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Explore These 10 Creative Ways to Brighten Your Kitchen

Your kitchen is one of the most-used rooms in your home. So it should be a welcoming place you enjoy spending time in. But too often, kitchens are dull, dim, and drab. Fortunately, it’s easy to bring in a little light. Explore these 10 creative ways to brighten your kitchen.

1. Include a Mirror

One of the easiest ways to brighten your kitchen is to include a mirror. Mirrors reflect light, so strategically placing one near a window instantly brightens your kitchen. Plus, it gives the illusion of a larger space, too. Just remember to choose a stylish mirror that goes well with your kitchen’s decor.

2. Use Natural Lighting

The more natural light you can let into your kitchen, the better. So take advantage of all the windows and skylights you have. If possible, leave windows bare to enjoy maximum light exposure. But if you aren’t comfortable with bare windows, open your curtains or blinds as often as possible to let the light in.

3. Install Pendant Lights

If your kitchen seems too dim, there’s an easy fix. Install pendant lights. These low-hanging lights are the perfect way to brighten your kitchen. Since they are physically closer to you than recessed or overhead lighting, they give your kitchen the appearance of being brighter.

4. Change Your Lightbulbs

One simple way to brighten your kitchen is to change your lightbulbs. It’s important to be sure you use the right bulbs for your fixtures. That’s because exceeding the allowable wattage is dangerous. However, changing your lightbulbs to the maximum wattage your fixtures accommodate quickly brightens your kitchen.

5. Light the Space Under Your Cabinets

All too often, homeowners overlook the space under their cabinets. But lighting up that space instantly brightens your kitchen. And that’s especially true if your countertops and appliances are reflective. So purchase some under-cabinet lights. Or opt for custom kitchen cabinets with built-in lighting. You’ll love the difference it makes!

6. Get a New Backsplash

Your backsplash has a bigger effect on your kitchen’s appearance than you may think. A dark backsplash adds to the dim effect in your kitchen, while a light or colorful backsplash brightens it. Alternatively, choose a metallic backsplash that reflects light to brighten your kitchen even more. Silver is an excellent choice.

7. Add Some Color

A few pops of color can work wonders to brighten your kitchen. And best of all, you can be as creative as you like! Set out a few colorful canisters, choose bright light fixtures, or place lovely flowers in a brightly colored vase. Even a fruit bowl filled with a variety of fruits can add much-needed color to your kitchen.

8. Give a Nod to Nature

Adding natural elements to your kitchen is a simple, yet beautiful way to brighten the room. Place a few potted plants in the corners, add light wooden or wicker accents, and make use of glass vases that reflect the light. Other natural elements like stones, seashells, and water features also brighten your kitchen if they fit in with your decor.

9. Bring in a Bright Kitchen Island

Sometimes, all your kitchen needs to brighten it is a bold statement piece. And what better way is there to brighten your kitchen than by adding a bold new custom kitchen island? When you opt for a custom kitchen island, you get to choose the exact color you want. And with tons of available add-ons and accessories, you get the bonus of having additional storage and workspace in your kitchen. In fact, your new kitchen island might just become your favorite part of the kitchen!

10. Go Lighter

As beautiful as dark cabinets are, they don’t always work when you want a super bright, airy kitchen. So consider swapping out your old cabinets for lighter ones. Choose painted cabinets in light colors, like white or pastels. Or opt for light-colored woods like pine, maple, or ash instead.

Would you like to brighten your kitchen with custom kitchen cabinets or a custom kitchen island? We can help! Contact us today to share your ideas. Let’s make your bright dream kitchen a reality!

 

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Four Important Tips for Choosing Kitchen Lamps and Pendants

Lighting is an important component of a well-designed kitchen. You need to choose the right lamps and pendants to provide an appropriate level of illumination and complement other aspects of your decor.

Lamps and pendants come in a range of styles and other dimensions including size and shape. There are also a wide variety of locations where they can get installed. Pendant lights, for example, are suspended from the ceiling on a cable, usually above the kitchen table or island.

The following are four tips for choosing the right lighting:

1) Consider functionality

Even during the daytime in a kitchen that receives plenty of sunshine, you might require certain kinds of interior illumination. For example, in an area of your kitchen devoted to close, careful food preparations, you might want to install extra lighting, focused on that portion of counter space (pendant lights, for instance, can deliver that extra dose of illumination to your island).

2) Find the right balance

Let’s say you’re purchasing pendants for your kitchen. If you install them in the wrong place or install the wrong number, your room might look imbalanced. Depending on the size and shape of the pendant, you might want to install two or three in a row, with the right spacing between them. You also have to take care that the room as a whole doesn’t have a lopsided appearance.

3) Measure distances carefully

It would be a shame to buy a lamp or pendant only to find out that it dangles much too close to kitchen surfaces or stops short too far away.

4) Keep decor in mind

The colors and materials making up your lamp play an important role in how it will fit in with the rest of your kitchen decor. The kind of shading on your lamp or pendant, for example, not only helps ease the glare of the light bulb; it also becomes a part of your kitchen’s style.
Quirky geometric shapes and bright colors can go well with a kitchen that has a modern look with many metal appliances. A brass or copper pendant could fit well with a kitchen full of warm, earthier tones and rich brown cabinetry. Certain materials, such as glass, can go well with a variety of kitchen styles, from traditional to modern. The strength of the lighting, and where you place the lamp or pendant, can bring out subtle colors in your kitchen.

Whatever look you’re going for, you’ll find lamps and pendants that suit your style and work on a practical level as well. Contact us for additional advice on selecting the right lighting for your kitchen.

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Make Smaller Kitchens Appear Bigger With Open Layouts

Small kitchen spaces can feel cramped, especially when entertaining. Creating a more open layout will make a tiny kitchen appear larger and more enjoyable by creating a space that feels more connected to the rest of the home. From simple upgrades to a full remodel, there are various ways to make that little kitchen into a big focal point.

Bring the rest of the home in

If the walls feel like they are closing in on you while you’re preparing a meal, open them up. With a little renovation, making a doorway wider or knocking out a wall will greatly increase the perceived size of your kitchen. Kitchens with smaller footprints are not suited for islands, but you can create a peninsula-style entertaining or food prep area that separates the kitchen from the dining or living room. This will allow you to further define your kitchen space while simultaneously making it a part of the adjoining room. Kitchens with open layouts like these will make the space feel less claustrophobic, even if the square footage stays the same.

If tearing up your kitchen is not an option, move up for space. Take your cabinets all the way to the ceiling to make your kitchen space appear taller. Open shelving is another way to make kitchens appear bigger.  You may consider having a single shelf above doorways and windows to showcase prized kitchen heirlooms. If your kitchen has a door, remove it to create a more open and inviting atmosphere.

The illusion of color

When choosing color, this rule of thumb is helpful: dark colors make things appear smaller and light colors make things appear larger. You will want to avoid dark colors like reds and browns and opt instead for creamy tans or airy greens. White is also a good color, but keep it from looking sterile with splashes of complementing accents. Select cabinet colors that complement your walls. Choose light wood stains or paint colors that highlight rather than detract from your wall color.

Your floors and countertops should have just as much consideration when it comes to color. Light to medium colored flooring works best in a smaller kitchen space. Select glass tile for backsplashes to have as much reflection as possible. Planning on granite or quartz for your countertops? Stay away from pieces that contain too much dark flecks or striations.

Light it up

Big, bulky lights or hanging chandelier styles bring the ceiling down. Raise it up with recessed lighting or track lighting that allows you to direct light in different directions. If you like the look of pendant lighting, keep the number to a minimum and supplement with directional recessed lighting. Consider placing LED spotlights under wall cabinets to brighten counter space. If you go with open shelving, light up each shelf as well.

If possible, bring in as much natural light as you can into your kitchen. Do this by installing skylights or enlarging a window. Choose appliances that reflect light, such as white or stainless steel. Keep decoration to a minimum. Cluttering your space with too many objects will create more shadows.

Want to know more about creating kitchens with open layouts? Contact us to learn how we can help you design a more enjoyable kitchen space.

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