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Inspired Remodels

Kitchen Remodel

Comparing Custom Cabinets – Shaker versus Raised Panel

By / custom cabinets, Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off on Comparing Custom Cabinets – Shaker versus Raised Panel

When it comes to renovating Orange County kitchens, most homeowners split their preference for custom cabinets. Shaker door fronts remain popular, but raised panel custom cabinets are popular as well.

Let’s compare the two custom cabinet styles.

Green & white custom cabinets with black quartz countertops

Shaker Custom Cabinets

Shaker cabinets date back to the early 1800’s. The cabinet aesthetic grew from the Shaker’s commitment to designs that exhibited their belief in simplicity. The clean lines represent the purity that the Shakers sought in all corners of their lives – including their cabinets and furniture.

A simple center recessed panel sets Shaker cabinets apart from all others. At a glance, you recognize the Shaker style.

Teal and white custom cabinets in kitchen with white countertops and backsplash

On the plus side

Shaker custom cabinets offer the opportunity to customize by adding ornamental hardware. You can swap the look of the door by simply swapping out the hardware.

In addition, Shaker-style cabinets have a timeless appeal that won’t go out of style and will be a draw when selling the house.

Modern coastal kitchen design with black and white custom cabinets

On the negative side

Let’s face it, Shaker-style cabinets are popular. Really popular. Really, really popular. That means if you want your kitchen to stand out or you are a fan of Avant Garde design, stay away from these cabinets.  While Shaker custom cabinets can be finished in amazing colors, that recessed panel will still be an obvious design element.

Raised Panel Cabinets

Where Shaker cabinets feature a center recessed panel, raised panel cabinets veer into the more ornate. Think shaped, raised center panels accentuated by grooves and additional molding. They instantly add a more formal feel to any kitchen.

Raised panel-style cabinetry is newer than Shaker-style cabinetry. It only gained popularity at the beginning of the 21st century, when the modern kitchen was born. Artisans carefully routed and carved doors to create the iconic raised panels we treasure today.

On the plus side

Raised panel custom cabinets certainly elevate the look and feel of any kitchen. They provide an avenue for creating a posh, upscale feel to the room. In addition, you get the ultimate in customization. Bespoke panels and molding make your cabinets like no other.

On the negative side

All that ornamentation adds to the cost of materials and labor that go into the custom cabinets. That makes the price for raised panel cabinets generally higher than their Shaker counterparts. In addition, the nooks and crannies created by the ornamentation capture grease, dust, and food particles. This means they are slightly more difficult to clean.

Custom Cabinet Pop Quiz

Inspired Remodels works with all types of custom cabinets. Take a look at these kitchens and see if you can identify the Shaker cabinets from the raised panel cabinets.

 

Kitchen backsplash

White and navy kitchen cabinets with Spanish influenced backsplash tile

Orange County General Contractors in the Kitchen

By / custom cabinets, Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off on Orange County General Contractors in the Kitchen

Wonder what’s cooking in kitchen design? Inspired Remodels, local Orange County general contractors, have been busy whipping up beautiful and functional kitchens.

The personal style of the homeowner gets baked into every kitchen remodel and renovation when Inspired Remodels is on the job.

Here is a look at what can happen in the kitchen in the hands of awesome general contractors with a design-build approach to kitchen renovation.

Turning Up the Heat on Functionality in Coto de Caza Kitchens

It doesn’t matter how great a kitchen looks, if it isn’t functional it isn’t a kitchen. Inspired Remodels created this dream Coto de Caza kitchen to work as well as it looks.

Orange County General contractors after picture of white kitchen remodel

And it looks great! The soft green, gray, and white tones create a room that’s soothing to the senses. Ample drawers and cabinets offer storage space aplenty.

orange general contractors add kitchen aid workstation and storage cabinet to kitchen remodel

And this busy baker gets a workstation and storage for the essential Kitchen-Aid stand mixer.

This small touch represents the large amount of thought that goes into kitchen design when pro design-build general contractors do the work.

Take a step back and you’ll see the kitchen flows seamlessly into the living area. Now that’s an open concept that works beautifully.

Black and White and Style All Over

What’s black and white with style all over? Why another incredible kitchen renovation in the hands of Inspired Remodels!

general contractors after pic laguna niguel remodel

A bar creates the transition from kitchen, to living, to outdoors. And La Cantina doors bring all three spaces together.

Bold black with gold accents goes big in the style department.

This kitchen renovation uses black and white to create a clean and classic style that endures. That little touch of black from custom cabinet hardware and the kitchen faucet are all this kitchen needs. Remember, hardware acts as jewelry for your cabinets. Every classic ensemble uses just a bit of jewelry, and every classic kitchen remodel does the same.

Orange County general contractors after pic of black and white kitchen remodel

Let’s close out with a look at how design-build general contractors can take the same palette and create a completely different look.

The same black, white, and gold used in the first kitchen come together for a completely different look. Same colors, used differently and you get a completely different look!

Inspired Remodels Design Build General Contractors

When you work with Inspired Remodels, you get a design-and-build approach to kitchen renovation. That means one point of contact from start to finish.

Share your dreams with the design team and watch the construction team make them come true.

flooring contractor adds octagonal dark tiles on floor to contrast with light subway tile on wall

Orange County Flooring Contractor Floors Trends 2024

By / Bathroom Remodel, Home Improvement, Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off on Orange County Flooring Contractor Floors Trends 2024

Inspired Remodels, a leading Orange County flooring contractor, never stops looking forward.  Orange County homeowners thinking of new floors for the new year, should take a look at these trends for 2024. And when it comes time to hire a flooring contractor, don’t forget to look at Inspired Remodels.

flooring contractor installed herringbone pattern wood planks in home entryway

Dark Floors

Dark flooring doesn’t have to be intimidating when it comes to interior design. Brightening up a space is as simple as using a lighter color scheme in other areas. If you’re installing black flooring throughout an entire room, for instance, a rug in a light color like beige, cream, or white would be a nice accent. This won’t take away from the floor, but rather add brightness to an otherwise dim area.

Paint walls a light color and instantly the room appears taller and more spacious.

flooring contractor adds octagonal dark tiles on floor to contrast with light subway tile on wall

Notice how light paint on the walls and light subway tile in the shower combine with the dark floor to make this bathroom appear more spacious and airy. You also enjoy a bit of drama with dark floors. Replace those dark floors with light tile and the drama melts away.

Hardwood stair flooring

Timeless Stands

When a flooring contractor says “timeless”, they mean it. Some things really never go out of style.

What was timeless in 2014 stays timeless in 2024. Neutral tones rock floors through the decades. With beige, natural,  neutral, and grey floors you have a timeless base for building a variety of styles.

White Kitchen Cabinets with Blue Glass Tile Backsplash

 

This white and blue kitchen fits today’s interior style trends. But as styles for cabinet finishes and countertops come and go, the grey floor remains timeless.

Walnut Wood Floors with step

Popular for Resale

Buyers want hardwood floors. Planks may get wider, but the demand for hardwood floors doesn’t fade away.

When it comes to recouping your money, wood flooring reigns supreme. Whether you go with the walnut featured above or pick a hickory or oak floor, you’ll make an investment in home value.

graph shows new wood flooring adds value to home of 106% of cost

National Association of Realtors estimates that you recover 106% of the cost in added resale value.  That’s more than completing a kitchen or bathroom remodel. If you think selling your home is on the 2024 or 2025 horizon, add wood floors now and beat inflation. You’ll pay less now and get more in the future.

Stone and Wood

Natural building materials add timeless charm to any design. In 2024, both stone and wood play well together in almost any combination.

Stone on the wall and wood on the floor? Check!

Stone on the floor and barn door wood? Check!

No matter how you pair these two materials in 2024, you’ll love the results.

Orange County Flooring Contractor, Home Remodeler and More

Inspired Remodels serves as a complete design-build contractor. When you work with Inspired Remodels, you get more than the services of a flooring contractor. You get one point of contract from the start of the design phase, through construction, down to the final post-construction clean-up.