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Inspired Remodels

kitchen remodel

custom kitchen remodeling updates look of this room

DIY or Hire Kitchen Remodeling Services – Which Makes Sense for You?

By / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off on DIY or Hire Kitchen Remodeling Services – Which Makes Sense for You?

Thinking about a new look for your kitchen in 2020? If you are handy with tools or have a flair for design, you might think about making it a DIY project. So when does it makes sense to hire a contractor for kitchen remodeling services and when should you do it yourself? Well, it depends.

                                                Installing hardware is a great DIY project

DIY Projects

Are you handy with tools and a paint brush? Try patching, sanding and painting walls yourself. Make sure all surfaces are clean before you start. In a kitchen, grease gets every where, even where you don’t suspect. Successful painting begins with careful preparation. If you can prep, you can paint. Just make sure the paint goes on the walls and not the cabinets, floors, and appliances.

If you have basic knowledge of wiring and are smart enough to cut the power before you start work, you can swap out light fixtures. Just make sure the next fixture is roughly the same size as the old fixture. Take care to make sure the light output is sufficient for the kitchen. It’s dangerous to work in a dark kitchen.

Swapping out cabinet hardware is almost child’s play. If you’ve got a screwdriver and are swapping knobs for knobs and pulls for pulls, you’ve got this one down cold. If your hardware change involves changing the type of hardware, you may need to drill additional holes or patch and stain existing holes. Avoid patching and staining. Use a drill for guide holes.

hire kitchen remodeling services for a gut and rebuild

Hiring Kitchen Remodeling Services

So when should you hire a contractor for kitchen remodeling services? Well, if major structural changes are involved it’s best to get a contractor.

Does the job require a permit and inspections? It’s a hassle, but for your protection. Hire a pro for those jobs.

If the skills required to do the job stretch your current skill set, it’s time to bring in the pros. Do you really want to hone your woodworking skills on custom cabinetry? Probably not. The risk of failure is high as well as the cost.

If a change in the mechanical systems is involved, definitely hire those kitchen remodeling services out. You don’t want to be the one moving plumbing, gas lines, electrical conduit, or HVAC ductwork. These trades take years to learn and there’s a reason performing them requires a license. Screw up here and you put lives and structural integrity at risk. Saving a few bucks just isn’t work it.

kitchen renovation succes starts with a solid plan

Maybe a Blend is Right for You

If you’re itching to get your hands dirty, then maybe a blend is right for you. Hire a pro for the floors and cabinets and you can handle painting and installing the refrigerator.

Or maybe you want to remove the old, greasy wallpaper or tile backsplash before the pros come in. That might be the perfect plan.

Just because you hire a pro for your kitchen remodel doesn’t mean you can’t still be involved. When you interview and get estimates, talk to the contractor about your desire to get hands on. They may have suggestions of how you can help and where you need to back off.

Whether you want to do part of it yourself or rely totally on a pro, look to Inspired Remodels for all your remodeling needs. Custom cabinets, new floors, and open floor plans are just a few of the possibilities. Call (949) 716-1938 and let’s discuss your project. There’s no time like 2020 for the kitchen of your dreams.

 

 

Hiring a Kitchen Remodel Company Shouldn’t Be Scary

By / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off on Hiring a Kitchen Remodel Company Shouldn’t Be Scary

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 budget with kitchen model company before picking a designDiscuss 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.

custom kitchen remodeling job added blue lights for accent color to an otherwise neutral kitchen

Kitchen Remodel Company Brings Function to Beauty

By / Kitchen Remodel / Comments Off on Kitchen Remodel Company Brings Function to Beauty

When you remodel any room in the house, you want it to look awesome. But when you remodel a room as important as the kitchen, it needs to look good and work well.  After all, a kitchen is as much a workroom as a hobby garage. You need room to store the tools of the trade, do your work, and share your masterpieces. Any kitchen remodel company worth their salt (pun intended) can install attractive cabinets and counters. But it takes a special kitchen remodel company to create a space that’s a treat for the eye and the cook. Inspired Remodels does it on a regular basis. Here’s how.

kitchen remodel company creates floor plan based on triangle

The Kitchen Triangle

No, the kitchen triangle isn’t a sordid affair between the lime, salt, and chili powder. The kitchen work triangle refers to the arrangement of the major work stations in the kitchen. That’s the sink, the refrigerator, and the stove/oven. Each makes up one point of the triangle. No leg of the triangle should be more than 9 feet long. The sum of all three sides should be somewhere between 13 and 26 feet to be ideal. There are just too many steps if it’s larger.

This is some serious stuff. It’s based on time-motion studies on the most effective way for a one-cook kitchen to achieve true efficiency. While today’s kitchens often have more than one cook, the kitchen triangle or it’s cousin, the kitchen zone still creates a game plan for efficiency. The kitchen zone concept creates zones for food preparation, cleaning, baking, and cooking. These zones usually end up in a variation of the kitchen triangle.

Kitchen Remodel Company Deploys Kitchen Triangle

Putting the Triangle into Action

Take a look at the lovely kitchen above. Pay particular attention to the stove in relation to the refrigerator. Next, see how the fridge is across from the sink?  Can you see the triangle in this kitchen?

Now can you see it? It might have been tempting to use the space next to the cooktop for the refrigerator and use the refrigerator wall to create a large work space. But the savvy kitchen remodel company understands that fridge door needs to be opened and closed several times during meal prep.

Had it been located next to the stove it would have saved steps, but it would have been awkward.

A functional kitchen flows. You move smoothly and without friction from one area to the next.

Can you see yourself working in this kitchen?

And speaking of working, notice the work area station to the right of the stove. When you take a hot pan out of the oven, there’s a place for it.

There’s ample room for the traditional 3 step breading station. And it looks great!

 

Inspired Remodels is the Kitchen Remodel Company to Call

When you are ready to put kitchen remodel dreams into action, call the kitchen remodel company that will ensure you get a kitchen that works hard and looks good doing it. Call Inspired Remodels.

Inspired Remodels is a full-service design and build remodel company. From the initial design stage to polishing the chrome on the new kitchen faucet, they’ll be with you every step of the way. Call (949) 716-1938 or Contact Us online today.