Kitchens come in all shapes and sizes, but they primarily fall into one of five different layouts: L-shaped, U-shaped, G-shaped, one-wall, and galley. Of the five, galley kitchens are the perhaps the most efficient, both in terms of actually cooking and maximizing space. “Galley kitchens are longer, narrow spaces that provide upper and lower cabinets in a walkway-type layout,” says Abbe Fenimore, founder and principal designer of Dallas-based firm Studio Ten 25. Essentially, all of the “stuff” that makes up a kitchen—appliances, storage space, and countertops—run along two parallel units, forming something of a corridor.

What Does “Galley” Even Mean?

The term “galley” actually refers to kitchens on ships, planes, and trains, where the elongated spaces necessitate hallway-like floor plans. But galleys have transferred to terra firma and are found in many homes, particularly smaller ones.

What Kinds of Spaces Are Best Served by Galley Kitchens?

“Galley kitchens are always a great option for smaller homes for obvious, space-saving reasons,” says Fenimore. You’ll find that they’re common in apartments, which inherently have smaller footprints, and also in older homes, where kitchens are tucked away and not used as a social space.

“But it can be fun to see a galley-style kitchen in a larger home, too,” she adds. “They can create a sleek and organized feel to an open concept space.” If you’re incorporating a galley kitchen into an open floor plan, forget about the corridor concept—use an island to create one of the parallel units that define a galley kitchen. Just because you need two parallel sides doesn’t mean they need to be identical!

Galley Kitchen Pros

• It’s the most efficient layout for cooking. It’s standard design practice to create a “work triangle” in a kitchen, meaning that if you drew lines from the sink to the stove to the refrigerator, they’d form a triangle. Why? It gives you the best flow when you’re cooking. In a galley kitchen, you’ve got the perfect layout for a work triangle.
• It maximizes space. Galley kitchens have small footprints, leaving space for other rooms within the floor plan of your house.
• It’s relatively low-cost. Since galley kitchens are small, they require fewer cabinets and counters—both of which are typically pricey elements in a kitchen reno.

Galley Kitchen Cons

• You can’t have too many cooks in the kitchen. “Narrow spaces mean that you’re often closed off from the rest of your home,” says Fenimore. “If you like to socialize while cooking, this may not be a space that works for you. But if you’re able to create a half-wall or remove a wall completely and open into the dining room, it will provide you with a nice balance to counteract your small space.”
• They can feel claustrophobic. Have we mentioned that galley kitchens are small? Since they’re long and narrow like a hallway, they tend to feel much more cramped than a kitchen with another layout.

How Can I Make a Galley Kitchen Feel More Spacious?

The most obvious answer is to remove one of the walls and installing either a half wall or an island, thus physically opening up the kitchen. But if that’s not an option, you can still give the illusion of more space. “Get creative with your storage solutions and tuck larger appliances away when not in use,” says Fenimore. “Countertops with less clutter will make a smaller kitchen feel more open and give the illusion of extra space for cooking and preparing meals.”

Designer Roger Higgins of Nashville based R. Higgins Interiors suggests adding “lots of reflective surfaces like a mirrored backsplash behind areas except the cooktop” to make a galley kitchen feel larger. “Also, painting cabinets and walls the same color and using panel front appliances helps with visually maximizing the space.”

What is A Galley Kitchen? by Stefanie Waldek | MSN Real Estate