Kitchen Remodel Archives - Page 19 of 32

Online Kitchen Remodel Planner

By Inspired Remodels / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

Pinterest is great for collecting kitchen remodeling ideas. But, when it’s time to start turning those ideas into a remodel plan, you need some design tools. Nothing beats the design team at Inspired Remodels, but if you want to play around with design before you sit down with us, try one of these online kitchen remodel planner tools.

RoomSketcher Kitchen Remodel Planner

This kitchen remodel planner is free. Now, you know you can’t beat that price, but what do you get in return? Well to start with there’s a tremendous database of appliances, cabinets, finishes, countertops and cabinet fronts. You’re sure to find something that matches your Pinterest board items in this database.

We love that this kitchen remodel planner is one of the few that lets you play around with different textures, tiles, and finish surfaces for your walls. Others might let you play with the floors, but not many will let you change wall finishes without upgrading to a premium package.

There’s an App for That!

Not into sitting at the desktop or laptop when you are redesigning your kitchen? Not to worry, Houzz has an app for that. Download their app to your smartphone or tablet. Now, take a picture of your kitchen and start dragging and dropping elements on top of your kitchen.

This tool is more for a renovation where you aren’t making major changes. For example, it won’t let you take out walls or add walls, but if you are keeping the layout the same this app is fun. You can even put canisters on the counters if you want to see every little detail of your remodel.

Planner 5D

This app is available for the desktop or smartphone. You can create a floor plan in 2 dimensions and then add your other elements and view them in 3D. Hence, the 5D in the name (2D + 3D = 5D).

Planner 5D has a pretty cool feature that lets you turn your finished design into a realistic photograph. Then if you want to get social, it’s easy to share your design with the community of Planner5D users. Better than Pinterest for as a source of ideas! The Planner 5D community lets you see what professional designers are doing as they share their cutting edge designs.

Personal Kitchen Remodel Planner

Feeling overwhelmed by the choices? Don’t be. Inspired Remodels provides the personal, human touch. Our design team sits with you to create the room of your dream. Want a kitchen that is functional and fabulous? Schedule your consultation online today or call (949) 716-1938.

Kitchen and Bath Contractors Tips to Preparing for a Remodel

Remodeling your kitchen or bath is exciting. But it’s also disruptive and frustrating. Experienced kitchen and bath contractors, Inspired Remodels, wants every remodel to be as stress-free as possible. When you follow these tips, your kitchen or bath remodel will be much easier.

Living During a Kitchen Remodel

Plan on living without a kitchen for at least a month. If this is a major remodel, it may be longer. You can’t eat out three meals a day for over a month, so use this plan:

Set up a temporary kitchen

Turn a spare bedroom, living area, or even the garage into a temporary kitchen. Move the fridge in there along with a coffee pot, small microwave, and a toaster oven. If you don’t have room for your full size refrigerator, invest in one of the small dorm-sized fridge/freezer combo. You don’t need much freezer space, but you will want a few ice cubes here and there and may want to store a small container of ice cream. After all, it is stressful to have your kitchen under construction. You may want to self-medicate with a cocktail or some ice cream. If you normally eat in the kitchen, set up a temporary eating area as well.

Buy disposables

Go ahead and buy disposable napkins, plates, forks, spoons, and knives. There are even biodegradable options available these days. Even if you don’t like to eat with disposables, you will like washing dishes in your bathroom sink even less.

Plan for disruption

It’s going to get messy. An experienced kitchen and bath contractor knows how to contain the dust and debris. Talk to them about this plan before demolition begins. Think how the disruption will affect your pets. You may want to start feeding them in an alternative location before work begins.

Surviving a Bathroom Remodel

A bathroom remodel isn’t as disruptive, as you generally have more than one bathroom in the house. You only have one kitchen.

Even so, stock up on santizing gel and dry shampoo. When you’re sharing a sink and shower, you’ll find that the sanitizing gel and/or baby wipes are perfect for a quick clean up. Dry shampoo reduces the number of time you may need to stand in line to use the shower. As an alternative, you can always wash your hair in the kitchen sink.

Hang a mirror in an area with good lighting. This will come in handy when the working bathroom is occupied and you need to put on makeup or fix your hair.

If the cat’s litter box was in the bathroom undergoing remodel, you’ll want to make sure you move that a few days before the renovation so kitty gets used to the new spot. Having workers in the house is usually stressful for pets. Moving the litter box is also stressful. Moving the box in advance reduces the chances of accidents.

Kitchen and Bath Contractors Recommend

No matter what type of project you do, it won’t hurt to get away for a few days. Living with a kitchen or bathroom remodel may set your teeth on edge if you are compulsively neat and orderly. Even the untidiest among us may get tired of the disruption. Plan a small vacation to get you out of the house and away from the chaos for a few days.

Speaking of days, plan for disruptions. Every project, no matter how carefully planned, usually has its bumps in the road. If you are prepared for things to go wrong and for the budget to go over 10% to 20% it will be less stressful when it happens.

When you are ready for a remodel or update, call the kitchen and bath contractors that see your home as more than a job site. Inspired Remodels understands it is an honor to be invited into your home. You’ll get one point of contact for the entire project and communication will always be open and honest. Call (949) 716-1938 or Contact Us online today.

Hiring a Kitchen Remodel Company Shouldn’t Be Scary

By Inspired Remodels / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

Thinking of a kitchen remodel or renovation but the thought of hiring a kitchen remodel company is frightening? Everyone has heard horror stories about remodel companies from hell. You don’t want a new kitchen but you don’t want to make the mistake of hiring the wrong kitchen remodel company. Follow these tips for hiring the right kitchen remodel company and safe your fears for zombie movies.

Use a Kitchen Remodel Company with Design and Construction Crews

There are architects, designers, and contractors. Make sure you hire a kitchen remodel company with the right people. You need a designer to transform your dream into a floor plan with finishes that stay in your budget. A company that offers design services is the best arrangement possible.

Experienced kitchen remodelers can tell you whether your desired layout requires extensive changes to plumbing, electrical, or structural components. Changing these items is costly. An experienced and talented designer translates your wants and needs into a design that honors your budget.

Remember to look at designs and pictures together. Ensure that you and your designer mean the same thing when you say “contemporary” or “traditional”. The design team member must understand your needs and wants for lighting, storage, fixtures, and appliances. If you have poor communication in this stage, the project will probably be a failure with both of you frustrated and unhappy. Remember, if you can’t discuss the kitchen remodel cost and time frame comfortably, you need to pick another kitchen remodel company.

Take a look at their recent work. See if their style meshes with yours or if they successfully adapt their style to their client. Run from a firm that repeats the same design time and again and just changes the finishes. They lack imagination.

Discuss Time and Cost Frankly

Any kitchen remodel company will give an estimate before work starts. Ask about what the estimate covers. Do you know if the finishes are contractor grade? Are appliances and fixtures included? How do they handle problems? Who is responsible for going over budget?

Speaking of budget, go ahead and have that discussion up-front. You may want a farmhouse sink and a prep station with an additional sink, but lack the budget for both. Discuss the budget in the beginning. It helps you prioritize wants and needs. Nothing is worse than being presented with a layout, finishes, and appliances you can’t afford. A waste of your time and the designer’s time too.

Understanding the time frame for the actual work is crucial as well. You need to know more than how long it will take. You need to know when the job starts. If the project requires permits and inspections, this adds to the time to complete.

Recognizing a Reputable Kitchen Remodel Contractor

Don’t fall for a company that presents a design and fails on execution. These days it’s easy to vet any contractor by checking their reputation on-line.

Google the company name. Look for reviews from Yelp, Angie’s List and Houzz.

Don’t forget to check the status of the company’s license. California has a website for checking the status of a contractor’s license. If you check the license for Inspired Remodels at CA.gov, you will find the company has an active license, is bonded, and carries worker’s compensation insurance. Since a kitchen remodel company must do their work in your house, it’s crucial that they carry worker’s compensation insurance for your own protection.

It doesn’t hurt to check with the local Better Business Bureau. In the best case scenario, you won’t discover any complaints. But if you there are complaints, see how the company handles them. Exceptional customer service is defined by problems are resolved. You want to do business with a kitchen remodel company that handles problems or complaints if they get them.

Inspired Kitchen Remodels

Inspired Remodels is the Orange County kitchen remodel company that provides design and remodel services. Hire a kitchen remodel contractor that’s with you from the initial design until the last trace of construction dust is removed from the kitchen. You get the kitchen remodel of your dreams within your budget.

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