Looking through the kitchen toward dining

Recessed lights on a dimmer make it really bright if needed, maybe too

Pantry with old door to the left

When you replace refrigerator go with counter depth. If this were my kitchen I would find a fun colorful outrageous wallpaper for all the walls.

I see quite an attractive kitchen..a bit monotonous but sometimes in smaller spaces monotonous is what's good.

What does make you feel uncomfortable, if you can put your finger on it? Ceiling that is high(sometimes might feel less cozy, more oppressive..not enough "human scaled" for a homey place like kitchen)? Less color that you'd like? Less light that you'd like?

Do you have undercabinet lighting? (I presume that you do)

I would switch a ceiling fixture for something else, maybe something more textured (one needs to think of cleaning, of course). maybe adding a color that way , maybe being more whimsical. Unless you have to have a fan there.

You can put a rug there (again, if you ok with rugs in the kitchen).

You can try and add a small lamp on the counter-if you have space, of course.

It does look nice on the photos, it looks like you did quite a good job with it, overall, so it'd be helpful to understand where your feeling of discomfort stems from, so the advice would be best tailored to the space.

How about a runner? I really like your kitchen, as I like basic monochromatic decor.

However, you seem to want more.

I would also get more interesting canisters, and utensil containers.

As far as what makes me uncomfortable, I think it stems from the lighting. With it being monochromatic, which I wouldn't mind except that the room feels harsh and cold. The recessed lights are either so bright that it feels like a Walmart or we dim it and i feel like it's dingy. What I'm hoping for is a space that feels clean and fresh but also homey. Hard to pinpoint! I appreciate all your feedback and suggestions, and affirmation that the space isn't a total disaster!

I total agree that replacing the fan should be considered.

try an area rug under dining table/ runner /placemats/centerpiece/ different lowered fixture above the table.how about colored or patterned curtain panels swagged to the side. Kitchen is fine . It is a working kitchen. I'd create more of a presence in the space there around the table. Is there space for a small hutch w baskets..some plants...around the window that you do have. Galley like this[ condo?] just cant be everything. I would not replace appliances unless there is a reason. maybe some color for countertop canisters/toaster/ . Maybe you are coming away from some recent bad experiences but I don't see the need to feel so terrible about a freshened up basic hardworking galley kitchen.

do you have under cabinet lighting? I personally can't stand overhead lights used as the sole light source, for the same reasons you mentioned. having the under cab lighting + overheads will look and feel so much better. when you're finished cooking, turn off the overheads. the kitchen will glow and there will be enough lighting to still grab drinks, snacks, etc, later on.

here's how it could look with uppers dimmed or off.

these people put strip lights above their cabinets too:

also, what kind of bulbs are in the overheads? if they're "daylight" bulbs, that's way too harsh, and tend to appear greyish when dimmed. but you also don't want to go too warm. experiment with 3000K - 4000K and see if you can settle on a more comfortable light color.

Your kitchen is really nice. What you miss is natural light. That’s something you really can’t get without windows. What about the closet on the sink side? Can you remove it and get more natural light from other rooms? I wouldn’t change the countertop or anything else because that will not make you more comfortable I’m the space.

*in the space.

I like the kitchen, but I see what you mean about it feeling a little cold. I would bring in some warmth with color and wood accents, a wooden knife block, sisal runner rug, etc. If it's in the budget, you would also have plenty of room to stack a shorter set of cabinets with glass doors atop your current upper cabinets. These could display colorful pottery, wooden bowls, etc, and can also be backlit to add more light to the space. I would also get undercabinet lighting in there asap.

You need some color. Perhaps get a color consultant to visit your house to help you enliven the space. It might be that just colorful accessories on the counter will help, but those big walls contribute to the coldness.

Thank you for the compliments and reassurance! We have some battery operated puck lights under the cabinets but I think we need something a little better because they are very dim and 5000k which is definitely the wrong choice. Color and warmth definitely will help. So it sounds like I should start with some good under cabinet lights, maybe over cabinet lighting. The current wall color is creamy white which just looks dirty in here compared to the cool tones, so we are definitely changing wall color. We thought about doing a mid to darker color because I read that this will make a windowless room cozied, but the adjacent room is a dark navy blue so we dont want to clash. I agree with getting some warm wood accents in here also. Glass door cabinets on top of these also a nice idea.

The recessed lights are 3000k. We originally had 5000k and you are absolutely right it was TERRIBLE.

I'm actually thinking that our 3000k lights are more on the daylight side because they for sure look grayish when dimmed. It kills my eyes

it can also depend on the brand / quality of light. I have some 3000k bulbs that put out just the right hint of warmth, and others that feel a touch greenish or just somehow blah. in general, I've been happy with GE bulbs.

very important: when you get under cabinet lighting, don't fully install it right away. tape it up and use it for a few days just to make sure you're happy with all aspects. (note: recommend gaffer's tape for this. it holds fairly strong w/o damage or residue.)

if you want to get really custom, Philips HUE allows you to adjust specific color temperatures to exactly your liking, and you can do presets for different situations. I set mine to a neutral / cool temp for the day and warmer for night. but it's expensive. (note: hue has two kinds of bulbs: full rainbow, and ones that are just warm-to-cool. the warm/cool are good enough and cost less.)