How I Fixed The Lighting In My Kitchen

Last we talked about my L.A. kitchen, I'd mentioned how much I hated the overhead lighting. Fitted with a round, white fluorescent bulb that would be difficult to replace, the resulting light had all the charm of a middle school science lab or the waiting room of a hospital. I tried to time my cooking so there'd still be natural light coming through the windows; but once it got dark, the fluorescent bulbs came on and the room went from charming California kitchen to a scene from "Dexter."

In the back of my mind, I remembered my friend Sara-Kate had once mentioned putting lamps in the kitchen. She said there was an Apartment Therapy post about it; and, indeed, there was.

Using that as my inspiration, I made a trip last week to CB2 where I discovered these mist table lamps:

I liked them because they're not obviously lamps; they're more like white columns of light. I purchased two (they had to order them, it took a few days) and when I finally got them home I put one behind the sink and one on top of the refrigerator.

And that's what you see in the top picture, which certainly isn't as alluring as the picture of my kitchen in the daytime. But I'm digging this new nighttime lighting situation; it's way more calming and pleasant as a space in which to cook. The food no longer looks garish when I take pictures of it. And just standing there doing dishes or chopping celery, I'm no longer miserable. That's a big plus.

So if there are any among you who hate the lighting in YOUR kitchens, consider getting lamps. It worked for me!