skip to main content

Home Decorating

Lighting suggestions for extremely dark kitchen

10 years ago

My first post since site has moved, although I've been lurking. We've been in our home for 4 years now and finally are ready to address the terrible kitchen lighting. Our home is already dark due to vaulted wood ceiling, and the only lighting in the kitchen is under and over cabinet florescent lighting. It's completely inadequate as it is.

Would like to minimize adding holes to the wood ceiling, so I think recessed lighting is out. Right now I'm thinking we should add track lighting. Is that too dated? Any other suggestions? I'd like it to be as bright as possible with the option to dim.

These pics are with cabinet lights turned on, and were taken mid-day:

Here's an idea for track lighting that I liked:

And here's another option to add 1-2 overhead fixtures:

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

Annie Deighnaugh
10 years ago
You could think about cable lights which can be placed between the beams and then would almost disappear. You can select whatever fixtures you want...including up close to the cable or you can do pendants to bring the light source closer if you wish.
Weatherfield Residence & Pool House · More Info

2010 A-List Award Winner · More Info

House in Redding, Fairfield County, CT · More Info

And they can be arranged as uplights to brighten the ceiling as well as downlights.

Kitchen · More Info
0
User
10 years ago
I have very similar ceilings, the pine with the beams. Love your beadboard cabs too. Along with the white slipcovers on your furniture, that all says "Beach" to me. I'd paint the walls BM Van Courtland blue. Blue is wonderful with pine.

And I'd put recessed lighting in the ceiling.

Here is my room with BM Van Courtland Blue and the pine ceiling

And my low-light LR with the pine ceiling and BM Lenox Tan
0
Related Discussions
Help- Light or dark countertops with white cabs in small kitchen?
Q
Comments (19)
Thanks, everyone! Wow, I really appreciate the thoughts, and the example kitchens, both of which are gorgeous. I'm going to be installing undercabinet lighting. And I may install recessed lighting and/or a pendant over the peninsula, but I'm waiting on that. I'll keep looking toward light counters... some of the granites that I have found i like in photos (kashmir white for instance) aren't readily available in my area (I think that its quarry closed down anyway). I've been having a difficult time finding a light granite that I really like but going out to look again today. I don't want to go too gray as an undertone but would prefer balance of warm/cool in the mix of colors. Or just quartz... So any suggestions on that, based on your experience, also appreciated! (Organic white Ceasarstone- check, I'll look at that one!) If I can't come up with a definite on the counter by tomorrow, I have to give a cabinet color.... given my Super White trim, and the fact that the kitchen has no light, I'm thinking something that blends with that but is not so stark white. Decorator white sound good?
...See More
Help me decide on light or dark kitchen cabinets
Q
Comments (15)
You might be surprised to find that hardwood in a kitchen is not as horrible to keep up with as you think. PO in this house had hardwood in the kitchen, family room and mudroom and carpet everywhere else. I couldn't believe it, the 3 rooms that would be my last choice for hardwood are the only rooms that have it. My hardwood has worn surprisingly well in the kitchen- and I am really a total slob. I do wipe up water if I notice that I've dripped (most of the time, dh is much more vigilant than I am), but I'm sure that the 2 kids don't. And we have a dog too. I put a large washable rug in front of the sink and dishwasher and that really helped for those dripping wet hands reaching for the towel. It does help that we have a medium golden brown type stain and not highly polished, so it doesn't show dirt and dog hair and doesn't have to be glossy to look good. I have been pleasantly surprised by how the hardwood is holding up to our abuse. And happy not to be cleaning stains out of grout.
...See More
Need help with paint color for condo with extremely low light
Q
Comments (18)
Yeah I totally agree that we want to get it right the first time. And I can't do painting anymore, it's too hard on my body and I'm no spring chicken either. I have a painter that will do it . I have eliminated gray. This condo is too cave like because of the lack of natural light. I feel it needs yellow to bring the sun inside! Wall sconces will be a must have. I went back to Dunn Edwards today. I've decided to do a monochromatic color scheme using only 2 yellows. I'm still going to use Ivory charm #323 but I also wanted to add a deeper yellow to mix it up a little bit. Honey Nectar DET470 looked like the best deeper shade to Ivory Charm. I slapped some on the wall but with the dark colors the original owner has it's really hard to figure out what it's really going to look like. Tomorrow I will look at the honey nectar in daylight. I put a second coat on when it was dark. It might need to be cut it 25% or maybe more. Yellows can multiple in intensity more so than other colors. I did start a design dilemma and nobody has responded. It's under "please help me choose a yellow paint." I posted this on Saturday. If you go there you can see some of the photographs of the existing wall color. It's hideous so you've been warned.
...See More
Lighting up a dark kitchen and living room -
Q
Comments (10)
4000k bulbs don't brighten a room, they shift the colour of the light away from yellow and towards blue, giving a light quality that is supposedly similar to daylight. Me, I find 4000k too cold a light for my tastes. 3000k is as far as I go, and I accept that it means a slightly yellow light. To actually lighten a room, you need more light-- either more bulbs or more lumens (like replacing a 60W bulb with a 100W bulb back when we used incandescents). Some fixtures will take LED bulbs. Others won't, particularly fluorescent or halogen fixtures. Choose the temperature that makes you comfortable (2700k is close to soft white) and the lumen rating (more is brighter) that gives the amount of light you need.
...See More
Related Professionals
Boise Interior Designers & Decorators · Nashville Interior Designers & Decorators · Dallas Furniture & Accessories · Evanston Furniture & Accessories · Los Angeles Furniture & Accessories · Eau Claire Furniture & Accessories · Arlington Custom Artists · Bethlehem Custom Artists · Paradise Custom Artists · Seal Beach Custom Artists · Fort Washington Lighting · Palm Springs Lighting · Pasadena Lighting · Channahon Lighting · Sacramento Window Treatments
Patty C
Original Author
10 years ago
Annie, I really like the cable lights in the 2nd and 3rd photos. Hadn't seen it with the cable run through the beams like that before. Like the style of the lights also, and think something like that could work. Thanks for posting the pics!

Tib, I've always admired the pics you post of your house. I really love it, maybe partially because our ceilings are kindred spirits even though I'm in FL and I know you're somewhere very cold with lots of snow. And even though my house is dark, I think the overall feel of it is "Beachy". The blue does look beautiful with the pine ceiling, but I really love the Lenox Tan. New paint colors for the inside will be a project for some time in the future, but right now I can't even read the recipes in my cookbooks without using a flashlight. I don't have anything against recessed lights per se; I'm just fearful of putting large permanent holes in the wood.
0
User
10 years ago
OH, my gosh. I owe you an apology. I don't know how I got it into my head you were looking for paint colors! My brain is not aging well at all! Sorry about that.
0
homepro01
10 years ago
The cable lites are made by Tech Lighting and Bruck mainly. I think WAC may make some too. They are not cheap but you can start out slowly. Buy the cables and transformer with just a few fixtures to start. Add more fixtures are you go.

Best of luck!
0
amykath
10 years ago
Love the cable lights Annie posted. Annie, as always you come up with the best photos for inspiration!
0
Annie Deighnaugh
10 years ago
Thanks, akt!
0
nosoccermom
10 years ago
Love those cable lights!!!!
I can't find it online, but IKEA used to have Termosfar cable lighting.

Termosfar on Ebay

Or cable lighting by Tiella
0
Patty C
Original Author
10 years ago
I found the exact cable lighting on the Tech Lighting web page at http://www.techlighting.com/Products/Fixtures/Kable-Lite/K-Pivot-Head; the very same kitchen that Annie posted is in the gallery!

nosoccermom: thanks for the links. That may be a more affordable option. I think the Tech Lighting system is going to be pricey, but I'll start there.

Showed the pics to DH and he also likes the idea. So now I just have to see if my electrician can do the installation and price the different options.

Thanks so much everyone - I'm excited. And Tib, I will definitely be consulting about paint colors in the future so you were just on the ball.
0
klem1
10 years ago
+1 on cable lights. Smoked chrome conduit might be a similar look. Is that a false ceiling as it appears light is coming through cracks in pic 2 and 4?
0
jlc712
10 years ago
I love cable lighting. Annie posted great examples. It will look perfect in your house. Hope you'll come back and show us the end result!
0
Patty C
Original Author
10 years ago
Klem, the ceiling is solid wood but has been coated with something that gives it a slight sheen. That is what is reflecting in some of the pics and appearing as light.

I will definitely come back and post pics when it's done.
0

Related Stories

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: '70s Condo Gets Extreme Makeover

By Erika Ward - Erika Ward Interiors

Niki Papadopoulos Turns a Dowdy Interior Into a Modern Palace for Two

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen of the Week: A Dark Kitchen Brightens Up

By Mary Jo Bowling

A cooking space honors the past while embracing the present

KITCHEN DESIGN 3 Dark Kitchens, 6 Affordable Updates

By Jennifer Ott Design

Color advice: Three Houzzers get budget-friendly ideas to spruce up their kitchens with new paint, backsplashes and countertops

Come On Over To The Dark Side - Tips On Dark Kitchen Cabinetry!

COLOR 9 Dark Wall Colors to Suit Your Mood

By Becky Harris

Tired of light and airy? Try dark and moody for a change; you may be surprised by the moods these colors inspire

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Nature Suggests a Toronto Home’s Palette

By Annie Thornton

Birch forests and rocks inspire the colors and materials of a Canadian designer’s townhouse space

GREEN BUILDING Efficient Architecture Suggests a New Future for Design

By Spry Architecture

Homes that pay attention to efficient construction, square footage and finishes are paving the way for fresh aesthetic potential

KITCHEN DESIGN Are You Ready for a Dark and Sophisticated Kitchen?

By Scheer & Co. Interior Design

Black kitchen cabinets have a rich, timeless look. Get ideas for your next cabs — and how to paint the ones you have

FUN HOUZZ The Case for a Glow-in-the-Dark Home

By Joanna Tovia

These fanciful, fun and functional ideas will have you lighting up your home in new and unexpected ways ... and not just at Christmastime

KITCHEN DESIGN A Two-Tone Cabinet Scheme Gives Your Kitchen the Best of Both Worlds

By Toronto Interior Design Group

Waffling between paint and stain or dark and light? Here’s how to mix and match colors and materials

Sponsored

24 Reviews

Loudoun County, VA's Top Handyman Service | Best of Houzz 2018-2019

More Discussions

Help identifying vintage/antique china/dishes

4

Large Outdoor Patio with 2 separate Pergolas

5

Design help needed for the open living room

4

What size rug do I need for 52” table?

0

Frameless Mirror Placement in Bathrooms

8