Build.com Behind the Scenes: Kitchen Photoshoot

Many of the beautiful images you see on the Build.com website, in our catalog, and on social media are created by our in-house media team and designers in our studio in Chico, California. We chatted with Visual Design Lead, Glenn Rush to learn how he transformed an empty set into a stunning Industrial Farmhouse kitchen.

Inspiration

Inspiration isn’t found in just one place. Glenn explained that he typically gathers ideas from multiple sources, then creates a mood board. “I look to influencers, read design articles, and look at things that drive trends — like fashion, textiles, and color palettes.”

Function

Once his mood board was created, Glenn started sketching out his design, aiming for a space that would not only photograph beautifully, but could function well in the real world. “One of the biggest drivers is thinking about how someone would use the kitchen — like positioning a beverage center away from the fridge or separating a bar sink from the kitchen sink so two people could work together; having separate workstations so you and your significant other can be working in harmony.”

Aspiration

Adding luxury items to the set — like the beverage center, pot filler, and bar sink — allows the audience to imagine the possibilities. Glenn explained, “We bring in things that not everybody has in their kitchen to show what you can do.”

Innovation

Traditional products are elevated when they’re used in unexpected ways. 6” x 6” tumbled marble tiles were used for the back splash. Glenn noted, “You don’t really see square tile in kitchens very often. We did an offset pattern for a different look. It’s a really good way to make a square tile look less traditional.”

The designer chose open wood & pipe shelving and a pair of traditional pendants to flank the sink. “This was a very intentional juxtaposition of traditional and industrial. The pendant chain next to the pipe solidifies the Industrial Farmhouse style.”

Running the pendant chains through the shelves added an unexpected touch. Glenn said, “It’s really about being unique; having an interesting detail to set it apart.”

DESIGNER TIP: Use the top of open shelving to store things you seldom use, or to display decorative items like plants and architectural pottery. Stock things that you use often on shelves near the appliances they go with: drinks by the fridge, pots and pans by the stove. Choose bottles and cans with appealing labels and cookware in finishes that complement your design.

Color & Finishes

Glenn chose an off-white paint for the walls and cabinets. “The lighting in the room is pretty moody. The white-on-white really lets the shadows play and emphasizes depth and details in the Carrara marble and the cabinets.”

The tones in the flooring are echoed in the wood shelves and copper accents. Glenn noted, “There’s a lot of orange in the floor. The Carrara marble on the island is slightly different than the backsplash, and it ties the whole room together with the orange tones from the shelves and the gray on the countertop.”

DESIGNER TIP: Laminate or vinyl floors look more realistic with high character variants.

The metal pieces throughout the space — from brushed nickel faucets and lighting fixtures, to stainless steel appliances — have a matte finish. The drawer pulls and cabinet knobs are from different collections, but are unified by their finish, scale, and stepped finial design.

Scale  

Glenn chose large light fixtures at the kitchen sink and over island. He said, “You have to be very considerate with scale when you’re choosing a large pendant. You want to consider its visual weight more than its actual size. A tiny pendant that’s black could carry a lot more visual weight than a large, clear glass pendant.”

DESIGNER TIP: Finish and scale both pull high-contrast forms together. Glenn advised, “If you choose a high-arc kitchen faucet, you’ll want to match it with a high-arc bar faucet.”