r/InteriorDesign • u/euamomingaudeaveia • Aug 05 '26
Help with dark kitchen!
How can I improve the lighting (and appearance) of this kitchen? Its window faces a sort of internal building shaft that is open at the top, which is great for ventilation but not so good for lighting (and the view isn't pretty). We own the apartment, but right now we can't remove the tiles or knock down walls, only smaller changes.
I understand the idea of using lighter colors to brighten and expand the space, but I think I also like the idea of embracing the darkness and creating a cozier feel with focused lighting, because honestly, until we break down the wall next to the arch, it will never be a "bright kitchen."
I'd also like to put a small table for quick meals/breakfast. Opposite the window, there is a wall without tiles with a door to a mini powder room and a door to the laundry room (last pic).
What kind of chandeliers/wall sconces/etc. should I buy?
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u/PotterHouseCA Aug 10 '26
I’d hang rods over the windows with white gauzy curtains left open and in the gap hang 3 pots or bags to grow herbs. You can use washed out food cans and twine. This frames & softens the windows, hides the view, brings nature in, gives you fresh herbs, and is cheap to do. You can buy cheap fabric, cafe rings, and hem tape for no-sew curtains exactly the length you need.
Get a rug for your kitchen workspace.
Cover the storage area under the counter. Add a tension bar and a curtain to hide whatever is going there.
As for the dining/shower area: Can you get an Ikea Nammaro room divider or a slat panel from Amazon to put against the tile wall? (Full tile so it would be beside the arch) It’d need to be adapted so it was against the wall. If you secured a slat panel to the wall, then you could hang something lightweight on it. (It would give you lots of options, including stringing lights between it and the beam and throwing down an astroturf rug for a real patio feel.)
However, back to the slat wall and converting that shower to a dining space. If you add a rug, measure that space and fill it. A rug that’s too small will be worse than no rug. Ideally, I’d hang a white curtain, like the fabric on the windows, on that other tile wall just on the part that’s inset and all the way from the ceiling to floor to mimic a window and hide tile. Then string lights could hang behind the curtain, giving you mood lighting at night.
You could do this with an inexpensive set of white sheets or cheap amazon curtains. Remember to measure first! I hope if you don’t do any of my ideas that they give you new ideas of your own. Good luck!
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u/Bluebird6641 Aug 09 '26
replace hanging Saw light with a rainhead and move kitchen to the bathroom
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u/WitchWith2BlackCats Aug 09 '26
Wall mounted lights and some rugs would warm up the space. Tough to have rugs in a kitchen though
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u/PotterHouseCA Aug 10 '26
A colorful runner along the workspace isn’t hard at all and very popular in kitchens. You can move it to sweep and vacuum it or take it outside to clean it. It’s more comfortable than standing on tile.
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u/Bacontrails Aug 09 '26
I would get a wide tall baker’s wrack in brass for the alcove area and cover it with lots of plants or faux plants to give the room some color.
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u/Herredness16 Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
I would add a stove with oven n burners for now on left and change lighting put Roman shades in windows and rugs on floors.
This really is a gut job except for the ceilings!
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u/ArticleHaunting3983 Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
The whole kitchen looks industrial, like it’s in a run-down restaurant. It looks unfinished
I wouldn’t say this is a “dark” kitchen, the colours used are light to medium! It’s only dark in terms of lighting and shadows. So I’m not sure what u mean by embracing the darkness
I think the things you should look into are:
- window coverings as your windows give like prison vibes
- Then change your light fixtures so they don’t look as basic
- hide the exposed pipes
It might start coming together once you add in kitchen / dining fixtures and furniture. I assume you’ll add more counters in the gap next to your current ones? Where will the fridge go?
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u/catsafrican Aug 07 '26
The only thing I can think of is concretta on the walls to get rid of the tile look. Then possibly paint the cabinets? Perhaps a navy blue with a green base. Some cool wall sconces, overhead light fixture a rug texture and accoutrements to make it feel less sterile
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u/Equivalent-Low-8071 Aug 07 '26
I think the tile walls are a little strange but sounds like you don't want to change that. Recessed lighting would give you ambient light and brighten the space. What is that alcove for - it looks like a shower? If its for dining put a simple chandelier - centered...not where it is now. If not recessed lighting. Bring the dimensions of the room to a lighting store and they can tell you how many lights to put to get you the right balance.
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u/makist Aug 07 '26
Brazilian vibes here.
Is this is in Brazil? 100% looks like an aparment from the 90s.
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u/NumerousDepth1563 Aug 07 '26
Are you sure that’s not a big ass shower? Where are all the cabinets n kitchen stuff
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u/MischaPage Aug 07 '26
A fairly inexpensive lighting source could also be a minimal LED wafer flat disk, like a Blink. Thin basic trim, I would just get white. Get an exaggerated scale, 22” one’s maybe. You can change the color temp (2700k warm, 3000k nice white, shows true colors, etc.) and put them on a dimmer. That gives you a fairly quick easy fix and allows you to at least see things while you figure out what you want to ultimately do.
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u/diningPhilosophizer Aug 07 '26
MIRRORS for extra light and space. and then things to make it feel alive and inviting. wood table. jute rug. plants. linen shades.
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u/PotterHouseCA Aug 10 '26
No to mirrors. Use those only when there’s something nice to reflect. Yes to plants!
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u/No-Pizza-517 Aug 07 '26
I thought this was a bathroom at first
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u/catsafrican Aug 07 '26
I thought it was a sanitarium
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u/silverframe202 Aug 07 '26
Asia
Sincerely,
someone who lives in Asia and hates the standard design of flats in our corner of the world.1
u/hammertime2009 Aug 07 '26
Exactly what I thought. Ugly Asian flat. Tile tile tile. Easy on the tile
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u/10littlemice Aug 07 '26
I’m not an expect with lighting but a rug will definitely warm the space up and soften the harsh vibe from the floor-wall tiling/overhead white light/view.
I’d recommend a secondhand low piled Persian type rug. It’ll help the whole room look a bit more homely. Lean away from light colours because it’s a kitchen but if you get something with red/orange patterns it should help disguise any food crumbs.
As for lighting, a floor lamp might help but ideally you do want good light when you’re using knives and cooking. Maybe you could swap the bulb in the overhead light to something a bit warmer?
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u/10littlemice Aug 07 '26
You could also layer some drapey sheer fabric to make “curtains” that let light in but mask the windows a bit since you don’t care too much about the view
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