Five easy ways to lighten up your kitchen

It might sound like an obvious idea but adding more lights to a kitchen is an option lots of people never consider. Perhaps your kitchen just has one main light in the centre of the room, or maybe you have recessed spotlights across the top of your kitchen ceiling, but are you sure there isn't room for some additional brightness?

For example, could you scatter some fairy lights across open shelves to give them an extra wow factor? They are inexpensive to buy and can be draped around any part of your kitchen – as long as they are well away from water and heat sources – to create a simple-yet-effective, elegant look.

If you have units or shelving on your kitchen walls, shadowy workspaces can make food preparation a little tricky. If that's a problem for you, adding lights underneath shelves and cupboards is a great way to solve it while creating a stunning effect when viewed from anywhere in your kitchen. Again, these are not expensive to buy and can really transform your kitchen lighting with a sleek, sophisticated glow from a hidden source.

A reflective surface can be every bit as good as a new light when it comes to brightening up your kitchen, and there are a number of super stylish ways to increase the amount of light bouncing around your space.

One way to reflect the light around the room is by adding a mirror to a wall that already receives a reasonable amount of light. If you've got a wall facing a window, for example, or one that catches the electrical light in your kitchen, you can add a mirror to reflect that light across to the parts of your kitchen that need it.

You can find some wonderful, ornately designed vintage mirrors at clearance sales, second-hand shops or on auction websites, and those that are branded with nostalgic food and drink designs can make for an eye-catching feature in your kitchen while adding light to the room.

If a mirror wouldn't quite work in your kitchen, you can add reflective surfaces by adding metallic elements and kitchen accessories to your walls and worktops. Chrome kettles, toasters and bread bins will all bring extra shine to the room, and brushed steel splashbacks and sinks are right on trend as well as being excellent bringers of light.

Glass is another great material for letting light flow around your kitchen. If you've already got an extensive glassware collection, then getting it out on display will give the room a lighter feel as each item catches the light and reflects it around. Installing open shelving for your glassware, or simply removing the doors from existing units, is an easy way to achieve this.

Glass items such as fruit bowls, vases and lampshades can also contribute to a brighter-feeling kitchen, and if you're feeling bold you can even find coloured glass items that fit the kitchen design themes in your home.

For more ideas on creative uses of electrical lighting in your kitchen, have a read of our top five kitchen lighting tips for dining room kitchens.