Home Improvement Archives - Page 6 of 32

kitchen and bath contractors after photo highlighting Black & white modern bathroom design

Elevate Your Orange County Bathroom with These Shower Remodel Ideas!

By Inspired Remodels / Bathroom Remodel, Home Improvement / Comments Off

With housing prices continuing to soar, more people are upgrading to luxury living without moving. Bathroom remodeling allows you to revamp your bathroom and shower space and turn it into a luxurious retreat. Cheaper and easier than moving for sure! Get inspired with these shower remodel ideas. Each was part of an Orange County bathroom makeover!

From sleek, modern designs to classic, timeless spa looks, Inspired Remodels makes your dreams of updating your bathroom a reality. So, get ready to say goodbye to an outdated shower and hello to a luxury oasis right in your own home.

Creative Tile Designs Elevate Shower Spaces

Transform your bathroom into a personalized oasis through the creative use of tile. A shower remodel offers plenty of opportunity to mix and match tile colors and patterns. Why settle for walls and floors with the same design?

In the bathroom above, the shower remodel extended the subway tile on the walls while using a floor tile with a design that emulates the floor tile outside the shower. With so much glass in the shower these days, it’s important to create design cohesion inside and outside the shower.

This shower remodel creates an accent wall with pattern tile from the same color family. The gold fixtures add additional warmth to this design.

Invest in high-quality materials and timeless design elements to ensure your bathroom remains stylish and functional for years to come.

Use either natural light from windows or skylights to highlight your tile. The natural light filtered through the window shade above the tub brings out the beauty of the black tile and highlights the contrast with the light grout and shower floor tile. Next to paint, no other design element provides such a wide array of choices than wall and floor tile.

Take the remodel as an opportunity to personalize your space with decorative tile accents to make the shower space your own.

Smart Water Saving Fixtures

Consider adding luxurious touches such as a rainfall showerhead. Whether mounted on the wall or ceiling. many modern fixtures can increase pressure while reducing flow. You get the feel of more water while using less.

Hand-held shower heads and vertical spas also offer water-saving options. Just because your shower remodel oozes luxury at every touch doesn’t mean it can’t be eco-friendly too.

Luxurious Shower Fixtures for a Stunning Upgrade

Choose high-quality materials and luxurious shower fixtures. Pick durable finishes like bright chrome, brushed nickel or matte black for a sophisticated look that is timeless and easy to care for. Invest in fixtures with innovative features such as thermostatic valves for consistent water temperature and anti-scald technology for safety.

Notice how something as small as a difference in fixture finishes (chrome versus brushed nickel) makes a big difference in the shower look. The bright chrome plays off the cool tone gray tile in the first shower while the brushed nickel complements the warm tones in the second shower.

Traditional shower/tub combo with black fixtures

Black fixtures play an important role in the design of this shower/tub remodel. Notice the black accents carry to the door lever!

Selecting the right fixtures makes your shower a luxurious oasis that seamlessly combines comfort, style, and functionality.

Transform Your Bathroom with the Orange County Shower Remodel Experts!

Looking to transform your boring bathroom into a luxurious oasis? Look no further than Inspired Remodels, the premier Orange County Shower Remodel Ideas experts!

With their innovative design solutions and top-notch craftsmanship, they can turn your outdated shower into a stunning focal point. Whether you’re craving a sleek modern look or a cozy rustic retreat, Inspired Remodels has got you covered.

Say goodbye to your drab shower and hello to your dream bathroom with Inspired Remodels!

Orange County Flooring Contactor Sheds Light On Common DIY Flooring Mistakes

By Inspired Remodels / Home Improvement / Comments Off

Are you thinking about installing new flooring in your home? It’s tempting to take the DIY route to save a few bucks. But before you dive in, consider this: DIY flooring projects often end up costing more in the long run. Why? Because without the proper know-how, you’re bound to make easily avoidable mistakes. Ask any seasoned Orange County flooring contractor about common DIY mistakes. You will hear about these common mistakes.

Not Understanding the Importance of Preparation

DIYers often underestimate the importance of preparation. Skipping crucial steps like proper subfloor preparation or moisture testing leads to flooring disasters. Without a level surface or proper moisture protection, failure waits in the wings. The flooring fails sooner rather than later.

For example, that fabulous wood flooring that’s all the rage now requires acclimation. Whether installed by a DIY’er or a pro, wood flooring material needs time to acclimate to the environment before installation. Pros know how to open and stack flooring planks and understand how long the acclimation process takes.

Many DIY enthusiasts overlook this critical step. Their floors warp or buckle over time and only then do they call in a pro.

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

Wood-look tile offers a waterproof alternative to wood in the bathroom

Picking the Wrong Flooring

Selecting the right flooring material for your space is crucial for both aesthetics and functionality. However, many DIYers make the mistake of choosing based solely on appearance, without considering factors like durability, maintenance requirements, or suitability for the room’s purpose. They end up with great flooring in the wrong room or the wrong house. Environment and lifestyle matter.

When you work with an Orange County flooring contractor, they serve as advisors as well as installers. These pros won’t put wood floors in the bathroom, they’ll advise you to pick wood-look porcelain or ceramic.

Pros know what flooring stands up to high foot traffic from people and pets. DIYers lack this expertise.

Flooring contractor after picture: Hardwood flooring on stairs and landing

Stair flooring is not a DIY project

Poor Measuring and Installing Tools

Every flooring pro knows the maxim “Measure twice, cut once”. Unfortunately, many DIYers fail to heed this advice. This equals wasted materials, material shortages, and a patchy appearance to the final product.

Even a small measurement error can result in gaps, uneven seams, or misaligned tiles or planks. Even if they measure correctly, DIYers often lack the skills, precision, and attention to detail required for proper installation. Complex techniques like pattern matching, seam sealing, or proper adhesive application require practice.

Poorly measured and installed flooring looks amateurish and fails to stand up to wear and tear.

after bathroom remodel flooring contractor shows grey and white pattern tile flooring and blue vanity

This tile pattern is no problem for an Orange County flooring contractor

Go With a Seasoned Orange County Flooring Contractor

Sure, the allure of DIY seems appealing. But, tackling a flooring project without the necessary expertise leads to costly and unattractive mistakes. From improper preparation and measurement errors to poor installation techniques and material selection, the risks far outweigh the potential savings.

Avoid these risks. Work with a professional Orange County flooring contractor like Inspired Remodeling. These pros bring the knowledge, skills, and tools to get the job done right the first time.

custom kitchen remodeing after picture kitchen island with drawers for storage

Breaking Down Custom Kitchen Remodeling Projects

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

What’s involved in a custom kitchen remodeling project? What elements are involved and how much can you expect to pay for a complete remodel? Of course, Inspired Remodels, like every other custom kitchen remodeler, tells everyone that costs vary based on your situation. But based on Forbes research, here’s what you can expect.

Cabinets

When it comes to budget, new cabinets consume a big chunk. Figure that your cabinets will take about 29% of the budget according to Forbes.

It might be tempting to shave a few dollars here, but cabinetry endures. Good cabinets may be refinished or painted over the years. So, when you figure cabinets last 20 years or more, it makes sense their cost is higher.

Labor

Those cabinets, floors, backsplashes, lighting, and appliances won’t install themselves. Expect to pay for installation labor in addition to the materials. That only makes sense.

When a licensed general contractor completes your custom kitchen remodeling project, those labor costs include the cost of the actual work plus the overhead associated with labor. This includes worker’s compensation insurance, Social Security, Medicare, etc. Don’t gripe – that’s all for your benefit.

Let an unlicensed contractor without worker’s compensation on your property and if something goes wrong, you are responsible for medical bills associated with any on-the-job injuries.

Forbes research shows labor is about 17% of the total cost.

Appliances

New appliances can run from several thousand to tens of thousands, depending on your taste. A cheap oven (who wants that?) can be as low as $400 but a Wolf all gas range can cost $4300 or more. Same applies to your refrigerator and dishwasher. A basic dishwasher clocks in at $300 but a Miele will cost $1,300 or more.

Appliances last, and the more you pay generally the higher quality you expect. Appliances don’t last as long as cabinets, so they consume less of the budget. Forbes research finds that all new appliances are about 14% of the budget.

Countertops

The remaining double-digit percentage of the budget comes from your countertop selection. Figure about 10% of the budget will be spent on the countertops.

On the low end, ceramic tile countertops can cost as little as $10 to $30 per square foot. On the other end of the spectrum, marble runs $60 to $200 per square foot. In between is your butcher block, composite, granite, and quartz.

All the Rest

The remainder of the budget will go to flooring, backsplashes, lighting, sheetrock, hardware, and faucets. If your custom kitchen remodel includes new windows and doors, expect to pay more than the average cost.

So, what do you recoup in value? The national average return on investment for a custom kitchen remodel is 52% to 71%. The greater the overhaul, the lower the ROI. That’s because the more you spend, the less you get back. In other words, a complete redo that changes the floor plan and moves doors and windows generates a lower ROI than an update that replaces cabinets, appliances, and countertops.

Custom Kitchen Remodeling Pros

Ready to talk turkey about a kitchen remodel? Make an appointment with the pros at Inspired Remodels. Orange County brings their remodeling inspiration to Jason and Joe Mueller and then watches as this brotherly duo brings them to life.

Schedule a consultation today.