how do you light up a dark kitchen

12 Easy Ways to Brighten A Dark Kitchen

• Hang Up More Mirrors in Your Kitchen. Interior designers have used this hack for ages to brighten up various areas of...
• Use Venetian Blinds Instead of Drapes or Curtains. Many kitchens have small windows as it is. Covering them with heavy...
• Prefer A Matte Finish Over A Glossy Finish. The kitchen cabinets make up a significant...

Full Answer

How to brighten up a dingy kitchen?

Where the kitchen felt dark in person:

• Cabinet hardware in oil-rubbed bronze
• Black Keurig
• Dark brown bar stools

How to lighten a dark room with no natural light?

See These 12 Amazing Techniques

1. Covering a Non-existent Window. We naturally associate curtains with windows. ...
2. Eye-catching Wallpaper. If there is no window in the room, we can put on wallpaper or photo wallpaper. ...
3. Connection to Another Room. ...
4. Illuminated Glass or Stained Glass Panel. ...

How to brighten up a dark kitchen?

Here are some simple ways you can add pops of color to your kitchen:

• Choose colorful cookware
• Paint a single wall
• Use open shelving to show off your colorful dinnerware
• Paint your sink a bold color
• Place a brightly-colored curtain or shutter on your window
• Paint the inside of an open cabinet
• Add color underfoot with a rug
• Add plants to your kitchen for some living color

More items...

How to decide between light or dark kitchen cabinets?

The 3 Types of Under Cabinet Lighting

1. Light Bars Unobtrusive and sophisticated, light bars provide a lot of light while staying out of sight. ...
2. Puck Lights A quick solution to add a focused light to the under cabinet area. ...
3. Tape Lights

How do I bring natural light to my kitchen?

How to Increase Natural Light in your KitchenUse a glossier paint. Following on from the previous point – if you do go for a brighter, lighter wall paint, go for a glossier finish. ... Choose reflective surfaces. ... Polished floors. ... Pick your accessories with care. ... Install glass panels or blocks. ... Add extra lighting to your kitchen.

What is the best Colour for a dark kitchen?

Look for neutrals with a warm, yellow or orange base for the most impact in a dark kitchen. Soft brown is relaxed and welcoming. Or go even lighter with straw, palest terra cotta or a warm, creamy shade of white on the walls. Choose cabinets in medium tones of natural wood or painted a darker hue of your walls.

How do you illuminate a kitchen?

0:222:45The Best Kitchen Lighting Tips from Lamps Plus - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBy. Use under cabinet lighting to brighten this area. The light is shadow free and since you don'tMoreBy. Use under cabinet lighting to brighten this area. The light is shadow free and since you don't see the light source it really emphasizes the contours. And shape of the room.

How can I make my black kitchen look good?

White and black is a classic colour combination that will never go out of style. Open shelving is a nice way to open up a black kitchen - choose a mixture of black cabinets and black shelves to keep a cohesiveness throughout the room whilst opening up the space and letting the colour do the talking.

What colors make a kitchen brighter?

Go with Light Colors Light colors are more reflective than dark colors and they will make your kitchen appear bigger as well as more open and airy. Light blues, greens, or pale yellows are other great colors to make your space look larger than life.

Is it OK to have a dark kitchen?

Dark cabinets can be great for warming up your space — especially in contrast with lighter walls and flooring. They show food and scratches less easily. If you have an active lifestyle with kids or pets, darker cabinets may be a good choice as they tend to stand up better to wear and tear than lighter cabinets.

How can I light my kitchen without overhead lighting?

If you're lighting a room with no ceiling lights, try these easy-to-install alternatives that shine just as brightly.Floor lamps. In a dark room, floor lamps can bring the night to life. ... Plug-in wall sconces. ... Plug-in ceiling pendants. ... LED strips. ... String lights. ... Table lamps. ... Portable lights. ... Star lights.More items...

How can I add lights to my kitchen without a window?

How to Light up a Kitchen with No WindowAdd Uplighting along the Crown Molding of the Cabinets. ... Use Under-Cabinet Lighting to Illuminate Workspaces. ... Strategically Place Canned Lights for an All-around Glow. ... Add Lights inside Your Cabinets. ... Select Light Colors to Keep the Kitchen Bright.More items...•

What is the best light bulb for kitchen?

Warm whiteWarm white (3,000 to 4,000 Kelvin) is more yellowish-white. These bulbs are best suited for kitchens and bathrooms. Bright white (4,000 to 5,000 Kelvin) is between white and blue tones.

How can I add warmth to my black kitchen?

How do you add warmth to a black and white kitchen? The very best way to add warmth to black and white kitchen ideas is through wood – those with a strong grain add both texture and warmth really effectively. You can use wood on both floors, countertops, in shelving, in the room's architecture and in accessories.

How do you brighten a black and white kitchen?

Blend the Surfaces in your black and white kitchen A black and white palette creates a calm and sophisticated atmosphere. If you have a kitchen island, you can select wraparound black countertops to bring focus to this feature. For the rest of the surfaces, you can use white to brighten up your space.

Are dark cabinets out of style 2021?

We are leaving bright and white kitchen cabinets back in 2020 and replacing them with dark and moody cabinets for 2021. This trend was destined to happen at some point, and here it is in 2021. Finally, dark and moody kitchens are now a must-have, and we can see why.

What to do with a dark kitchen?

In a dark kitchen, you can add a bright vase, a vibrant painting, or colorful containers to bring the attention to them.

What makes a kitchen look brighter?

The kitchen cabinets make up a significant portion of the kitchen. The material they are made of can affect how bright your kitchen appears. Glossy cabinets or surfaces reflect bright light, often causing glares that can be distracting. They make some areas look brighter and others darker.

How to make your kitchen backsplash look brighter?

The walls under your kitchen cabinet are more prone to getting stained or dirty since they are closest to the countertops where all your cooking prep takes place. Re-painting the backsplash with a light hue can add a clean look to your kitchen, and make it seem brighter.

What color cabinets make a kitchen look smaller?

Dark wood cabinets do have an aesthetic appeal, but they do end up making your kitchen look darker and feel smaller. If you have a small, dark kitchen, re-painting your cabinets a lighter color can make a drastic difference. White cabinets add a classy, sophisticated, and modernistic look.

What is the best material to use for a kitchen?

Steel and metallic surfaces are great reflectors of light. If you really want to make your kitchen bright, you can opt for metallic finishes on your cabinets. Steel countertops are durable and easy to clean, which adds to their advantages.

How to make a messy kitchen look roomier?

A messy kitchen will tend to look darker and more congested. Organizing your counters and surfaces will help make the kitchen look roomier. Wooden shelves are an excellent addition to introduce some warmth into the room. They give you compartments to neatly place appliances and cutlery and give the room a lighter feel.

Can you put an island in the center of your kitchen?

Alternatively, you could construct a bright gleaming island in the center of your kitchen. Not only will this brighten up the room and give you more counter space, but it will also act as a focal visual point for the kitchen. Keep in mind, adding too much to your kitchen will only weigh it down.

1. Enhance Lighting

First, check the maximum recommended wattage for your fixtures, and make sure that you’re using the strongest possible bulbs. For slightly more cash and effort, hire a local electrician to install additional lighting sources, like recessed lights, lighting underneath overhanging cabinets, and pendants.

2. Change the Look of Your Cabinets

Especially if you have dark wooden or laminate cabinets, painting them white or another light color will go far toward brightening up a dark kitchen. Just clean, sand, prime, and paint.

3. Lighten Up Your Floor

Since flooring takes up so much space, its appearance has a major impact on the look of your kitchen. If it’s dark, consider adding some brightness.

4. Paint the Walls

Since walls take up so much space in your kitchen, changing the color with a lighter shade will work wonders. While white kitchens are always in style, off-white, blue, gray, and green are also on-trend.

5. Purchase White or Stainless Steel Appliances

If you have black appliances that need to be replaced, opt for white or stainless steel models to help brighten up a dark kitchen. With white, look for a fingerprint-resistant finish, so your appliances will stay looking clean.

6. Get New Countertops

So many kitchens have dark countertops, like black, brown, or green granite. Lighten them up by replacing them with a material in a white, bone, or beige shade. For a budget kitchen, try laminate or a solid surface material (like Corian).

7. Replace Your Door

If your kitchen has a solid core door that opens onto a light-flooded space, try replacing it with a glass-paneled alternative. Or, if you can, convert your traditional door to a sliding door, ideally a pocket door. This way, you’ll save space and allow some of that natural light from the adjoining room to make its way into your kitchen.

How to brighten up a dark kitchen?

Another great way to brighten up a dark kitchen is to add pops of color. This type of visual distraction will help brighten up any space. Here are some simple ways you can add pops of color to your kitchen: Choose colorful cookware. Paint a single wall. Use open shelving to show off your colorful dinnerware. Paint your sink a bold color.

What can cause a kitchen to look dark?

If your kitchen countertops are worn out and dull, then it can cause your whole space to look dark and dingey. To brighten up your space, consider installing new custom kitchen cabinets in light-colored marble, granite, or laminate. While some kitchens look awesome with dark stones, a kitchen that suffers from a lack of light will do best ...

What can I do to liven up my kitchen?

Replacing or repainting old cabinetry is another great trick to liven up your kitchen. Instead of opting for mahogany or dark materials, we suggest opting for white or light wood to brighten up your space.

What type of lighting should I use in my kitchen?

Accent. The third type of lighting your kitchen may need more of is accent lighting. Accent lighting is meant to serve as the cherry on top of a well-designed kitchen. Think cabinet lights, toe knick lights, and any other type of lighting that can help accentuate your favorite kitchen elements.

Why is task lighting important?

While ambient light makes it easy for you to navigate through the kitchen, task lighting helps to illuminate specific surfaces. This makes it easier for you to focus on tasks such as reading recipes, prepping meals, and easily spotting ingredients.

Why is the kitchen important?

Your kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your home. People spend a sizeable amount of time in their kitchen cooking, cleaning, and enjoying time with their families. Because you’re spending so much time in your kitchen, it’s very important that you make the space as welcoming as possible.

What color should I use for a kitchen?

While some kitchens look awesome with dark stones, a kitchen that suffers from a lack of light will do best with a tan, off-white, or gray finish. Or, don’t be afraid to go with a plain white color. If you’re afraid of a light color being too much, you can always off-set it with some darker accent elements.

LED ceiling spotlights

A really effective way of lighting your kitchen is to use LED ceiling spotlights. You can put as many as you need in over the area, they look clean and modern and give off a bright light. They are also cheap to run and won't need changing for a few years.

Pendant lights

Pendant lights are my favourite for a kitchen - I think they look great over an island or breakfast bar and not only add light to the room but they also make a statement and contribute to the style and decor of the space.

Light tunnel

A light tunnel, or sun tunnel, is another clever way of getting some light into a dark room - and it would be natural light too. These work by routing sunlight from a sunny part of the roof, through a tunnel in the ceiling and out through an opening in the desired room.

Velux windows

If your kitchen is an extension or has nothing above it you could consider putting in large velux windows in the ceiling. These would let in lots of natural light and would really brighten up and open up the space. You can even get self cleaning glass for if you were worried about how you would clean them.

Under cabinet lighting

A unique and modern way to light your kitchen is by using under cabinet lighting. The beauty of this is that you can use it alongside other lighting systems in the room and it will just add a little something extra.

Decor

Don't underestimate the power of decor. A small, dark space will feel much brighter if you have white walls and white cupboards and reflective surfaces such as mirrors and stainless steel appliances. The light will catch on the white and silver surfaces and reflect about, therefore making the most of what little light you might have.

Are you struggling with a kitchen that feels dark and boring?

Do you walk into your kitchen and think it looks dark and dreary? I feel your pain! This is something I’ve been trying to correct over the past several years in my home.

Pin It for Later

My kitchen has been taken from dark and boring to bright and cheerful! I hope this inspires you to make few little changes in your kitchen!

Lighting

Lighting is one of the key components to brightening a space, especially a kitchen. There are a few ways that this can be done.

Under Cabinet Lighting

Another category of lighting is the option of adding under cabinet lighting. Often, the upper cabinets that are needed in the space block the lighting from the countertop below.

Paint (Lighter Colors)

Moving away from the physical light, another great way of brightening up the space is by adding lighter paint colors. This will be handy when solving how to brighten a dark kitchen.

What Is The Best Color For A Dark Kitchen?

The best colors for a dark kitchen are light beige or gray. It is best not to go too overwhelming when it comes to the paint colors, as there is a great deal of elements in the kitchen that need to be paired with. Too many colors or patterns can clutter the space.

Ways To Brighten Up A Dark Kitchen

Stain cabinets: refinishing cabinets with a new stain can give an entirely different look to a space. To brighten up the space one can get a light stain for the cabinets to give an overall lighter and brighter appearance.

What is the first thing you need to prepare for wood?

The first thing you need to prepare is the bleach and you actually have an important decision to make here. Different kinds of bleach can be used to change the appearance of the wood.

What to use to stain wood?

After picking out your wood stain, you will also have to prepare sandpaper, a screwdriver, rags, dish soap, and some brushes. Wearing safety gear is a good idea again so go ahead and put on the mask, goggles, and gloves.

Can you bleach dark wood cabinets?

Homeowners can opt to bleach or stain their dark wood kitchen cabinets in order to lighten them up. Using either bleach or a wood stain lightens up the color of the cabinets while preserving their natural look. Just remember to use the right type of bleach or wood stain to get the results you want. Altering the appearance ...

Can you remove kitchen cabinets with a screwdriver?

At this point, you can now remove the kitchen cabinets using your screwdriver. Leaving them in place while you complete the next step is an option, but removing them now will make things easier.

Do you need to get rid of paint on cabinets?

If there’s a thick layer of paint or finish covering the cabinets, you will need to get rid of that. Otherwise, the layer will prevent the stain from penetrating the wood.

Can you use bleach to clean cabinets?

You can soak the cleaning rag with either the household bleach or the bleach with oxalic acid. Do not use too much bleach right away because you can add more later on. Use the bleach-soaked rag now to wipe down the cabinets. Make sure you even out the application to prevent streaks from forming.