How to brighten up a dark kitchen

What makes a kitchen dark?

A kitchen can feel dark for several reasons, including limited natural light, deep colour schemes (like dark cabinets, walls, or worktops), or insufficient artificial lighting. However, this doesn’t mean your kitchen has to feel gloomy. With the right approach, you can create a stylish and inviting space.

To make the most of a dark kitchen, focus on:

• Using reflective surfaces to bounce light around
• Incorporating task and ambient lighting
• Choosing contrasting materials to balance dark tones

Check out our kitchen styles for inspiration or explore lighting options to enhance your kitchen’s design.

The benefits of creating a brighter kitchen

Brightening a dark kitchen offers multiple advantages:

• Spacious feel: Light makes the kitchen appear larger.
• Sophisticated look: Bright spaces bring out the best in natural features like wood and stone.
• Mood enhancement: Well-lit kitchens create a calm, welcoming atmosphere.

Introduce lighter surfaces, reflective materials, and contrasting tones to bring balance and elegance. Good lighting also has a positive impact on your mood, making the space feel more inviting. For more tips, visit our lighting guide to explore the best options for your kitchen.

Add colour with appliances

“A popular trend is to add splashes of bright colour by choosing colourful appliances as part of a darker kitchen aesthetic. Adding a pop of colour in this way brightens up your space instantly without the need for more high-investment changes,” says Jen.

If you’re lacking inspiration for how to lighten up a dark kitchen with accessories, browse our range of Samsung Bespoke and Smeg appliances. Is bright colour a little outside of your comfort zone? You could also create this aesthetic by choosing metallic-finish appliances to reflect the light you do have in the kitchen and create a contemporary and polished finish.

Consider your hardware

The hardware in your kitchen can play an important and underestimated role in the overall look of your space.

Jen says: “If you have darker cabinetry, you can use lighter or coloured taps and handles to add a bit of brightness. Brass is a popular choice in many on-trend kitchens today. From bar handles to simple round knobs, switching up your door furnishings can be a simple way to create light in a darker kitchen.”

Use kitchen mirrors

Have you ever thought about adding mirrors to your kitchen design? Reflecting both natural and artificial light, mirrors also create the illusion of more space, and can be a great choice in darker or more compact kitchens. This can be a quick and inexpensive but impressive solution.

Add colour or pattern with splashbacks and backboards

If you’re working with darker cabinets, adding a statement splashback or vibrant backboard is a clever way to inject some brightness – while easy and efficiently updating your space.

Whether you opt for a light palette or a rich, colourful detailed pattern, this can create a beautiful statement feature in a darker kitchen and instantly add brightness and light. You can consider anything from marble-effect styles to on-trend patterns and tiles, depending on the style of your kitchen.