Request for Condo Kitchen Upgrade Ideas

harsha1305 · 2025-02-16T00:08:58+00:00

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I have a very small kitchen which has no light. I am sharing the kitchen pics and the outside wall of the kitchen that is facing the living room. I am looking forward to getting ideas from fellow community members who are so creative (Sigh! I wish I was as creative as you awesome folks are!) Looking forward to hearing from you on how to get more light in the kitchen. Is there anything I can do with the wall to open it? Thank you so much!

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Comments

LauraD

Under cabinet lighting is a quick and easy fix for those dark shadow areas.

Zephy

I don't quite understand what I'm looking at in the last picture. I guess that's the wall between kitchen and living room, and it has a window in it? I imagine you could open up that wall further, expanding the window to a big open space, and if the LR gets daylight, some light would flow into the kitchen. You need to verify that it's not a necessary support wall, which we can't tell from a photo.

Caution: I have a very dark LR with air shaft windows (a NYC thing) that face the next building's wall and get zero direct light ever. We cut windows into a side wall so that light from the next room (with a big south window) does get into the LR. It's made an enormous difference, but the LR is still a shadowy room. It used to be black (even on a sunny day, you couldn't see at all unless you turned on the lights); now it's gray — a big improvement! But it won't ever become a bright, sunny room, and probably the same is true of your no-window kitchen. (Why do people design no-window rooms, anyway?)

I would still recommend opening up the wall if you can, because having light that ebbs and flows through the day, even dim light, is good for the psyche, and the kitchen is an important room. Just be aware that miracles will not happen.

Things to think about: First, verify that it's not a load-bearing wall! Then, how much separation do you want between the 2 rooms? You can remove the upper half or 2/3s of the wall, get a lot more light, but still keep the rooms separate. You can fill the empty space with glass or leave it open (do you care about kitchen sounds/smells in the LR?). You could have something you can open and close, like swinging windows or shutters. Will it bother you to see kitchen mess from the living room? Will losing that solid wall make arranging furniture difficult in the LR? If there's electric wiring in the wall, you'll have to plan around that. If necessary, you can build something like a column between the 2 rooms that encloses the wiring inside and looks handsome from the outside. There are many possibilities!

I hope this helps. My dark LR is the single worst problem of my apartment, which I otherwise love, so I feel for you with your dilemma!

SanDiegoNative

Agree with Zephy, and if your condo assocation will allow (not all will — some will not allow modifications that mess with the studs, etc, even if not load bearing wall), open up the wall physically. Another thing I like in smaller dimmer rooms, which may sound totally counter intuitive — with the light cabinets, and light walls, and artifical light (and this may just be the photo), the room looks really washed out. For the counterintuitive part — paint the ceiling a somewhat darker color (could be a medium, not necessarily dark, dark) — this will add contrast, make the lighter cabinets visually stand out, set off the overhead light, plus add the under cab lighting Zephy mentioned, and some counter accessories that tie into the ceiling color. This isn't for everyone, so if you want to try, try painting some posterboard first and tacking up to see if you like the effect. I love painted ceilings, but not everyone does!

DanielaAraya

Such great advice here already, and I'm echoing the same! But on the recommendation around painting the ceiling a darker color, I really love this. You can paint the ceiling and wall area above the cabinets the same color, and that should create an illusion that the room is taller than it is. Are you able to paint the cabinets? You can do a lot with paint, but as @Zephy points out, no total miracles here!

I would recommend changing the ceiling light for something warmer and installing some light strips under the cabinets if you need more bright light around the countertop. I also personally love table lamps in the kitchen. They're useful and look really cute too!

harsha1305

Thank you so much @LauraD @Zephy @SanDiegoNative & @DanielaAraya for taking the time to share your thoughts! I am grateful for your creative ideas. I am planning to change the kitchen cabinets as the previous owner (who lived here for 16 yrs) has not changed it and the inside shelves are old too. The microwave is too close to the cooking stove, so need to remove that too. I will look into the ideas shared by you all. Thank you again for sharing your ideas.

DanielaAraya

https://community.apartmenttherapy.com/discussion/comment/3616#Comment_3616

You're so welcome! Please keep us updated as you go 😊

harsha1305

@DanielaAraya - Are there any visual design apps that help newbies to visualize a kitchen design by any chance pls?

InspiredCFSUK

Your kitchen already has so much potential, and I love that you're looking for ways to brighten it up! Since you have that wall facing the living room, you might consider opening it up a bit to let more light in. A pass-through window (maybe larger than the one currently there) or even a half-wall with a breakfast bar could do wonders in making the space feel airier while still keeping some separation between rooms. If structural changes aren’t an option, adding a mirror on the kitchen side to reflect light or installing glass shelving in the existing window cutout might help bounce brightness around.

Another thought lighter, reflective surfaces can make a big difference. If painting is an option, a warm white or soft neutral with a satin finish can help reflect whatever light you do get. Under-cabinet lighting could also be a game-changer in making the space feel brighter and more inviting.

harsha1305

Thank you @InspiredCFSUK !!! Appreciate it!