Lighting Mistakes That Will Make Your Kitchen Look Dull And Tired

The kitchen is the heart of the home — or at least it's supposed to be. It should offer a warm and inviting feel, allowing guests and family members alike to prepare a meal together, engage in conversation, and just enjoy one another's company. However, some kitchen lighting mistakes can prevent your kitchen from giving off this warm and welcoming vibe. Instead, they could leave the space feeling dull, cold, and tired.

We reached out to three professional designers to learn more about the lighting mistakes that can give a kitchen a dull feel. We also asked for their suggestions for remedying these mistakes to create a more inviting space worthy of cooking delicious meals, entertaining guests, and unwinding in. Read on to find out if you've been making any of these common errors with your kitchen lighting so you can work to make the necessary changes to breathe some new life into your space.

Take a look at the lights in your kitchen. If you only have one overhead light, then you've identified one mistake that you'll want to address. Priyanka Korat, the founder of Priyanka Design Co., tells House Digest that relying only on an overhead light can make a kitchen look devoid of any warmth and depth, leaving it looking very uninviting. During an exclusive interview, she said, "This setup often results in harsh shadows and uneven brightness, making the kitchen feel dull and lifeless. Without layered lighting, important details like the texture of countertops or the richness of cabinetry can get lost, making the space feel uninspired."

To avoid this common kitchen lighting mistake, Korat suggests using pendants, recessed lights, and under-cabinet lighting for a layered look. When deciding how to arrange your lighting, there are three different layers that you should consider. The first is ambient lighting, the main source of lighting that should illuminate the majority of the space. It could be a single overhead fixture or a few different recessed lights for larger spaces. Task lighting is the next essential layer to plan for. This will enhance the functionality of your space by making it easier to see what you're doing when prepping meals or washing dishes. Under cabinet lighting is commonly recommended for task lighting. The final layer is accent lighting, which, as you may guess, serves to accent the various decor features and design elements of your space. Accent lighting may include lighting inside glass cabinets or wall sconces.

The last time you changed the bulb in your kitchen, did you pay attention to its color temperature? If you answered "no", then you've just identified another mistake that could be making your kitchen look drab. According to Korat, "Lighting temperature significantly impacts how colors appear in your kitchen." To understand why this is the case, it is important to first understand what color temperature is. Each light has a specific color temperature, which is measured in Kelvins. The Kelvin scale ranges from 1,000 (very warm lights) to 10,000 (very cool lights). Bulbs towards the lower end of the scale will give off a yellowish-red hue, while those towards the upper end will be bluish. Korat cautions against choosing a bulb that is too high or too low on the Kelvin scale. "Cool white light (5000K-6000K) can make a space feel stark and clinical, often washing out warm finishes like wood or brass. Overly warm light (2700K or lower) can give white surfaces a yellowish cast, making them look dingy," she explains.

Instead, you'll want to find the right balance for your kitchen to make it both welcoming and functional for meal prep and other tasks. Korat recommends choosing lights and bulbs in the 2700 to 3000 Kelvin range. "This provides a warm yet crisp ambiance that enhances both natural and artificial lighting without distorting colors," she explains.

According to Korat, another mistake is failing to include sufficient task lighting. As its name suggests, its job is to illuminate areas where you complete various tasks in the kitchen — such as cooking on the stovetop, chopping ingredients on the counter, or washing dishes over the sink. Korat explains, "Insufficient task lighting not only makes meal prep difficult but also creates a dull and outdated look. Shadows cast by ceiling lights alone can leave countertops dim, making the space feel uninviting."

To remedy this mistake, you'll need to look for ways to add more lighting to the areas where you work. One option that Korat highlights is installing some under cabinet lights, which she says will both "brighten work areas and make the kitchen feel polished and modern." She recommended either puck lights or adjustable LED strips — such as the Lightbiz LED under cabinet lighting — to achieve this goal. If you have a kitchen island where installing under cabinet lighting won't be possible, Korat recommends some properly placed pendant lights to reduce shadows and provide you with a clearer view of what you're working on. You could also consider adding LED lights to your cabinet interiors or kitchen drawers to make it easier to find the specific dish, plate, or tool that you need.

Recessed lights are often used in kitchens to provide ambient light. However, did you know that their placement can significantly impact their function — and the overall feel of the space? According to Korat, choosing the wrong place to install them can contribute to that dull and tired look due to creating excessive shadows and dark spots. She says, "Recessed lights placed directly behind the workspace cast shadows over countertops, making it hard to see while prepping." Another mistake you could make is adding too many to the space. Doing so can either create a harsh amount of light, or create an ugly ceiling due to too much busyness. 

Instead, you must be very purposeful when planning out where they should go. "Position recessed lights in front of work areas and install task lighting under cabinets to eliminate shadows," recommends Korat. Additionally, take care to leave at least 4 feet of space between each can to make sure you don't overwhelm the space. Remember, you shouldn't be relying solely on overhead lights anyway; add that additional task lighting that Korat recommends to accompany them.

Remember, task lighting and ambient lighting are just two of the three essential layers in a kitchen. According to Elissa Hall, the lead designer at Awning, it is also easy to make a mistake with the space's accent lighting. A "lack of accent lighting — like sconces above the sink or a statement pendant — can make a kitchen seem just practical, therefore depriving it of character and visual interest."

Instead, you can embrace this particular lighting as an opportunity to enhance your design. "Accent or decorative lighting should certainly be included in the design not only to highlight unique design features but to be a part of the unique design features themselves," Laura Tribbett, the principal and founder of Outline Interiors, tells House Digest. For example, if you want your space to feel earthy, weave in some handmade ceramic sconces with loads of texture, cinching your theme. Or, if you really want to highlight the Calcutta marble that is the star of your design, install large pendents above the island to not only give it a spotlight but also draw the eye to that particular feature. This will ensure your kitchen isn't just utilitarian, but also thoughtfully designed and artfully put together.

If you don't want your kitchen's lighting to look flat, adding some pendants over the island can go a long way in improving the aesthetics of the space. However, you don't want to make a mistake when hanging them by positioning them at the wrong height. Tribbett says, "Installing pendants too high over a counter is one of my pet peeves that makes a kitchen design look 'off.' The bottom of the fixtures should be about 32 to 36 inches above the countertop surface." 

Such a height will help the pendants provide adequate lighting over the island, but it won't make them too close to the surface to interfere with anyone's ability to take in the overall design of the room. As you plan out where to place each light, make sure you leave a minimum of 30 inches between each one to avoid that overly cluttered look. One final note: You must also take care to choose the right size pendant lights to hang over your kitchen island. Ideally, the lights you choose should be about 30 to 50 percent the width of the island.

If you recently purchased a new home — or even purchased one that was built several years ago — it may still have builder-grade lighting. If you're not familiar with the term, builder-grade lights are basic, budget-friendly models that are commonly installed by home builders just to serve their purpose. And, while they often come in different styles and finishes, they're typically made from cheap materials. "I see a lot of homeowners who buy new construction forget about swapping out the builder-grade light fixtures. That's an easy opportunity to add your own personal spin to your kitchen," Tribbett explains.

Instead of sticking with the boring and unexpressive builder-grade lighting that came with your home, explore some more appealing and exciting alternatives. For the kitchen, you could consider adding some pendant lights that will add character and originality to the space, such as a few of these Trustwoods Hand Blown Glass Pendant Lights. Or, perhaps, a more unique and eye-catching overhead light fixture, like the Fadimikoo Farmhouse Square Cage Ceiling Lamp. The key is to pick fixtures that are a better representation of your style and the design vision you have for your kitchen. After you've finished upgrading your kitchen lighting, you can start exploring how builder-grade lighting may also be the living room lighting mistake that's making your space look dated.