Top Tips for Your Kitchen Remodel
From lighting to plumbing, here’s what you should know before you start your next update.
A kitchen remodel might be one of the most satisfying and celebrated home updates—and one of the best ways to add value to your house. Whether you’re looking at doing a full renovation or a simple update, in addition to identifying your kitchen needs and planning the layout of your space, you need to carefully select the pieces you put in it.
To learn more about how to maximize your remodel, wee sat down with Evan Dublin, vice president and creative director of Rejuvenation, to get his expert insight on what makes a great kitchen. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Rejuvenation was founded in 1977 as an architectural salvage, lighting, and hardware shop. Now, Dublin’s team produces high-quality, period inspired lighting and hardware, and has developed full lines of plumbing, furniture, rugs, and more for the entire home.
1. Start With Lighting
This kitchen features Rejuvenation’s new Allenglade pendants and sconces to create a strong statement with lighting. Here, the design follows the "rule of three," which dictates that three pendant lights will create a sense of visual balance when evenly spaced over a large island. The oil-rubbed bronze finish of the lighting has been matched with the finish of the Poetto faucets and the Rye counter stools to create a cohesive, industrial-inspired aesthetic throughout.
Courtesy of Rejuvenation
Shop the Look
Rejuvenation Allenglade Pendant
Mid-Century design meets modern construction with our Allenglade Chandelier. Featuring a solid brass down rod and large opal glass shades, Allenglade makes a statement over any dining room table. Available in seven finishes with two shade sizes and three tier options to choose from.
Rejuvenation Emerson Drawer Pull
Inspired by Northwest Modern styles, our Emerson Drawer Pull features a clean, straightforward silhouette with an intersecting rod design in solid brass. Add refined detail to any kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room cabinet.
Rejuvenation Rye Counter Stool
An industrial-inspired design with a sleek profile, the Rye Counter Stool features a sturdy steel frame, handsome walnut finish, and comfortable curved seat and backrest.
Layers of Light
If you’re like us, you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, so it’s essential to get the lighting right. "Good kitchen lighting begins with overhead fixtures that reinforce natural light—think everything from statement pendants that play with scale, to more discrete flush or semi-flush fittings," says Dublin. "It’s important to have multiple layers of lighting, to both create ambiance and to functionally illuminate specific zones."
"Good lighting can elevate your space and bring joy to everyday tasks." —Evan Dublin
Illuminate Your Island
The kitchen island is one of the hardest working surfaces in the home—used for prepping, cooking, and even hosting—so it is essential to light it accordingly. Pendants or chandeliers are excellent for illuminating the entire space, but can have vastly different effects depending on their materiality. Linen or glass shades will create more ambient light, while metal shades, such as Rejuvenation’s spun brass Ormandy will focus light down onto a specific area.
Dublin recommends that lights should sit 30-36 inches above your countertop. Make sure they are centered, and when hanging multiple pendants, 24-30 inches is the ideal distance between pendants to make sure that the light is evenly distributed.
If you decide to mix finishes, Dublin advises choosing one finish for a statement element—such as the pendants over the kitchen island—and a contrasting finish for smaller elements, such as cabinet hardware, shelving, or rail systems. Here, Ormandy pendants and a Blair faucet are in aged brass, which contrasts with the oil-rubbed bronze of the cabinet hardware, shelving, and pot rack.
Courtesy of Rejuvenation
Shop the Look
Rejuvenation Ormandy Pendant
Inspired by Mid-Century Danish designs, our new Ormandy Pendant makes a stylish statement. Masterfully crafted with a hand-blown glass shade nestled into an oversized brass shade with two supporting rods. Available in nine finish options and several customizable lengths.
Rejuvenation Brookside Rail
Designed with a customizable array of functional and versatile components, the Brookside Rail System is the perfect addition to any kitchen, pantry, garage, or workspace. Available in multiple lengths and crafted in sturdy brass, this organizational solution gets tools, cooking accessories, art supplies, and office necessities off the counter and within arm’s reach.
Rejuvenation Randle Tractor Counter Stool
Our Randle Stool features a contoured solid walnut or ash wood seat and a sturdy steel frame, giving an elevated mixed-material look to your kitchen counter seating.
Tip: Remember the Rule of Three. Three pendant lights will look balanced when evenly spaced to fill the span of a larger island, but you can also use two pendants in smaller spaces.
2. Have Fun With Hardware
Hardware is like jewelry for your home—it adds a decorative touch. For a cohesive look, match the finish of your hardware to your light fixtures, or mix finishes for a more eclectic vibe. According to Dublin, brass tones add warmth, oil-rubbed bronze gives a sense of precision, and polished chrome and nickel are classic finishes for a streamlined, contemporary look.
You can also mix and match knobs and pulls in various sizes to suit the different sizes of your cabinetry and drawers. Rejuvenation’s best-selling hardware collections come in 8- and 10-inch lengths, and as Dublin notes, "Using an oversized pull on a cabinet always makes a bold statement."
"Personally, I love mixing finishes—but there needs to be a strategy, a balance to the mix. For example, choose one finish for your hardware and plumbing and a second for your lighting." —Evan Dublin
Rejuvenation offers collections that use the same design language and finishes across lighting, hardware, and plumbing to allow you to create a cohesive look in your home. In this kitchen, Blair pendants and sconces have been paired with Blair shelving, Blair cabinet hardware and Blair faucets to create a kitchen with strikingly geometric elements inspired by 1940s industrial design.
Courtesy of Rejuvenation
See the full story on Dwell.com: Top Tips for Your Kitchen Remodel
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