves steps when cooking and makes organizing and storing groceries a breeze.  These remodelers applied this concept to create a wall that looks good and provides plenty of storage just where you need it. This pantry wall is close to the fridge, minimizing the steps needed to gather ingredients.  Another option is to place the pantry wall next to the stove, where ingredients are handy.  Pantry walls don’t need to be next to an appliance.  But if they are, the best looking kitchens use either counter depth appliances or adjust the cabinet size to provide a smooth, finished appearance.

Quiet Dishwasher and Garbage Disposal

As kitchens are more and more integrated into the living space, the sounds emanating from the room are becoming just as important as the smells.  You want to be part of the action as you cook and clean, but your family won’t appreciate the noise from overly loud dishwashers and garbage disposals.

When comparing features, be sure to look at the decibel levels during operation.  Normal conversation is carried on at about 60 decibels.  Get too close to that number and you have to shout over the dishwasher or disposal.  Not good.

Many models made by Miele and Bosch operate in the 40 decibel range, making them perfect for open floor plans.  As the appliance gets quieter, the price tag gets bigger.  If your kitchen renovation budget doesn’t allow for one of these brands, pick a model with a delay start.  This will allow you to run the dishwasher after you leave for the day or go to bed at night.

Undermount Sink

Quartz-Countertops-22

Single Bowl Undermount Sink

Undermount sinks are not only popular, they are practical. With this style sink, the sink edge lip is mounted under the countertop. It works with solid countertops such as soapstone, granite, and concrete.  Laminate or tile counters will not have enough weight to support the sink. Undermount sinks provide a clean surface between the countertop and the sink. That means fewer crevices and cracks for crumbs and stains to hide in.  Just wipe the crumbs off the countertop and into the sink.  Clean up is a breeze. Speaking of clean-up, opt for a large sink that allows plenty of room to scrub those large pots, pans, and cookie sheets.  The lighter the sink, the more stains it will show.  Darker sinks won’t be stained by red wine, spaghetti sauce or coffee.

IMG_4174

  Double bowl undermount sink

Single bowl or multi-bowl is more a reflection of your cooking and cleaning style.  If you put most of your dishes through the ultra quiet dishwasher, then a single bowl is perfect.  If you prefer to hand wash your daily dishes, a single bowl is not very practical.  In that case select a two or three bowl sink.  If you have the space and the budget allows, a small prep sink is another must have.

Hire a Kitchen Renovation Pro

Hiring a company with expertise in kitchen renovation projects can be the difference between a dream kitchen that just looks good and a kitchen that looks amazing and functions like a dream.  Inspired Remodels can turn your dream kitchen into reality.  They will work with you to design a room that fuses function,, beauty, and your personal style.  Check out our portfolio of kitchen renovations and then call (949) 716-1938 to schedule your  consultation.

 

 

 

kitchen remodeling services company creates open designs

Interior Remodeling Fuses Indoor and Outdoor Spaces Beautifully

By / Home Improvement / Comments Off on Interior Remodeling Fuses Indoor and Outdoor Spaces Beautifully

Great design is always aware of the surrounding space.  These recent interior remodeling jobs show how to perfectly fuse your indoor space with the outdoors. When you need inspiration, many times all you need to do is look to nature.

Kitchen Interior Remodeling Incorporates Outdoor Entertaining

This recent kitchen remodel was designed to do more than just update the kitchen.  The goal was to bring a natural flow between the interior and exterior spaces for seamless entertaining.

interior remodeling job extends kitchen to patio

This remodeling started with adding doors that can be opened to connect the kitchen area to the outdoor entertaining area.  When the doors are open, traffic flows seamlessly between the two areas. Notice the subtle design touches such as duplicating the wood pattern from the immediate threshold to the table.  While the wood colors contrast, the lines complement.

 

indoor and outdoor pic 2

When the doors are closed, traditional separation of indoor and outdoors spaces are preserved.  However the glass allows the two areas to remain connected visually and allows natural light to flood the kitchen area.

This kitchen not only incorporates indoor and outdoor living areas, it does so with beauty, style, and function.  The light cabinets are the perfect contrast for the dark flooring.  Appliances placed in a working triangle mean fewer steps for the cook.  This is just one way that Inspired Remodels works with homeowners to make sure that each interior remodeling job results in rooms that are not only visually stunning, but functional as well.

indoor and outdoor pic 3

Notice how the backsplash behind the range pulls together elements from the appliances, cabinetry, and surrounding tile.  Beautiful.

indoor and outdoor pic 4

Bathroom Interior Remodeling Inspired by Nature

 

Bathrooms lends themselves to using materials inspired by nature.  Hard surfaces are essential to a waterproof bathroom that is easy to maintain.  Let nature provide the inspiration for your bathroom remodel.  When you skillfully mix colors and textures from nature all you need to do is add water and a few towels and you have an awesome bathroom.

interior remodeling in bathroom takes inspiration from nature with octupus drainThis design for the shower floor evokes the look and feel of a pebbled surface.  The unique drain cover reminds you of an aquatic creature.  The colors are cool and soothing.

 

 

shower tile floor 2The floor of this shower in inspired by river rock.  What’s more natural and soothing than water rushing over pebbles polished smooth by the motion?

 

The floor of the shower is just the beginning.  You can bring elements from nature with:

  • stacked rock back splash
  • wood floors and cabinets
  • marble and other stone

If you’ve got natural light, make the most of it with glass block windows to bring in light and retain privacy.

Inspired Remodels Brings Interior Remodeling Dreams to Life

 

If you are ready to remodel the interior of your Orange County home, call on the experts at Inspired Remodels.  They can sit with you to discuss your lifestyle, your dreams, and your needs and create a stunning design.  Whether you want a look that is traditional or contemporary Inspired Remodels can make it happen.

As a licensed general contractor, Inspired Remodels is ready to assist you with all phases.  From the initial design to the final construction clean-up, Inspired Remodels will handle it all. So if you are ready to incorporate inspiration from nature and extend the usability of your living space, call (949) 716-1938 or Contact Us on-line to make an appointment for a consultation.