Kitchen Design
Ideabook 911: Enhance a Galley Kitchen
A straight and narrow layout doesn't have to mean a drab and dull kitchen. Make your galley stand out with art, special flooring and more
"Is there a way to make a galley kitchen special?" asks Houzz user Cynd123 on the Houzz questions board. The answer is "absolutely!" Just because your kitchen is long and narrow, there's no reason it needs to feel like a tunnel. While not always ideal for more than one chef, galley kitchens are efficient space savers where the work triangle functions just fine, and they deserve high style. See how to make a galley kitchen design special with art, pattern, flooring, light and a little gloss.
If there is a solid wall at the far end, make it stand out with tile or wallpaper.
An even better way to handle that wall, if possible, is a floor-to-ceiling view outdoors. Note the way the path outside the door seems to be an extension of the galley. If you don't have room for something this big, even a small window will help.
Speaking of light, add a skylight if possible. Note the way this glossy planked ceiling reflects the light.
If opening up the wall with a door or window outside is not an option, place an eye-catching piece of art, like this graphic black and white subway sign, at the end of the galley.
This homeowner had the option of opening up one side of the galley to another room, but he didn't want to sacrifice the upper cabinet storage. To compensate for the lack of natural light, he made sure to keep everything light and reflective via a glass tile backsplash and lighted cabinets with glass doors.
If you have enough storage space, punch through a galley wall to borrow visual space from the next room. This can be via a pass-through hole or a half wall.
You may even be able to remove the wall completely and separate the kitchen from a dining or living room via an island like this one.
Choose a floor you love. One of the pros of a galley kitchen is that you won't need very many square feet of the material, so you can afford to splurge.
Embrace the long proportions by emphasizing them with a rhythmic rug.
If you're building or renovating, see if you can make the galley wide enough for two cooks to fit past each other with plenty of room to spare.
Don't restrain your desire for style; there's no rule that says a galley kitchen must be white and stripped down. No one will care that space is a little tight when a kitchen is as glossy and glamorous as this one.
Borrow natural light from other rooms. Using open shelves instead of a wall for division on the left side of this kitchen opens it up and makes it lighter.
Use special cabinets. These zebra wood cabinets stand out, and the long drawer handles emphasize the horizontal.
If you can, max out the storage in your lower cabinets and forgo as many upper cabinets as possible.
Get some clever ideas for maxing out the space in the cabinets
Get a closer look at the window seat in this kitchen
Get some clever ideas for maxing out the space in the cabinets
Get a closer look at the window seat in this kitchen
A seating nook is really nice to have at the end of a galley. It allows the chef to have company without people getting in the way.
Pay special attention to lighting and take advantage of lighting underneath cabinets and shelves.
Raise the ceiling. Adding height vertically makes this space feel much larger than it is.
See the original question and post a question of your own
More: Browse galley kitchen photos
Kitchen Layouts: A Vote for the Good Old Galley
Kitchen Solution: The Open Island
The Well-Concealed Kitchen
See the original question and post a question of your own
More: Browse galley kitchen photos
Kitchen Layouts: A Vote for the Good Old Galley
Kitchen Solution: The Open Island
The Well-Concealed Kitchen