Rejuvenation Offers a Peek Into Decades of Design History

Rejuvenation may have gotten its start in antique and vintage lighting restoration over 40 years ago, but the company has established itself as a leader in the modern lighting category. The brand has rolled out some seriously bold and beautiful looks that are informed by the company’s appreciation for the past. 

“Our roots in antiques reinforce how extraordinary elements are critical to infusing a sense of soul into a space,” says Samuel Cochran, industrial designer and engineer for Rejuvenation’s in-house lighting team. Overall, Rejuvenation’s aim is to offer a graceful reflection on how design history can blend with contemporary styles in intriguing ways.

For example, one of Rejuvenation’s signature looks, Northwest Modern, takes cues from the Watzek House by Pacific Northwest modernist architect John Yeon. The Rejuvenation team looked at how Yeon embraced the local area’s famed natural beauty in the design of the structure. “We have since developed this into a distinctive style with inspiration from our surroundings and close relationship to nature,” says Cochran. “This comes out in the product through clean modern proportions and the use of natural materials like hardwoods and living finishes that patina over time.”

Many of Rejuvenation’s present-day offerings echo the manufacturer’s historical expertise in making period-specific luminaires. To do this, the team frequently pulls inspiration and ideas from an in-house archive of design catalogs and periodicals, some dating as far back as the mid-1800’s. All manner of residential architecture styles, like the aforementioned Pacific Northwest Modern Watzek House or a New England Victorian aesthetic, are incorporated and reimagined, too. 

Sometimes a more personal interpretation of the past can inform a design. For instance, Cochran used a childhood memory of his coastal hometown while coming up with the form of the Adriatic ceiling light, which debuted this week. He was inspired by the way waves intermingle in the surf when they crash, creating beautiful patterns that bend, reflect, and refract light. He used that memory to create an utterly unique product that dapples a room with an aqueous and dreamy vibe. 

This range of influences in Rejuvenation’s portfolio focuses on what Cochran calls a “mix of eclecticism within interiors.” “Our offerings are authentically eclectic because for years we’ve developed products rooted in decades of designs and a special sensitivity to all the different directions inspiration can come from.”

Rejuvenation is a subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.