5 Ways to Tap into Natural Light and Brighten up Your Kitchen Space

Natural light has always been superior to artificial light in any kitchen design. It gives your kitchen a rich spectrum imbue that light bulbs can only hope to duplicate. 

It lowers your energy costs and raises your body's serotonin (feel good) levels while making your kitchen feel spacious and clean.

Unfortunately for most homeowners, their kitchens were not designed with daylighting in mind.

Not to worry, though. Instead of relocating to a sunnier location or picking up your house and turning your kitchen in the direction of the sun, consider the following ways to increase interior natural light into your kitchen.

1. Optimize Your Layout

Is your kitchen one of those we referenced that has a window or two? Then you may be in the market for a new kitchen layout. Whereas windows are the most obvious option to let natural light into your kitchen, there are several alternatives.

More and more homes are embracing different kitchen layout designs to let in more sunlight. Such designs

• Sun tunnels- Sun tunnels are circular holes in the ceiling made to allow more sunlight while reducing glare and uneven light patterns in the kitchen. These designs are unique and also quite useful in minimizing solar heat gain.
• Light Shelves- These are horizontal shelves that have a window opening into the back of them. They are usually set up high in the wall and are designed to distribute daylight more evenly throughout your kitchen.
• Skylights- Skylights are an excellent option to pull in natural light. They are popularly referred to as the "windows of the roof." They present a greater glazing area than a typical window and tend to offer a more consistent light since they are less likely to be shadowed by outdoor objects.

2. Use the Light from Adjacent Rooms

Open-plan living is a popular trend and may the ideal solution to a dark and gloomy kitchen. You can consider removing the wall between your kitchen and a light-filled adjacent room such as a dining room. It allows you to let in more natural light while visually enlarging the room. 

However, if entirely removing a wall does not sit well with you, you can still install a glass wall to allow the light through. Even a glass pane on top of the wall will do the magic to let light into a dark kitchen.

3. Treading Light-ly

Make the most out of the light getting into your kitchen using reflective and light-colored surfaces and finishes. For instance, gloss paint, pale shades, glass, and reflective stones are excellent ways to illuminate natural light in your kitchen. 

Marble or light stone countertops also help to bounce light around your kitchen. In addition, consider your type of floor. It is a huge area that can boost natural lighting in your kitchen if it is covered with a reflective surface like tiles.

4. Installing Glass Blocks

This fix is not the easiest, but it is worth your efforts. Replacing parts of your kitchen's exterior wall with glass block brings in a significant amount of sunlight where otherwise no natural light would be entering your space.

5. The Back Door

Getting more light into your kitchen can be as simple as replacing your kitchen's back door with a glass door. The surface area for doors is quite big, which means more light into your kitchen. Barn doors are a superior option for a high-traffic kitchen due to their flexibility.

If you have small children or pets, it is wise to keep the bottom half of the door in wood and have glass in the other top half. 

How We Can Help

Edesia Kitchen and Bath Studio is an award-winning Kitchen Design in Boston, MA. We leverage skills and decades of experience to bring you excellent kitchen and bath services. Our interior design approach is customer-centered, and we don't just design; we design with your comfort in mind. 

Whether you seek to remodel your kitchen/bath/living space or it's a new building project altogether, we are at your service every step of the way until you achieve your dream kitchen.

For more information on Kitchen & Bath designing, feel free to contact us today, and we will be more than willing to assist.