What is a galley kitchen?
Plus, expert ideas for decoration and organization.
At home,space is a commodity; we often wish we had more.
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
The kitchen is one room where Southerners would always welcome some extra square footage.
Bigger isnt always best though, and galley kitchens are the proof in the pudding.
Small but mighty, these slim kitchens pack a whole lot of potential into a limited amount of space.
Credit:JULIA LYNN; STYLING: DAKOTA WILLIMON
In fact, when designed and organized efficiently, a galley kitchen can be one of the mostfunctional layoutsavailable.
Heres what to know about this oft underestimatedkitchen layout.
What Is A Galley Kitchen?
This design is often found in smaller homes, but is rapidly on the rise for kitchen design.
Narrow but full of potential, galleykitchensare similar to an aisle with countertops on both sides.
Lubin recommends taking advantage of just about every inch from floor to ceiling to accommodate tight borders.
Cabinetry both below and above the countertop will help, as will prioritizing long but narrow appliances.
Microwave drawers can also work wonders in sparing valuable counter space.
Organize Efficiently
Byorganizing efficientlyyou are maximizing your linear space usage, says Lubin.
Overall, galley kitchens require thoughtful organization and design to make the most of the available space at hand.
Every inch counts, so theres no room for wasteful or counterintuitiveorganization.
Store items where youll use them and by size, says Lubin.
Lucas also recommends incorporating cabinet inserts to maximize storage potential.
Organization also matters outside the cabinets.
For example, be sure to save counter space for cooking preparations.
However,open shelvingstorage needs to be kept very tidy, otherwise it risks appearing unkempt.
This concept of keeping the kitchen private is often called a back kitchen.
Lewis adds that painting the cabinets and walls the same color can have a widening illusion, too.
Embrace Minimalism
Clutteris an enemy to a tidy and effective galley kitchen.
Too much stuff can overwhelm prized counter and cabinet space, so keep out any unnecessary additions.
