A Kitchen Without Windows Can Still Satisfy & Here's How

There was a time when a kitchen without windows was considered wrong, but with modern architectural developments, the concept is changing. So, what is the deal with windows and the kitchen?

When the urban areas of the world are brawling to provide enough space in apartments, providing a window in the kitchen has become a luxury. Besides, the modern concept of a studio apartment and an open kitchen have transformed the idea of the ideal kitchen setup as well.

We have done a lot of research to provide you with the best information on the matter of the windowless kitchen styles. Let's follow the article for more detailed information.

How to Light Up a Kitchen Without Windows?

A kitchen without windows does not have natural light to brighten it up. That's why to lighten up the kitchen; there are some factors that we need to consider. Here are some suggestions for brightening up a kitchen with no window.

Ambient Light

The main light in the ceiling is ambient lighting. Usually, an LED recessed light or pot light keeps the whole area lit up. This type of lighting provides the best coverage for a kitchen without a window.

Ambient light aims to flood the room evenly with light. That's why you need enough lights to cover the room, but not so many that the lights themselves overlap with one another. So, identify the best positions for the lights and use the shape according to the needs.

Add Under-Cabinet Lighting

Adding LED strip lights under the cabinet will help you cover the lighting in those areas where ambient lights don't reach. Besides, it will increase visibility. You can add LED strips underneath the types of granite countertops you chose or even underneath the base cabinet as well.

Add Lights Inside the Cabinets

You can add lights inside the cabinets if you struggle to see what's inside them. Although these are mostly known as decorative lights, they are capable of much more. If you're looking for anything in the cabinet and there are lights inside, you'll have no problem locating it.

Use Light Colors on The Wall

When no natural light comes into your space, you probably shouldn't choose darker shades for the walls and ceiling. Artificial light effects how we perceive paint colors. To make the room brighter, always pick the lighter shades. Lighter shades will reflect more light and make the room brighter. This advice is for those who want the entire room to feel bright and lit up.

For those who like a gloomier setting (like the image below), you can light up your specific work spaces while allowing the rest of the room to take on a darker appearance. Pendant light fixtures and under-the-cabinet lights help make this possible.

How to Decorate a Kitchen With No Window?

Decorating a kitchen with no window is not costly if you can utilize the space with small details. Adding some little things can make a difference. Let's see how to decorate a kitchen without a window.

Add Art Pieces

Adding some art pieces to the empty walls will make your kitchen interesting. If you are into art, you can hang any oil painting of your choice. You can also hang some large antique utensils to make the kitchen more appealing.

Put Up a Mirror

Nothing can beat a mirror when it comes to making your kitchen appear brighter and larger. If you can place the mirror in the right place, it will reflect the lights in such a way that, with even minimal lighting, your kitchen without windows will appear brighter.

Go for Open Shelving

Decorating your kitchen with open shelving will give it a more sophisticated look and make the kitchen spacious and gleaming. The open shelves will not block the lights like cabinets do and will create a brighter ambiance.

When planning to go with open shelving, keep every element monochromatic and choose lighter shades.

Hang Some Plants

You can add some indoor plants to reduce the toxicity buildup while cooking. For example, snake plants, aloe vera, Barberton daisy, etc., are natural air filters. When you don't have a window, putting these plants in the kitchen adds texture and ensures that the air is pure.

Is it a Big Deal to Have No Windows in the Kitchen?

It's not impossible to create a windowless kitchen, but there will be some consequences that you need to know about. No matter how many artificial lights we use to light up the kitchen, nothing can beat daylight.

Besides, you have to turn the lights on all the time, no matter if you are working during the day or night. This is very power-consuming as well. Is it less than what would be required to do the construction to install a window at the correct window height from the floor?

Airflow is also very important when you work with fires or inductions. Generally, a closed area generates more heat because of carbon emissions and a lack of airflow. That's why a kitchen without windows will require an electric airflow generator (meaning a fan) to ensure comfort while cooking.

How Many Windows Should a Kitchen Have?

Only one window is sufficient to provide natural light and airflow. Your kitchen doesn't need so many windows for ventilation. A kitchen is often an open area with no obstructions from additional furniture, so one window is adequate to guarantee ventilation.

You should at least try to install a vent hood if you can, especially if cooking with gas instead of electricity, since gas produces carbon monoxide. A ceiling fan in the kitchen can help alleviate the problem but even a floor fan blowing down the length of the kitchen can help.

There are no "shoulds" are hard rules here. We're talking about kitchens with no windows, so the point is moot, but typically I'd want one above the main sink if possible, and I'd want to make sure I don't have one at all near any cooking surfaces, or the glass will become gross and need constant cleaning and you risk hurting yourself when reaching over to open the window.

How Important Is it to Have Kitchen Windows?

The kitchen is the place where we cook our meals. Ventilation is extremely important to make the kitchen comfortable as well as low maintenance. You can't just eat boiled or steamed food to avoid spreading a strong food smell around the house.

In many cuisines, the smell is so strong that, without proper ventilation, it becomes difficult to get rid of the smell even after a day of preparing the meal. Besides, the food smell can be a big issue if you have an open kitchen linked to your living area.

Usually, placing the stove in front of a window will reduce the risk of spreading food smells all over the apartment. But when you don't have the facility to install a window in the kitchen, you must think about putting a heavy-duty kitchen hood above the stove.

Ventilation is the key to a safe kitchen. So, when you cannot do it naturally, you should think of an appropriate alternative.

Designing a Windowless Kitchen

If you're fortunate enough to be starting at ground zero, perhaps even with a complete remodeling, you have a lot of decisions you can make to help the outcome satisfy your desires and needs. You can make your kitchen without windows a joy to be in.

Usually a windowless kitchen means you're probably working in a space that has unusual dimensions. It may be a long, but thin rectangular shape. It may even have turns in it, at a right angle or 45 degrees most likely. You can work with all of this!

First and foremost is that your walls and cabinets will represent a much larger percentage of the surface area since you aren't sharing any of it with windows. This means you should be very careful about the colors you choose for both, because what may have worked otherwise can become overwhelming with so much extra surface area.

This doesn't mean you need to choose light colors, though that's often a good idea to help bounce light around. You could consider (but I don't like it) having a major contrast between the wall colors and the cabinets. Something like a traditional brown cabinetry against a gray wall is fine. But black cabinets on a white wall aren't likely to look good. You can bring in "crazier" colors on the kitchen island if you have space for one.

For your appliances and countertops, I'd say to get the nicest options you can to offset and distract from the lack of windows. Consider using faux marble for the countertops, install nice tile flooring, and have as many amenities as you can.

When it comes to lighting, the more lamps you can have, the better. It's even better if you can get them all on a set of outlets that are switched, meaning you can turn them all on by flicking any types of light switches on the wall.

Another great choice is to install lighting under the cabinetry to help illuminate your countertop space or oven area, etc. Being able to see comfortably is going to be critical. I would recommend using natural daylight bulbs in most places, while reserving a few spots for the warmer bulbs you can use in the evening.

If your space has a strange shape, having a professional come in and design a custom kitchen cabinet layout could make all the difference. There's zero harm in trusting professionals, even if you want to do it all yourself. You can still DIY while getting a consultation to get some extra ideas or to validate the ideas you already have.

A final suggestion, if you live in a one-story home or at least a portion of the roof is just above the kitchen, is to have a skylight installed. These let in natural light depending on the conditions of the weather and can really help you feel like you're in a much more open space.

How About Fake Windows in the Kitchen?

Why not create a faux one when you can't afford to make a real window? You can create the illusion of a window even if you don't have one. All you have to do is create a window-like frame and connect glass to it. Place it on the wall and add illumination to the backside. You may even use landscape photographs instead of glass.

Don't try to actually make it overly convincing. The size of the frame can be whatever size you need, but I'd treat this fake window as a piece of art more than a convincing illusion. You can put any kind of poster of a landscape, the beach, or a forest behind the frame to make it look like you're looking out into an amazing environment, or you can put a painting behind it.

A Kitchen Without Windows Can Be Saved

If you know the right tricks, a kitchen without windows will not make such a difference in your home. For a windowless kitchen, you need to work on every little element to work together to make the kitchen stand out. Above all, keep a special eye on ventilation and safety.

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