Space-Saving Galley Kitchen Ideas to Reimagine Your Cooking Space
Fall in love with your small kitchen.
With the right design elements and organization methods, you can maximize the potential of a narrow kitchen and seamlessly prep/cook meals. Keep reading for 12 galley kitchen ideas that will make your kitchen feel more spacious, functional, and stylish.
What Is a Galley Kitchen?
Galley kitchens are narrow kitchen spaces that are common for small apartments. Review our guide on What Is a Galley Kitchen & Will It Work for You? to learn more about what elements define a galley kitchen.
1. Forgo the Upper Cabinets
Open up your kitchen and let your space breathe with this galley kitchen idea. Remove the upper cabinet units from one or both sides of the kitchen walls and replace them with floating shelves to store and display dinnerware, small appliances, and serveware.
This small galley kitchen idea focuses on a light color palette to make the narrow space feel brighter and more spacious. Start with a white tiled backsplash. Renting? Opt for a white peel-and-stick backsplash instead that you can easily remove when it's time to move out. Opt for white kitchen cabinets to instantly lighten the room. Stainless steel kitchen appliances can also help create a light, reflective vibe to visually open up the space.
Tip!
Considering a peel-and-stick backsplash? Learn How to Install Peel-&-Stick Backsplash like a pro.
3. … Or Create a High Contrast
If you don't want an all-white galley kitchen, you can add a bit more visual dimension with a balance of light and dark tones. This galley kitchen idea proves that you can achieve the refined look of black appliances and kitchen cabinetry without creating a visually narrowing effect. Opt for white countertops and a white backsplash to maintain a level of brightness while still enjoying the look of black cabinetry.
Reflect natural light and add a bit of glam to your galley kitchen with glossy backsplash tiles! Choose the style and color that best fits your aesthetic and watch how it transforms your narrow kitchen. Review Your Guide to Choosing the Best Backsplash and How to Install Unique Backsplash in Your Home for inspo and step-by-step instructions.
Incorporate wall-mounted pot racks to free up precious cabinet space and make it easy to access pots, pans, and kitchen tools. Hang pots and pans on the wall directly behind your kitchen range to make pot and pan selection a breeze.
Make your galley kitchen floor appear more spacious with a horizontal-striped runner rug! It's important that the stripes run perpendicular to the cabinets on either side instead of parallel (like with vertical-striped rugs) because vertical stripes emphasize the length/narrowness of the space, while horizontal stripes help to visually widen the space.
Galley kitchens are designed to maximize the efficiency of the space. They typically feature the kitchen range (stove/oven) and microwave on one side, and the sink, dishwasher, and fridge on the other side. This way, you can easily cook or reheat food, access/rinse ingredients, and wash/load dirty dishes without having to move back and forth in the kitchen. However, you can always rearrange your galley kitchen layout to fit your needs. It all comes down to where your plumbing and electrical/gas hookups are.
Maximize kitchen storage with this galley kitchen idea! Tuck a narrow kitchen cart in between cabinets and kitchen appliances. Extra points if it has a rolling base so you can move it around with ease.
Tip!
Need more prep space in your galley kitchen? Consider adding a narrow console table to the center of the galley walkway for a space-saving kitchen island.
Opt for recessed lights and flush-mount ceiling light fixtures to provide ample overhead light to your galley kitchen without influencing the visual height of the ceiling. These light fixtures are perfect for galley kitchens because they're installed inside or close to the ceiling, keeping the space bright yet uncluttered.
Tip!
Reference How to Install Recessed Lighting to implement this galley kitchen remodel idea.
10. Illuminate the Countertops
Brighten your countertops and make small galley kitchens more inviting with innovative under-cabinet lighting. This is the perfect small galley kitchen idea for anyone on a budget because under-cabinet lighting is affordable and super easy to install. The results will transform your galley kitchen in minutes! If your galley kitchen has few or no windows, the effect is even more striking. Here's How to Install Under Cabinet Lighting: Your DIY Guide.
Open up your galley kitchen with mirrored details. A mirrored backsplash is just one way to make the narrow space appear larger. You can also hang up wall mirrors in the place of backsplash tile to instantly create the illusion of more space. Does your galley kitchen have a wall at the end? Hang up a large-scale mirror!
Incorporate a quaint breakfast nook into your galley kitchen design to maximize the potential of the space. We highly recommend using a storage bench to amplify your kitchen storage opportunities. Complete the nook with a small dining table or bar table.
