If your kitchen is long and narrow, it may seem like most of the modern kitchen design options are closed off to you. However, there are plenty of kitchen design options that work perfectly with gallery kitchens. Whether you are looking for small galley kitchen design ideas or larger gallery kitchen ideas, we’ve pulled together some of our favourite ways to make the most of space in longer kitchen styles.
What is a Galley Kitchen?
A galley kitchen is typically a long, narrow kitchen style. The name comes from the similarity of this style of kitchen to ships where this layout is common. In a galley kitchen there is usually a walkway through the centre with cabinetry or appliances lining the walls on each side. This type of kitchen is often the case in older terrace-style houses where a narrow kitchen has been added onto the back of the building or in houses where the kitchen lives in a through-way.
How to Design a Galley Kitchen Layout
When it comes to modern galley kitchen design ideas, the team at New Design Kitchens are experts, we can help work with you and your space to create a streamlined design that contains everything you need within your budget. Whilst there are plenty of ideas out there for small kitchen design, a galley kitchen provides its own unique set of challenges.
Our kitchen design services use innovative 3D design to maximise every inch of space with innovative space-saving features. We’ve included some of our favourite galley layout ideas below.
Making the Most of Storage in a Galley Kitchen Design
As with every kitchen, making the most of your storage space is key, even more so in a galley kitchen, sometimes called a gallery kitchen. One of the most popular ways to make a small galley kitchen seem better is by streamlining your design and creating clean lines along the lengths of your kitchen to make it seem longer and less cluttered.
This can either be done through clever storage ideas incorporated through low, symmetrical cabinets along each side of your gallery kitchen or through longer-line tall cabinets on one side paired with low-lying worktop space opposite to even out your space and avoid it seeming too overbearing.
Some of our favourite clever storage ideas for galley kitchens include:
Pull-out drawers and pantry units - these can be a great way to maximise storage in a small galley kitchen through doubling up on drawer space.
Corner carousels or magic corners - incorporating rotating storage shelves or units that curve away to fit awkward kitchen corners are a great way to increase hidden storage space in your galley kitchen design.
Vertical storage for trays and cutting boards can help keep worktops clear and cupboard space free.
Using the backs of doors for storage can be a great way to store pan lids, chopping boards and more to make the most of every inch of space in your home's galley kitchen.
Where to Place Appliances in a Galley Kitchen Layout
One of the biggest struggles when thinking of galley kitchen design ideas is where to place appliances. With limited space on offer, the placement of appliances is key to useability. Placing your stove, sink and main worktop on the same side of the kitchen can be a great way to maximise efficiency in your narrow space as the core elements will be grouped together.
Placing your oven next to your main worktop means you won't need to spin in circles when removing hot meals from the oven, simplifying cooking dinner. Integrated appliances such as ovens and fridges ensure a streamlined look to your space and multi-purpose items such as hot water taps can help save space and create a clutter-free galley kitchen design.
Using the working triangle concept when designing your long kitchen layout can also help with usability. This works on the idea of positioning your sink, refrigerator, and cooker or range in a triangular-shaped layout, minimising the walking distance between these key work areas for kitchen efficiency.
The type of appliances you choose can really help improve your kitchen layout and make your galley kitchen feel bigger. For example, choosing a slide and hide oven where the oven door tucks into the appliance can make it much easier to navigate your kitchen as you'll avoid edging around an open door and remove a trip hazard.
Lighting Ideas for Galley Kitchens
When it comes to designing your galley kitchen, lighting is a key element. Ideally, incorporating as much natural light as possible can help open up your kitchen area and make it seem bigger. This can be done through the strategic placing of larger elements away from windows and avoiding blocking any natural light sources with appliances or other kitchen elements.
However, we know that fantastic natural lighting isn’t always an option when designing your galley kitchen. One of our favourite galley kitchen design ideas is layered lighting. This is done by pairing a larger overhead light with smaller lights such as under-cabinet lights or spotlights around your kitchen.
This is a great option for galley kitchens as it avoids the creation of shadows which can make your space feel more cramped and has the added benefit of making your galley kitchen seem more inviting. The type of lights you choose in your design can also help open up your space.
Spot lights installed below cupboards overlooking worktops can help create a cosy atmosphere but strip lights running along the base can help elongate your space making it feel longer and more spacious. Adding strip lights along the bottom of cabinets close to the floor can also be a great way to open up the space. Using reflective surfaces in your kitchen can also help bounce light around and make your galley kitchen feel more open.
Call in the Experts in Galley Kitchen Design
Of course, the best way to design a galley kitchen that fits all your needs is to call in the experts. New Design Kitchens is a Cannock-based kitchen specialist with years of experience designing modern and traditional galley kitchens. We can work with you to bring your ideal kitchen to life in no time at all.
