Guide to Creating an Eclectic Kitchen

By Karin Beuerlein

Mix old-fashioned hardware with thoroughly modern surfaces. Valencich's new kitchen is clean and contemporary, but her hardware is traditional. "I’m using ROHL's Perrin & Rowe line," she says. "The mix of a classic faucet with clean cabinets is a great illustration of an eclectic design." Valencich also likes using classic lighting in a contemporary setting. "An elegant chandelier can give a stunning and unexpected look to a contemporary kitchen," she says.
Choose a simple backdrop for a showstopping focus piece. Against her spare, nautical background decor, Valencich plans to install what she calls her "crown jewel." It's a wall covered in Erin Adams offset mirror mosaic tile from Ann Sacks. "It's truly the coolest thing," she says. "I’m going to cover the wall surrounding the French doors to the dining room in it. I love using mirrors wherever possible as it doubles the size of the space."