Did you move into a new home and discover that the kitchen is not a particularly pleasant place to be because it is so dark? Or did you install that kitchen yourself, but over the years it has become out of date and difficult to use due to a lack of brightness? If so, you are not alone. In fact, one of the biggest reasons that people decide to change their kitchen is because it is too dark and uncomfortable to use.
There are a number of ways you can make your kitchen a brighter space, and there will be a solution to suit all budgets. Read on to find out more.
Use Natural Light
Natural light in your home or workplace is crucial. Having as much natural light in the room as possible will boost your mood and make you more productive, and not only that, but it makes the room more enjoyable too. So, when it comes to your kitchen, getting as much natural light in there as possible is vital. That way, you will be much happier to spend time in there.
Make sure your kitchen windows are unobstructed, both inside and out. Remove any overgrown plants outside, pull your blinds up all the way, take all the stacked up kitchen implements off your windowsills, and so on. Depending on the layout of the kitchen and the structure of your house, you might even consider a skylight. The more natural light you can bring in, the better.
Change Your Cabinets
When you think of your kitchen, for the most part you are really thinking of your cabinets. Dark cabinets will darken the entire room, whereas a dark floor or kitchen worktop will not make so much of an impact. If the only thing you change is the colour of your cabinets, that could be enough.
You will have a few options. Firstly, you can repaint your dark cabinets with a brighter, lighter shade. You will need to use special cabinet paint for this, but the good news is it comes in a variety of different colours, and you can entirely change your kitchen for the better. Alternatively, you might want to visit Kitchens For DIY at www.kitchensfordiy.com. They have a wide range of cabinets too, and if you enjoy DIY then installing entirely new cabinets can be a good idea – you can change their position, and you will have the benefit of them being clean and unused by anyone else.
Add Lighting
Perhaps you do not have any windows in your kitchen due to the position of your property, or maybe sunshine just cannot seem to penetrate even if you do have windows. Lighting can then be used to brighten your kitchen.
One great way of using lighting in your kitchen is to install under-cabinet lights. This space is not being used for anything else, and these lights will give an added layer of brightness to the room. Plus, they are ideal when you are using your kitchen worksurface as they offer more focused light.
Another way to make your lighting better is to swap your bulbs. If your bulbs are currently 60 watts or lower, change them to bulbs that are 80 to 100 watts. The difference will be amazing and could change the entire look of your kitchen very easily.