If you are not going for a full knock-down-a-wall type renovation, I would highly recommend mounting some lighting under the upper cabinets to really brighten up your work space. And i would do it all the way around.

Other ideas - Lighter color backsplash, remove clutter from countertops - reorganize your kitchen for the things you use daily/weekly and the rest can be stored elsewhere.

Good luck!

I'm jealous of this kitchen. How sad is that? It actually looks pretty functional, just, as you said, a little dark and cluttery. I'm moving soon in to a new apartment with even less counter space (if possible) and am planning to turn a nearby large coat closet into pantry/storage by putting in lighting, a baker's rack and possibly additional shelving.

I agree with the above comment about lightening the backsplash if possible, maybe even consider something with a bit of shine to bounce light around even more. Looking forward to hearing the other suggestions readers share. And please let us know how it turns out!

First of all, deal with all that clutter!!!! I can't even see your countertops. I'm sorry, I know that sounds harsh but I'm someone who is clutter phobic. Can you store some of those appliances in the cabinets? Or get rid of what you don't use on a regular basis. I just found a new product that you can use to paint over your countertops in a lighter shade. Your cabinets are already light enough. Unless you're financially prepared to do a full on knock down, knock out, just getting rid of the clutter and lightening the countertops should make you feel like you have more room

This kitchen is eerily similar to mine, except I think either my ceiling is higher or the cabinets are not as high (they don't go the whole way to the ceiling).

I definitely agree with other people who said under-the-cabinet lighting is a great first step, and can be pretty affordable. I also have a relatively dark backspash (it's slate) and the lighting really warms it up.

Not sure what your budget is, but I would maybe consider swapping out the tile? Something either brighter or warmer might do a lot to brighten (or warm) the place up. Good luck - maybe I'm biased, but I think that it's a great kitchen!

Love the Star Wars reference. :) Good luck with the remodeling!

Agree with the under counter lighting and decluttering. (Sorry, I know it's a hard habit to break!)

Other options (some more budget-friendly than others):
- Paint the cabinets white
- Replace a couple cabinet doors with glass front doors and possibly glass shelves with in-cabinet lighting as well
- Add an area rug to add personality and warmth to the space. This one is more dependent on your willingness to keep up with the cleaning of it than budget.
- Replace the cabinet hardware with something more eye-catching and stylistic. Perhaps a pop of color (orange and red to mimic your linens and spoon rest? http://www.thehardwarehut.com/collections/bsm-bsm-colors.php)

Good luck!

I know you want to go from Darth Vader to Princess Leia, but switching appliances from the high contrast white to black or stainless might actually visibly reduce the contrast of the white block triangle currently created by your appliances. This is something we did for our dinky galley kitchen and we were amazed how the appliances disappeared rather than stuck out.

Go toward the "light" with the above recommended undercabinet lighting and backsplash. Don't forget the appeal of new pulls. And you might consider updating your floor to a tile that doesn't again create such blocked out defining of your limited space. I assume those are 12" tiles on the floor, which look great in many circumstances, but we found it too often ends up functioning as a ruler in smaller areas. Slightly cheaper alternative (but not much): floor coverings.

It's a lovely kitchen with lots of potential! Hope you have fun with it!

I think the under-cabinet lighting is an excellent idea. However, I really think you should reorganize your kitchen. The clutter on your counters suggests your cabinets and other storage do not suit your needs. Think about how you work in your kitchen and determine what items need to be close at hand or not. Then pull everything out of all of the cabinets and reorganize them based upon how you use your kitchen. You should then be able to move most of that stuff off the counters and into the cabinets in an organized fashion. The kitchen may not seem as Darth Vader-y if the surfaces are clear and your cabinets are organized to suit your needs. Good luck!!!!!

Also agree with the under-cabinet lighting. Maybe install a large backsplash, from counter to cabinet, using light-colored glass tiles or steel tiles (things that will reflect light). If you want to go the really expensive route, rip it all out and put in white cabinets and a countertop that is not black.

My kitchen is a lot like yours, only with a single fluorescent light instead of can lights. I perked it up with stainless appliances, mottled light/med gray granite, and a lot of white paint on the walls (I don't have a backsplash due to catastrophic plumbing issues in my building, but that's another story). It's not perfect and I was doing a full-on remodel, but...the granite changed helped the most.

Oh, more ideas:
Aside from the cluttered feel due to the darkness, the kitchen IS pretty cluttered. Maybe reorganize the space inside the cabinets, put in bins, etc. to make sure you can fit as much stuff in as possible? Go through your stuff and get rid of anything you don't actually use.

Here's a neat trick. I see you have a whole side of your fridge (the far side, the one we can't see in the picture) exposed. Take off any magnets/takeout menus, etc. Get yourself a bunch of those metal, magnet-bottomed spice containers with clear tops and transfer all your spices to them, then stick them to the side of your fridge. Instant freed-up shelf AND cool kitchen decor AND you can find everything when you need it.
(Pro tip: leave your ground ginger in its bottle, it will eat through the clear plastic on the magnet container's lid. Don't ask how I found this out.)

These are the spice containers I meant, though they can be had for less elsewhere:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=13335656

One last thing (too many posts, I'm sorry):
Once you have decluttered and rearranged...put a green plant somewhere in your kitchen. Could be a sturdy leafy plant on top of the fridge, or some bamboo in a vase, just get some greenery in there. It will make everything seem fresher and more lively.

That's my apron. Love it.

Do you routinely fill your entire refrigerator? If you have the money and don't mind losing some storage capacity, a counter-depth fridge could open up the space nicely.

Also, if you have a decent sized gap between the fridge and the wall (I do), consider adding a tiny DIY roll-out peg board for extra storage. I use mine for my apron, oven mitts, and a lid organizer. It also is nice for those odd spoons and ladles that don't fit easily in drawers.

As others have said finding a way to clear up space on the counters would do wonders.

I'm slightly biased, but I've got maple (looking) cabinets and I'm looking at painting my kitchen backsplash with black chalkboard paint. And my appliances are all black too. Sadly, my countertops are light brown plastic laminate - I wish I had those counters. ;)

Those look like Ikea cupboards, is that possible? If so, check out their organising gear. My apartment has Ikea cupboards and I was able to buy inserts to organise my kitchen the way that I want it.

I agree with those who say that you should declutter - it will make a world of a difference. Find a space for everything that is on your counters. That, and lighting under the cupboards, will brighten your kitchen up.

Change that floor!!! I bought a house with that exact flooring it was depressing. Like somebody had a bad night with mushroom stroganoff. I put in cork flooring that matches the wood floors in the rest of the house. It improved everything and made the space feel bigger and cleaner.

The under cabinet lighting is a great idea. Also this has been said many times but re-evaluate what needs to stay out on the counters. If you don't use it more than 1x a week, it can go in a cabinet (and you seem to have a bunch of cabinet space!).

I'm sure that if the counters were cleared, the kitchen would instantly look much better. I understand that you may have limited storage room. I've had my share of small kitchens. I don't think that "storage solutions" like bins, racks and baskets are the answer. Something that I've always found helpful is keeping my refrigerator extremely organized and cleaned out of expired food. Then, lots of food items that don't necessarily require refrigeration can be stored in the refrigerator/freezer (e.g., flour and other baking items). That could potentially free up a lot of cabinet space for your everyday cooking items that I see on the counters like spatulas and oils.

My last kitchen also had dark counters and white appliances. I didn't like them at first, but after painting all the cabinets white and the walls a very light color, they weren't bad at all. Depending on your budget, you might consider changing up your cabinets. I think that in a small space, it's important that you don't have too much going on. By painting them white, you'd simplify everything a bit. Visually breaking up surfaces with lots of transitions and different colors can sometimes make a small space seem even smaller. Longer unbroken spans of white cabinets and white appliances could do the trick.

Best of luck!

Good luck!

We have almost the same kitchen, except a bit wider. I grew to hate the yellow oak cabinets and drab laminate countertop. We painted the upper cabinets white and the lower ones light blue, replaced the countertop with beech butcher block, added under cabinet LED strips, and tiled the backsplash with white ceramic and blue glass tiles. We are almost done with the last countertop and tile section. It looks so much brighter and bigger with the light colors and the LED lights are awesome.

If you are willing to solder a few wires, you can buy the components for the LED lights from Amazon for under $40 (you need LED ribbon, power supply, a switch, and a bit of wire.) I saw a similar pre-assembled setup in a hardware catalog recently for $160!

Is that a dog dish in front of your range? If so, I'd try to find it another home.

I agree, the counters need big time decluttering.

Totally agree with others here, reduce the clutter on the counter tops for starters. That will help make the room feel larger than it is.

I will agree that while the cabinet finish isn't my choice, it's fine but mated with the black counters, I'm assuming granite or similar stone is too much so lighten that up if you can, and while I have no problem with recessed cans, they may not be the best choice for kitchens by themselves but with under cabinet lighting, they'd be fine.

I also agree, if you can go with a shallower fridge, do so as this one sticks out a bit too much.

And finally, reorganize your cabinets so you can function and try grouping stuff so your dishes/glassware isn't sharing space with your food stuffs and also as others have said, reduce your stuff down by getting rid of needless items you don't use will help make the space function better and more like a larger space.

Good luck