Modern Farmhouse Lighting Enhances Kitchen/Dining Renovation
Remodeling is not for the faint-hearted. When Lauden and her husband decided to clear away the 1980s-era vibe of their kitchen and dining room, they spent almost a year working on weekends to strip away floral wall paper, paint walls and cabinetry, update hardware, and switch out dated light fixtures.
Here’s where they started….
And here is the amazing result of all that hard work!
“I really wanted to update the look of the room and go for something more modern,” Lauden says. “I had seen lots of inspiration photos of the current trends — gray walls, accent kitchen islands, and farmhouse-inspired style. I wanted light, cool, and clean.”
Throughout the process, Lauden sent pictures and updates of the work to her dad. As director of engineering at Barn Light Electric, David suggested Lauden check out Barn Light’s website for lighting options.
“He said Barn Light manufactures lights which would go perfectly with the work I had done in the kitchen,” Lauden explains. “And he was right!” Her goal was to purge the space of the can-style track lights and the gold chandelier over the dining table and replace them with more modern, farmhouse-style fixtures.
Over the sink, Lauden wanted to keep the two existing junction boxes but bring the lights lower to make the room more cozy and intimate. With the boxes so close together, she needed pendants with a small diameter shade. She chose the Venice Cylinder Pendant Light and customized these with the small-sized cylinder, an Industrial Grey finish, and white cords.
“I chose the color to blend in with the walls because the statement piece is over the island,” she notes. “The Venice Cylinder Pendants fit the space perfectly!”
The statement piece which anchors the center of the space is the Dino 3-Light Stem Mount Pendant. This rugged, handcrafted light features three RLM-style shades affixed to a sturdy stem mounting.
“The ceilings are very high and I wanted to bring the lights down into the space,” Lauden says. “I only had one junction box to work with here, but I wanted a series of lights to illuminate the length of the island. This pendant is the perfect fit for the space.”
Lauden chose a Navy finish for her multi-light pendant which matches the new color of the island. The contrasting Brushed Aluminum mounting was chosen to match the sink and cabinet hardware. This fixture is also customized with a 60″ stem, 24″ arms, and a hang-straight canopy.
For the nearby dining table, Lauden chose a matching Dino Pendant Light to pick up on the island fixture. She customized this handspun, American-made pendant with a 14″ shade, Industrial Grey finish, standard white cord, and an acrylic diffuser.
“I chose the color to match the cylinder pendants and walls which leaves the island as the main focal point in the room,” Lauden explains. “I’m really glad we chose the diffuser which ensures there’s no bare bulb shining in everyone’s line of sight. It makes meals feel more intimate and cozy.”
After months of work, the 80s are but a memory, and a bright, modern farmhouse vibe now greets Lauden and her family in this refreshed space.
“I love how the lights bring the room together during the day,” she says, “but what I like best is when I turn them on at night. I love how the light plays about the room from each place.”
Photos courtesy of the homeowner
