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30 Great Galley Kitchen Ideas for Small Spaces
Maximize your cooking space with these stylish layout and decorating ideas.
Despite any gripes you may have heard, galley kitchens are a wonderful way to maximize a home’s small footprint and can make for delightfully cozy cooking environment. And, when you add in a few signatures of farmhouse style—like, say, open shelving, a skirted sink, or vintage lighting—they can suit a wide variety of country aesthetics. So if there isn’t room in your budget for a full-blown, knock-down kitchen reno, don’t fret! No matter how small, your galley kitchen can—and will—work for you.
What is a galley kitchen?
Originally named for the tight and efficient cooking quarters aboard a ship, a galley kitchen is most commonly characterized as a long, narrow space with two parallel walls. A walkway in-between allows for movement through the space, and all appliances and cabinetry are aligned along the two walls. (More often than not, there’s no room for free-standing pieces.)
That said, the galley kitchen has become so popular that variations definitely do exist. Some galley kitchens use just a single wall of cabinetry, while others replace the second wall with a freestanding island. Breakfast nooks have been known to be added in at the end, and some galley kitchens even wrap additional cabinetry around the shorter walls to stretch storage options as far as they’ll go.
How to maximize a galley kitchen:
When every inch of space counts, you’ll want to carefully strategize your galley kitchen layout. Consider concealing your refrigerator and dishwasher with cabinetry fronts for a more seamless look. Open shelving, in lieu of upper cabinetry, allows for a bit of breathing room, and gives you a chance to showcase family china and other treasures. And, while white kitchens do often appear larger, don’t feel beholden to the hue. You’ll likely be spending a lot of time in here, so it’s best to go with a color that always brings a smile to your face.
Below, we’ve rounded up 30 of our favorite galley kitchens to give you lots of ideas to help you design your own dream kitchen.
In search of more kitchen ideas? Check out these other kitchen design stories:
Laurren Welch is a freelance editor, writer, and creative who covers lifestyle, interiors, entertaining, fashion, and more. When she’s not under deadline, you can find her styling blooms over at Garden Party L.A., scouring thrift and antique stores for hidden gems, and reminding her boxer pup, Monster, that he’s a very good boy.
Sarah Zlotnick is the Lifestyle Director at Country Living, where she covers a little bit of everything—small towns, life in the country, and, her favorite, antiques. A research buff at heart, she loves a deep dive into the history of vintage finds and uncovering the reasons behind old-as-time traditions.
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