Galley Kitchen Ideas You Would Have Never Thought Of

(Many of the links in this article redirect to a specific reviewed product. Your purchase of these products through affiliate links helps to generate commission for Storables.com, at no extra cost. Learn more)

Homeowners are often torn between the idea of finding their perfect house and having to settle for a small galley kitchen. Surely, many of us have faced the dilemma. Standing in our dream home and drawing out the cheque only wishing the kitchen was a tad bigger!

What if we told you that little kitchen you’re dreading could be fashioned into a compact, stylish and modern galley kitchen? The kind that quickly becomes the envy of your friends?

Borrowed from the narrow galley kitchens on ships and airplanes, these practical and space-efficient kitchen design layouts have been in vogue for all the right reasons. Bringing space-efficiency together with modern small kitchen floor designs, galley kitchens are a contemporary architectural marvel.

If you’re wondering how galley kitchens can enhance the look of your home, we’ve got all the ideas you need to achieve a chic and stylish kitchen space! If you’re just looking for inspiration, these storage ideas are sure to breathe new life into your house.

Setting up a timeless small galley kitchen is only a read away. Here’s how.

1. Go For Symmetry

A narrow kitchen design layout is probably going to look cramped and botched-up if the two sides of your walkway do not complement each other.  While galley kitchen designs may differ, either side has to house a refrigerator and mounted appliances. Therefore, opt for symmetry wherever you can to create the illusion of space.

This would mean designing the cabinets and storage on one side to mirror the other in terms of shape and outer design. The interior of each cabinet can be played by your requirements.

Place Tall Cabinets At The End

Place tall cabinets towards either end of the passageway to help the idea of symmetry and allow for easy operations of the same.  Additionally, if your galley kitchen layout has only a single entrance with the other end closed off with a wall, place tall cabinets next to the wall to ensure pleasing aesthetics.

2. Colors Matter

Go for soft pale hues in designing your galley kitchen. While an all-white interior is ideal in creating the illusion of a larger space, we admit it’s not the best surface when it comes to maintenance.  Soft grey or pale browns are the colors you should be looking at in galley kitchen designs to open up space and make it pleasing to the eye.

Glossy Surfaces In Your Galley Kitchen

Going for a glossy finish for your surfaces is also something you should consider if you’re looking to open up your galley kitchen.  Not only are they easy to clean, but glossy surfaces also create a space illusion and add a chic touch to your interiors.

3. Tie In Open Spaces With Your Galley Kitchen

If you have a portico, a balcony or a backyard, have one end of your galley kitchen open out to this space. This allows for good ventilation, natural sunlight and a welcome relief from a small enclosed passage.  It’s also the perfect place to serve out that weekend dinner with friends while keeping a keen eye on that pie cooking in your galley kitchen.

Create Your Very Own Kitchen Garden From Your Galley Kitchen

Double up this access to your open space by placing some house plants to add a touch of greenery and freshness. You could also have your very own kitchen garden and pamper your taste buds with local produce.

4. Give Your Cabinet Handles A Miss

Small kitchen floor designs are better off without any protruding handles, dangling keys and other unnecessary extensions. You don’t want your already compact moving space to get eaten up by protruding items.  Create cabinets and shutters that do not require any handles and can either be slid open or swung up. Your interior designer should be able to introduce you to cabinet designs that are ideal for a galley kitchen.

Go For The Soft Close Concept For Cabinets In Your Galley Kitchen

Just like everything in small kitchen floor designs is minimalistic, so should the noise levels in your kitchen be brought down. While we can’t help the scurrying house dog or playful kids, we can tone down the open and shut sounds of our kitchen cabinets.  Go for the soft-close range of cabinets that don’t ever allow them to slam shut in a noisy and irksome manner.

5. Choose Larger Lights

Large single or dual lighting is perfect for small kitchen floor designs. Large lights give the illusion of an opened up and free space. Go for one single dropdown light or a ceiling light rather than many small ones sprinkled around your galley kitchen. You will save the cost of many lights, the hassle of regular replacements and also have your space seem larger than it is.

Indulge Yourself In Some Luxury Lighting For Your Galley Kitchen

Do you know what the advantage of galley kitchens are? While you have to wade through space constraints and iterative redesigns to maximize benefit, you can indulge yourself in some luxury lighting with the extra budget.  That can take the attention away from your compact kitchen and make your kitchen look spacious. Victorian lights, chandeliers, pendant lights – you pick!

6. Throw In An Eating Nook

Don’t we simply love those cozy breakfast tables in a kitchen that are perfect for a quick breakfast? Well, if your galley kitchen isn’t allowing you this luxury, here’s an interesting workaround.  If you can have the wall dividing your galley kitchen opened up through a window-sized outlet, you can have your very own eating nook out of thin air!

Place a couple of stools on the side of your living room. This way you can avoid cramping your kitchen and enjoy an added kitchen counter for quick meals. This doubles up as the perfect place for your guests to lounge while you dice up a quick dinner.

Have Your Nook Face The Entrance Of Your Home

This extra bit of counter space doubles up as a breakfast table. Additionally, it also provides a view into the critical areas of your home while you’re busy working in the kitchen.  Strategically locate your eating nook to face your child’s play area, your house door or any other area you’d like to keep a vigil on. With these handy tips, smalls kitchen floor designs do not have to be a subject of dread anymore!