Ideas to improve a basement kitchen window view without losing light

[Decisionsdecisionsdecisions2026]

My kitchen is in a basement and the view through the window isn’t great. I don’t want to block any light but I want it to look nicer. I’ve tried plants but they are hard to reach and they die. I would like lights or something else but don’t want it to look like Christmas. Have considered stained glass film for window but worried about losing light any ideas?

Photo didn’t upload - trying again

Are the steps yours? If so, could you put pots with plants in on the steps on the side of the handrail and remove the plants hanging over the window? Put a window box outside. If you own the white painted wall, you could put a wall trough up.

I think it's quite nice already!

Do you want more to look at outside, or something inside to mask some of what's visible outside?

Yes we own the outside space. Had pots there all winter but they weren’t great (I’m not a very attentive gardener) they got a bit straggly and it was so wet last winter. Had some there in the summer too but they got scorched.

Thank you. Just the dead hanging plants are a bit sad and the window sill is quite deep so I think I could do more

Have got a large camelia out there but it’s not doing great. Winter too wet and summer too hot. It’s north facing. I had troughs on on the wall to the left (our utility room) but I neglected them.

More to look at outside I think

I'd put the effort into choosing the right plants and caring for them more consistently then. Or yes a coloured glass panel at the bottom of your window could be nice. You can get stickers if you want to try that quite cheaply.

A smaller number of bigger pots would be easier to care for outside. Small pots struggle much more with both hot and cold.
Maybe try for three pots and really research and care for them. Go for foliage over flowers as much easier to care for.

Yes I need to learn what works in that small climate. My back garden is thriving

I'd look at a vertical living wall outside, up the wall the steps are on. Maybe paint the steps a bright colour. Run led strips of lights around outside on a timer (warm white not stark white).

The view is basically really attractive. If you have live plants you have to look after them, ie make sure they can drain properly in wet weather, and water them as needed in summer, and choose plants appropriate for the amount of sun and shade they get. Live plants will look nicer than anything else, and may attract bees and butterflies, so persevere with them.

At Christmas I have a tree and lights out there so am
nervoud about it looking like a Christmas grotto. Do painted steps just wash away?

You got me it’s laziness - I’ll try to do better but I think I have been buying the wrong plants.

Easily done (buying the wrong ones I mean!)

Yes, need to learn a bit more about the space and what will do well out there

I would remove all the plants from inside the window as they are blocking the light. You could get rid of the plant from outside and put some metal wall art on the wall straight ahead.
Maybe some decorative wall mounted uplighters too. You could also paint the handrail and steps to match the wall art.

I had some red chilli pepper fairy lights once. They didn't look Christmassy at all but they did look fab.

Etsy sell colourful flower window film. That might work.

Your inside plants are blocking your view I think. I would put pots with some nice plants on stairs and fairy lights. Fairy lights are not Christmassy and I am also not a Gardner but can manage to wage a few pots of flowers. How about roses? They are hardy plants.

No, you research and buy specific outdoor masonry paint.

I agree get rid of the hanging indoor plants. Fairy lights of some type - maybe chillies, maybe leaves, maybe just a not-Christmas colour. Blind for night.

Nice pots outside.

What about an outdoor mirror, mounted on whichever wall faces the sun for longest, to reflect light into the area outside your kitchen? It's already painted white, so this would help to bounce the extra light around and could really brighten it up.

Plant suggestion: ferns do well in lower light levels, especially if it tends to be damp. How about a hart's tongue fern?

Yes I know but does it work or chip very easily

I second the mirror suggestion

You could have a mural painted? Something detailed and beautiful to look at