Category: Home Remodeling

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Energy-Efficient and Eco-Friendly Kitchen Improvements

Functionality and design may have always been top considerations for homeowners, but today, eco-friendliness and energy efficiency are becoming the top priorities.

From the materials used in the build and design phase to the long-term sustainability and energy conservation of appliances, there are many ways to improve your kitchen to make it more environmentally friendly.

Low-flow faucets

Did you know that low-flow faucets can substantially lower your kitchen’s water usage? The best part is that you will hardly notice the difference. When buying faucets, look for “water-saving faucets” or those with an adjustable flow rate. Environmentally friendly models can significantly reduce water usage within your home.

Smart kitchen appliances

Not only do old appliances make your kitchen look outdated, but they also consume more energy. Upgrade your dishwasher and refrigerator to Energy Star certified models that will preserve electricity and water. Skylights, ventilation fans, kitchen hoods, and ceiling fans are a few other items you can add to your list of ideas for energy-efficient kitchen improvements.

Kitchen Remodeling Contractors

In some cases, changing appliances will require changing the structure of the space. This can be a great opportunity to change the floorplan in a way that opens up space and maximizes your interior square footage. The Best Kitchen Remodel requires the best contractors and designers, and Inspired Remodels has been known for just that. They are licensed remodeling contractors, based in Orange County, California, who showcase proof of their incredible renovations on their website. They offer full interior remodeling and custom carpentry, which is often necessary to change your kitchen into a more energy-efficient or eco-friendly configuration. 

LED lighting

There are a few different levels of energy efficiency in home and kitchen designs. One tiny step that homeowners can take towards a greener home is replacing their light bulbs. Make the change today and replace your bulbs with energy-efficient lighting that uses Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lights that can also last longer. Due to the popularity of LED technology, regular light bulbs are in the process of being phased out and likely won’t be available on store shelves in the near future. They also work better for accent lighting, which looks stunning, instead of general or ambient lighting. For a more modern look, consider track lighting on the ceiling or under your kitchen cabinets. If you have any specialized cabinetry in your kitchen, these types of lights can really accentuate the architecture and design.  

Modern furniture in spacious minimalist kitchen
Photo by Max Vakhtbovych from Pexels

Potted plants

Potted plants are nature’s gift to homeowners, especially for those days or seasons when we can’t go outside to enjoy nature. As working from home grows more popular than ever before, many employees are finding themselves working from the kitchen table or kitchen counter. The time homeowners can now save without having to commute to work offers a bit of extra time to plan and execute renovation plans. Houseplants can completely transform and refresh any space. If you aren’t an experienced plant owner, be sure to thoroughly research the care requirements for the plants you intend to give a home to. Each plant requires a different amount of water, nutrients, sunlight, and soil. 

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The Contractors Breaking Down Barriers In Orange County

We here at CannGrow are absolutely, 100% sick to death of contractors. We watch HGTV with a sort of embittered mirth as the smiling families laugh together with their responsible and competent contractor who managed to get the remodeling done on time and under budget. This, friends, we consider to be the greatest sort of fiction imaginable – every contractor we’ve ever dealt with has been late on deadlines, over budget, been totally incompetent, and every combination of those three factors imaginable.

So, it goes without saying that when we are recommended a contractor, we treat it with some pretty healthy levels of suspicion. Whether we needed a contractor for our bathroom remodeling or just a quick countertop replacement, we’ve been burned so many times before! What makes these guys so different from the rest?

Well, readers, this time, it IS different. The company recommended to us – Inspired Remodels, Inc. – have truly proven themselves to be the exception to the rule. Not only are they incredible at what they do (seriously, take a look at those pictures!), they manage to be fairly priced and get the job done in a reasonable time frame!

We know it’s hard to believe, but you can take a quick look at their 5-star(!!) Yelp page and take a quick gander at what their customers and the people they work with are saying:

Johnny B., a sub contractor for the company, has this to say about them:

You want to know how to pick a great General Contractor / Designer?  Ask the sub contractors who work for them!  Marinate on that….
I own an electrical contracting company and we do remodeling projects for many quality GC’s in Orange County.  So, we have a unique and deep perspective on the quality, character, beauty, and fairness of them all.  Inspired Remodels is as good as it gets.  Joe, Jason, Colin and the team are simply a cut above with their process and attention to detail.  They push us and I love it because we want to be the best.  Additionally, I’m a veteran and appreciate process, detail, and high expectations – and a commitment to the mission.  These guys are tops.  You will be impressed and proud to share your experience with your friends.  Don’t do a remodel without getting them on your wish list.

Lisa G., a customer, gave this glowing praise:

After spending time looking for a contractor to renovate our master bathroom, laundry and power bath, we settled on Inspired Remodels and I’m so glad we did! From start to finish every single person that worked in our home was professional, considerate and communicated with us throughout the process. I am rather “particular” about things being just right and they went above and beyond to ensure our satisfaction. Joe and Collin were very patient with me during the selection process and Jason was responsive and made me feel at ease with any questions I had along the way. The tradesmen were all outstanding but I need to give a special shoutout to Haime and Rudy, Mark and Ulysses, for their attention to detail and the long hours they put into making our home beautiful.  Thank you, thank you! I highly recommend using IR if you have high expectations – they will be met!

So, if you’re looking for a contracting crew who WON’T leave you bitter, angry, and muttering dark words of retribution, give Inspired a call. You’ll thank us later!

Inspired Remodels, Inc.
(949) 716-1938

21098 Bake Pkwy Ste 100 Lake Forest, CA 92630

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An Easy Choice For Your Landscaping Needs

One thing I’ve heard from every homeowner I’ve ever met was that finding a contractor or landscaper that was actually good at their job is almost impossible. The field is absolutely rife with one horror story after another of workers slouching on the job, projects takin months longer than they should, and ever-expanding budgets with mediocre results.

One of the worst I’ve heard recently is a contractor that was charged with completely redesigning a kitchen from the ground up (literally, they took the flooring out and everything). The guy put the poor woman on a waiting list four months after the contract was signed, and then his team proceeded to utterly mangle every single part of the job she had spent so long stressing over and planning with the owner of the company as he partied away south of the border.

Her kitchen was out of commission for months, and during much of that time her entire house smelled of various chemicals used during the construction process and was frequently choked with concrete dust as the clumsy oafs ripped up her floors to install an extra support beam. At the end of everything, she got some mismatched countertops, but otherwise things looked fine.

Fast forward a few months, and her son happened to point out to her that the new arch installed that replaced the wall that was previously there seemed to be bowing slightly. They took a couple nails and string and, sure enough, the whole ceiling was starting to collapse inward. After strenuously denying any wrong doing, after getting the second opinion of multiple other handymen, it turned out that the support structure the contractors had put into place was nowhere near strong enough for the load it now carried. Another 2 weeks were needed to make the necessary repairs.

The point is, a good construction company is way harder to find than it should be. With the kind of razor-thin margins these guys are working with and the fact that their entire business is run almost exclusively on word of mouth, you’d think they’d want to provide the best job they could.

Well, if you’re in the market for a landscaping redesign for your back or front yard and are in the San Diego area, I have some great news for you: we may have found one of the few good ones in the industry. Torrey Pines Landscaping Company is THE premier landscape design firm for Point Loma, San Diego, Encinitas, and general San Diego County area. Just take a look at some of their most recent work, a French Garden in Mission Hills and a full back yard redesign for their client in Point Loma.

Whether you’re just looking to touch up your yard or completely transform it into a modern outdoor entertainment center, Torrey Pines takes an incredible amount of pride in the work that they do and works with you to make sure you’re getting the kind of backyard urban landscaping that you’ve always dreamed of.

If you’re lucky enough to be looking for some landscaping work in Mission Hills or beyond in the San Diego area, make sure to give Torrey Pines a call. You won’t regret it.

Torrey Pines Landscaping Company

(858) 454-1433 5560 Eastgate Mall, San Diego, CA 92121

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From Rags To Riches

Have you ever seen a shack so beaten down it looks like God himself dropped an anvil on it?

Secondary question: Have you ever seen that shack turned into a cottage so freaking charming it would give Fixer Upper a run for its money?

Well I have. And let me tell you, it was one of the most incredible things I’ve witnessed in my entire life.

Contractor Jim Teller works for an amazing remodelling company. Jim has an incredibly high reputation for bathroom and kitchen renovation throughout the greater Orange County Area. And let me tell you, this reputation is well-earned.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jim as his team put the finishing touches on his newest project in Laguna Beach. The project was an utter masterpiece, and it looked nothing like the original photographs.

“This is the original building. These were taken around four months ago,” he mentioned off-handedly, handing me the pictures while surveying his builders. Calling it a “structure” was flattering to say the least; the flooring was so decrepit you could barely find one square foot of uncracked linoleum. The wallpaper was peeling on all edges, not to mention covered in stripes and roses (ahh, the 70s).

So “makeover” could not do justice to the piece of art before me. Similar in size and overall structure, Jim had taken the frame of monstrosity and transformed it into pure beachside beauty. The old tile was replaced by vinyl beechwood, blending well with the neutral tones of the cabinetry. Sleek white paint replaced the zig-zag garden wallpaper that had previously terrorized the area, calming the overall feel of the entire kitchen space.

The bathroom remodel almost outdid the kitchen’s, for he almost tripled its previous size. The dark granite of the countertop complemented the modern-style sink basin, giving a clean look to the vanity area. The shower was made of the same dark granite, walled with glass in place of a curtain rod.

The most impressive part, in my opinion, was how he managed to get so much light into a room plated with dark, sun-absorbing colors. A short, wide window stretched from one side of the bathroom to the other, high enough to provide both privacy and openness to the space. Instead of a loud fan mechanism, Jim installed a rod to the window so you can easily adjust how much steam escapes the room. The color of the walls matched the light feeling of the kitchen, allowing any unabsorbed light to properly illuminate every corner of the bathroom.

Although the master bedroom, living room, and entryway also brought tears to my eyes, I can never get enough of a good kitchen and/or bathroom remodel. It’s not easy to bring so many aspects of a room together to form a cohesive theme, especially from room to room. But this is why any sort of house flipping or renovating requires just as much book knowledge as left brain creativity. And given his latest work, I can confidently say that Jim Teller is one of the best artistic rennovators of his time.

If you’d like to find out about work like Jim’s check out:

Inspired Remodels, Inc.

Lake Forest, CA

(949) 716-1938