Of all the rooms in a home to have too little light in, the kitchen is probably the worst. You’re handling sharp knives and tools, dealing with buttons, reading recipes, and perhaps even putting fine details on dishes. If your kitchen is so dark that you can’t see what you’re doing, we can help.

From simple solutions using household items to bigger, more involved projects, there are a multitude of ways to brighten up your kitchen space. Read on to find out how to bring light into your cooking space so you can get back to whipping up delicious meals.

Magnify with Mirrors

Using mirrors to reflect and bounce light is an easy and effective way to boost the amount of light in a room. Hanging mirrors will create the illusion of extra space and light and can even be used strategically to bounce light into dark corners.

Check Your Bulbs

Another easy solution is to check the wattage on your lightbulbs to make sure you’re using the best ones for the kitchen. Look for 80 to 100 watts for your cooking space. If you find any that are 60 watts or lower, you should replace them with brighter options.

Put Up Under Cabinet Lights

It’s amazing how the dark space under the cabinets makes the kitchen feel smaller and less spacious. You can decide between puck lights, LED light bars, or fluorescent lights to brighten up your under cabinet space, which will make the room feel much bigger and brighter.

Add a Window – Or Just Wash the Ones You Have

Obviously, the best way to bring more light into your kitchen is to add another window. More windows can provide not only more natural light but also ventilation for when you’re cooking up a storm. If there’s no space on the walls, a skylight is a great way to brighten up a room. However, skylights can contribute to heat gain during the summer, necessitating skylight blinds to conveniently regulate the amount of light and heat entering your home. Talk to window companies near you to find out if this is the right solution for you.

However, adding a window isn’t necessarily the most practical solution for everyone. But what anyone can do is give their windows a good scrub, both inside and out. Dirt and grime might not seem like they can significantly block out the light, but they can. Wash your windows and be surprised at how much more light comes through.

Clamp Your Lamps

If you have little overhead lighting, consider giving clamp lamps a try. They’re easy to clamp wherever you need them, so you can move them around to wherever you’re working, making them a convenient and flexible option. If you find you’re keeping it in the same place, you can screw one into a wall to create a more permanent light fixture. 

Try out one or several of these solutions to brighten up your kitchen space. More light will help to make your cooking and cleaning a much easier and quicker process and make the room more enjoyable to be in.