Dark kitchen - what to do?

[Anonymous]

My kitchen is dark. If you think of a rectangle, the short right side has the stove, the top line of rectangle is where oven, sink, dishwasher and cabinets are. Open kitchen opens to dining or breakfast space and then family room on the left of kitchen. On the left shorter side of rectangle is where fireplace is. No windows on that wall though. Will adding two windows there let sunlight through to brighten the kitchen?

[Anonymous]

I would start with paint and adding recessed lighting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would start with paint and adding recessed lighting.

Already have recess lighting and it's on even in the daytime if I want to be in the kitchen. Cabinets are reddish brown so I could have those painted white but I doubt it would do much to help brighten the kitchen workspace

[Anonymous]

Would the new windows be on a south facing wall? Then lots of light. On north facing, some additional light, especially if two windows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would start with paint and adding recessed lighting.

Already have recess lighting and it's on even in the daytime if I want to be in the kitchen. Cabinets are reddish brown so I could have those painted white but I doubt it would do much to help brighten the kitchen workspace

If you have a space that is a light sink (e.g. absorbs a lot of light), here are the options:
- More light. A window is great in the daytime, but useless at night. You need more recessed lighting
- Lighter colors. Lighter colors reflect more light. Your reddish brown cabinets are absorbing at least half of the light and not reflecting it back. Light colors (pale colors or white) will reflect more light.
- More reflective surfaces. You can paint with more reflective paint. A higher gloss paint will reflect more light back
- You don't necessarily have to paint the cabinets. If there is any open wall space, you can paint the walls, which is a less expensive option than painting the cabinets.
- Replace appliances with lighter, more reflective surfaces. So, stainless or brushed nickel instead of black. For some appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers you can get laminates that will cover the appliance with a lighter/more reflective option.
Mirrors on walls or stainless backsplashes behind sink and stove/cooktop can also help improve lighting.

[Anonymous]

Memories of my kitchen 20 years ago, with its two north facing windows, dark brown stained wood floors, black appliances, dark gray laminate countertops, and forest green painted walls. The cabinets were white but it was still like living in a cave. We painted a lighter green, updated the appliances to stainless as they broke, then refinished the floor with a natural stain and replaced the countertops with white/gray quartz.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would start with paint and adding recessed lighting.

Already have recess lighting and it's on even in the daytime if I want to be in the kitchen. Cabinets are reddish brown so I could have those painted white but I doubt it would do much to help brighten the kitchen workspace

If you have a space that is a light sink (e.g. absorbs a lot of light), here are the options:
- More light. A window is great in the daytime, but useless at night. You need more recessed lighting
- Lighter colors. Lighter colors reflect more light. Your reddish brown cabinets are absorbing at least half of the light and not reflecting it back. Light colors (pale colors or white) will reflect more light.
- More reflective surfaces. You can paint with more reflective paint. A higher gloss paint will reflect more light back
- You don't necessarily have to paint the cabinets. If there is any open wall space, you can paint the walls, which is a less expensive option than painting the cabinets.
- Replace appliances with lighter, more reflective surfaces. So, stainless or brushed nickel instead of black. For some appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers you can get laminates that will cover the appliance with a lighter/more reflective option.
Mirrors on walls or stainless backsplashes behind sink and stove/cooktop can also help improve lighting.

Lots of good ideas here. Thank you!

Our house is NE facing. When we walk in through long hallway from front door, to the back, kitchen is on right side with stove top on right wall. Family room is along the East and South East, kitchen wall along the West, opposite the Family room. There is a sun room on South West at the back of house that runs parallel to my breakfast area and kitchen (a doorless entryway from breakfast area into it) and the sun room extends behind my kitchen partway. There is a pass through space from kitchen to sunroom where a double window would be. On either side of the pass through space I have cabinets, and also a double wall oven near doorless entry to sunroom. The double wall oven and cabinets block the light from sunroom and I get just the light from pass through which is not enough natural light. Add to that the dark reddish brown kitchen.

If we were to add new windows, they would be on the East and kitchen is on the South West . The South East wall of family room already has many windows and plenty of light in family room from those, but it does not reflect along the opposite side where kitchen is.

[Anonymous]

Pop a skylight
Add under cabinet lights
Pendants

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Memories of my kitchen 20 years ago, with its two north facing windows, dark brown stained wood floors, black appliances, dark gray laminate countertops, and forest green painted walls. The cabinets were white but it was still like living in a cave. We painted a lighter green, updated the appliances to stainless as they broke, then refinished the floor with a natural stain and replaced the countertops with white/gray quartz.

That sounds nice. Do you have before and after pics? How much did the renovation cost you?

I have cherry stained floors, long maple reddish brown cabinets, brown backsplash and brown and black granite. I am kind of sick of it and realize we have to do something, just not sure what. We could go with lighter floors but I just hate the gunstock and butterskotch hardwood floors. If we go natural hardwood, with kids it may not work out. I like gray flooring but don't know how that will go with these dark cabinets. We have white on all walls in the main level. Our sunroom is actually nice and bright throughout the day since it is on the South side of the house but the light does not go to the kitchen right in front of it thanks to the small pass through and all these cabinets and oven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pop a skylight
Add under cabinet lights
Pendants

Have a bedroom over the kitchen so no skylight possible. But yes I could do the under cabinets lights and pendants. There are recess lights over the island so we could switch that out to pendants from same wiring I suppose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Memories of my kitchen 20 years ago, with its two north facing windows, dark brown stained wood floors, black appliances, dark gray laminate countertops, and forest green painted walls. The cabinets were white but it was still like living in a cave. We painted a lighter green, updated the appliances to stainless as they broke, then refinished the floor with a natural stain and replaced the countertops with white/gray quartz.

That sounds nice. Do you have before and after pics? How much did the renovation cost you?

I have cherry stained floors, long maple reddish brown cabinets, brown backsplash and brown and black granite. I am kind of sick of it and realize we have to do something, just not sure what. We could go with lighter floors but I just hate the gunstock and butterskotch hardwood floors. If we go natural hardwood, with kids it may not work out. I like gray flooring but don't know how that will go with these dark cabinets. We have white on all walls in the main level. Our sunroom is actually nice and bright throughout the day since it is on the South side of the house but the light does not go to the kitchen right in front of it thanks to the small pass through and all these cabinets and oven.

Paint the cabinets white or another light color you like. Replace the brown backsplash--maybe mirrored subway tile? (Hard to know what would go with the granite without seeing it.) It doesn't sound like the counters are doing you any favors, but replacing can be difficult and pricey. Gray wood flooring has had its day; your current flooring sounds fine and will ground a lighter color cabinet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would start with paint and adding recessed lighting.

+1 Recessed lighting with a dimmer made such a difference in our kitchen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Memories of my kitchen 20 years ago, with its two north facing windows, dark brown stained wood floors, black appliances, dark gray laminate countertops, and forest green painted walls. The cabinets were white but it was still like living in a cave. We painted a lighter green, updated the appliances to stainless as they broke, then refinished the floor with a natural stain and replaced the countertops with white/gray quartz.

That sounds nice. Do you have before and after pics? How much did the renovation cost you?

I have cherry stained floors, long maple reddish brown cabinets, brown backsplash and brown and black granite. I am kind of sick of it and realize we have to do something, just not sure what. We could go with lighter floors but I just hate the gunstock and butterskotch hardwood floors. If we go natural hardwood, with kids it may not work out. I like gray flooring but don't know how that will go with these dark cabinets. We have white on all walls in the main level. Our sunroom is actually nice and bright throughout the day since it is on the South side of the house but the light does not go to the kitchen right in front of it thanks to the small pass through and all these cabinets and oven.

Paint the cabinets white or another light color you like. Replace the brown backsplash--maybe mirrored subway tile? (Hard to know what would go with the granite without seeing it.) It doesn't sound like the counters are doing you any favors, but replacing can be difficult and pricey. Gray wood flooring has had its day; your current flooring sounds fine and will ground a lighter color cabinet.

Granite is like this one:

https://www.houzz.com/products/venetian-gold-polished-granite-tile-12x12-free-shipping-12x12-tiles-set-prvw-vr~161568830?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Memories of my kitchen 20 years ago, with its two north facing windows, dark brown stained wood floors, black appliances, dark gray laminate countertops, and forest green painted walls. The cabinets were white but it was still like living in a cave. We painted a lighter green, updated the appliances to stainless as they broke, then refinished the floor with a natural stain and replaced the countertops with white/gray quartz.

That sounds nice. Do you have before and after pics? How much did the renovation cost you?

I have cherry stained floors, long maple reddish brown cabinets, brown backsplash and brown and black granite. I am kind of sick of it and realize we have to do something, just not sure what. We could go with lighter floors but I just hate the gunstock and butterskotch hardwood floors. If we go natural hardwood, with kids it may not work out. I like gray flooring but don't know how that will go with these dark cabinets. We have white on all walls in the main level. Our sunroom is actually nice and bright throughout the day since it is on the South side of the house but the light does not go to the kitchen right in front of it thanks to the small pass through and all these cabinets and oven.

Paint the cabinets white or another light color you like. Replace the brown backsplash--maybe mirrored subway tile? (Hard to know what would go with the granite without seeing it.) It doesn't sound like the counters are doing you any favors, but replacing can be difficult and pricey. Gray wood flooring has had its day; your current flooring sounds fine and will ground a lighter color cabinet.

Granite is like this one:

https://www.houzz.com/products/venetian-gold-polished-granite-tile-12x12-free-shipping-12x12-tiles-set-prvw-vr~161568830?

That is not terrible at all and would look good with white or creamy white cabinets. You can find photos using google--a lot are on pinterest, which I can't copy, but here's an example (don't advise the maple glaze). Not sure about the backsplash but am intrigued about the possibility of antiqued mirror tiles, which are lower maintenance than regular mirrors but will provide helpful reflective qualities. There is a place on Etsy that sells these in larger tiles.

[Anonymous]

Here is an article by someone who transformed her kitchen with Venetian Gold countertops. She painted the cabinets, which were very dark, white and lightened up the backsplash.

https://pinkpeppermintdesign.com/interior-design-light-and-bright-kitchen-remodel/