kitchen flooring Archives - Page 2 of 4

kitchen renovation after picture of undercabinet lighting, clear globe pendant lights, and recessed lights in the ceiling

5 Orange County Kitchen Renovation Ideas to Inspire

By Inspired Remodels / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

Want a new look for your kitchen? Here are 5 Orange County kitchen renovations by Inspired Remodels that are sure to inspire you. Elevate function with elements that double as workhorses and aesthetics. Get more functionality in less space.

Get inspired by Inspired Remodels, the Orange County kitchen renovation design/build contractors.

Undercabinet Lighting

Task lighting provides the necessary illumination for the cook to work safely. But lighting from recessed lights or pendant lights doesn’t always shine where you need it to.

Enter undercabinet lighting.

This lighting provides the illumination necessary to chop, mince, measure, and mix accurately and safely. And after the kitchen closes, it provides soft accent lighting.

This kitchen uses recessed, pendant, and undercabinet lighting for the right light for any situation.

Two-Tone Cabinets

Mix it up and make color work for you. Whether you mix upper and lower cabinet colors or use contrasting cabinets for an island, two-tone cabinets create fabulous spaces.

In this kitchen, the white Shaker-style cabinets get a bit of warmth from the contrasting dark wood cabinets in the island.

But add a splash of blue and create an icy cool spot you’ll want to enjoy even on the hottest days.

More Than a Backsplash

Backsplashes provide an easy-to-clean surface between the countertop and the base of the upper cabinet. Traditionally, they are used where heat or water comes into play.

But why stop there? Take tile and create a work of art that carries through the entire wall.

Whether it’s the herringbone pattern that gives this wall a bit of complexity.

Or, the subway tile to the ceiling that provides clean lines in this stunning white kitchen. Tile gives you unlimited creativity to create a space as unique as your style.

Vent Hood as Art

Where there is fire there is heat and often smoke. A vent above the cooking surface provides essential ventilation to remove smoke and heat from the cooking area. Ideally, the vent moves the air outside taking cooking odors and smoke with it.

No matter where it vents, there’s no reason your ventilation must be functional. Since many hoods are metal, they can be shaped creatively. Sure, you can go for a straight industrial-style hood but why would you?

A covered hood crafted to match the cabinet is timeless.

All hoods aren’t stainless. This rubbed bronze hood is the perfect foil for stainless appliances.

Flooring You’ll Fall For

A major part of any Orange County kitchen renovation is new flooring. Kitchen flooring must provide a durable surface that’s easy to clean.

That doesn’t mean it needs to be boring. Pick an Emser tile or hardwood flooring from Shaw and see your floor as a blank palette.

Use patterns to bring interest to your flooring.

The natural variations in the wood create a beautiful pattern when the planks are properly racked before installation.

Make the floors an accent piece by using a contrasting color.

Light floors and dark cabinets spell drama for this kitchen renovation.

An Inspired Kitchen Renovation Starts with Inspired Remodels

Need more inspiration?

Stop by the Inspired Remodels showroom and see the latest in kitchen renovation fashion.

Orange County Flooring Contractor Explains the Differences in Wood Flooring

Nothing beats the warmth and richness of a wood floor. But wood flooring doesn’t fit every room and it certainly doesn’t fit every budget. If you need to buy new flooring and like the look of wood, Inspired Remodels wants you to understand the options you have for wood flooring. That’s why this Orange County flooring contractor put together this guide to the options for wood flooring.

Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring made from natural hardwood is the first flooring that comes to mind when most people think of hardwood flooring. It offers durability and can be refinished. It is the most expensive but offers the longest wear.

What is it?

Hardwood flooring consists of planks of wood that may come finished or unfinished. The wood comes from slow-growing trees that create dense wood fibers. Generally, oak, maple, or hickory trees grow the flooring, which is then finished to emulate any other wood.

How is it available?

Hardwood flooring comes in planks of various widths. Strip planks run 2” to 3” wide while wide planks begin at about 5” in width. Generally, use smaller planks in smaller rooms and wider planks in larger rooms.

How is it installed?

Because wood absorbs moisture, always acclimate the product in the room in which it will be installed for several days.

Then the flooring goes down on the appropriate subfloor and is attached with glue or nails.

Where to use it?

Use hardwood flooring above grade in any room that doesn’t use water. Water ruins hardwood flooring so don’t put it in bathrooms and think twice about installing it in kitchens.

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring is harvested from fast-growing bamboo plants. The bamboo plant belongs to the grass family and is not really a tree. But bamboo ranks higher on the Janka Hardness Scale than many hardwoods like oak.

How is it available

Like hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring comes in planks. The planks run generally anywhere from 3” to 8” wide. Like hardwood flooring, the planks come in different lengths. Bamboo options include solid bamboo or strand-woven bamboo.

How is it installed

Like hardwood, bamboo flooring must be acclimated before installation. Depending on the construction of the planks, they may be nailed down or glued down. Because bamboo is so hard, special nail guns must be used to nail the planks in place.

Where to use it

Install bamboo above grade in dry areas. Like hardwood, you won’t want to install bamboo in rooms with water. Also, because you can’t finish bamboo as many times as solid hardwood planks, you don’t want to put bamboo in high-traffic entryways or hallways.

Laminated/Engineered Wood Flooring

Laminate wood flooring is still wood flooring, it just isn’t solid wood flooring. This option is great for rooms below grade where solid wood can’t be installed. You’ll find laminate also referred to as engineered wood flooring. A layer of solid wood is laminated to a layer of plywood. It is much more economical than bamboo or solid hardwood flooring.

How is it available

Engineered flooring comes in planks of various widths and lengths. It follows hardwood flooring trends in plank width and finishes.

How is it installed

A click-lock system allows engineered and laminated wood flooring to float over padding. You can install engineered wood over cement. There’s no need to glue or nail the planks in place. This reduces the labor required for installation too.

Where to use it

Laminated and engineered flooring goes in any room you want. Water poses no problem when the planks are properly installed. Put this flooring below grade without worry. Check with the flooring manufacturer before installing over radiant-heated floors.

Wood Look Porcelain Flooring

Everyone loves the spa feel of wood in a bathroom. But water and wood just don’t go together. Enter porcelain tile created to emulate wood. This tile is often indistinguishable from wood flooring by look alone. As you can see, this Orange County flooring contractor creates spa experiences without wood.

How is it available

Wood-look porcelain flooring is available in tile lengths that emulate wood planks. You’ll find the plank widths in the most common hardwood plank sizes as well. So as hardwood plank trends come and go, wood look porcelain flooring trends go with them.

How is it installed

This flooring installs differently from wood because it isn’t wood at all. The tiles are first secured to the backer board with mortar. They may be spaced apart or butted together. Any gaps between tiles are filled with grout.

Where to use it

You can literally use wood-look porcelain tile in any room in your house. However, keep in mind that because it is tile, it will be harder underfoot than other wood flooring options.

Orange County Flooring Contactor for Any Flooring

Inspired Remodels is the Orange County flooring contractor to whom you can turn for any type of flooring. Wood, tile, stone, and even carpet flooring options are available.

Orange County Flooring Contractor Talks Top Trends in 2022

By Inspired Remodels / Bathroom Remodel, Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off

With interest rates set to rise and the housing market tight, more and more homeowners opt to renovate and refresh instead of upgrading via a move to a new home. If you are thinking of an interior remodel, Inspired Remodels, a favorite Orange County flooring contractor wants you to know the top flooring trends in 2022.

Moroccan-Inspired Tile

Orange County homes traditionally have a Mediterranean vibe. But, lately, Moroccan-inspired touches grace walls, floors, backsplashes, and textiles. It makes sense if you think about it. Only the Straits of Gibraltar separate the mountainous country of Morocco from Spain.

Ethnic touches add vibrancy to any space. Above this Santa Margarita bathroom gets an update with Moroccan-inspired tile that goes perfectly with the Shaker cabinet fronts. Moroccan decor features intricate and busy patterns that can easily overwhelm small spaces, but the clean aesthetic of the Shaker cabinets provides the perfect counterbalance.

In the bathroom above, the rug adds a texture and design that is so distinctively Moroccan. You don’t need new flooring to get that African feel, just add a rug.

And finally, it may be Arizona Tile, but the motif is pure Moroccan on this floor. Ever elegant gold-tone cabinet hardware and polished chrome fixtures at the sink show this homeowner isn’t afraid to flaunt their eclectic tastes. And it works so good!

Little Change in Wood Floor Trends

According to a survey of members of the National Wood Flooring Association, color trends will remain fairly stable in 2022.

Source

Demand for wood floors with grey or cerused stains will remain about the same while demand for natural wood is expected to rise 25%.

Cerused stains make the grain of the wood more prominent and are popular in Orange County. If your Orange County flooring contractor can’t find cerused wood, you are working with the wrong flooring contractors.

certamic tile that looks like wood outside a shower

Wood Look Tile

Whether the stain is cerused or consistent, natural wood flooring retains its appeal. That extends to wet areas as well.

Wood-look tile is here to stay. As long as people want a spa-like experience in their bathroom, Orange County flooring contractors will rely on tile that emulates wood while offering resistance to water.

Inspired Remodels the Inspired Orange County Flooring Contractors

When it comes to remodeling any room in the house or the whole house, trust the inspired experts at Inspired Remodels to bring your dreams to life.

Whether it’s a new floor in the bathroom or a complete bathroom remodel, Inspired Remodels is the only flooring contractor you need. You’ll enjoy complete design and build services from one company, a dedicated point-of-contact, and attention to detail.