Gorgeous Galley Layouts That Are Long On Style
As much a place to socialise as somewhere to make dinner, the kitchen is one of the most multitasking spaces in our homes. A recent survey found that if you have a great kitchen, you are more likely to feel positive about the rest of your home, too.
But what happens if your cook space is more corridor than cool social hub? Judging by these inspiring, exciting kitchens, the answer is – don’t panic: there are masses of clever tricks and bright ideas for making your galley space feel gorgeous and generous.
Go monochrome
Sometimes, the most simple schemes work best when space is limited. This galley illustrates how a refined combination of black and white, with a flash of red on the oven knobs thrown in, is all it takes to create mountains of unfussy, easy-to-live-with style.
Pep it up with pastels
This is a classic kitchen recipe: white units, wooden surfaces, slate floor. It works well in this little kitchen, creating a neutral backdrop, but the addition of pastel china and accessories does so much to lift the scheme from safe to sweet and appealing. The stool invites you to perch while your partner cooks, and shows how even small galley kitchens can function as sociable rooms.
Shelve it
Storage is at a premium in a small galley kitchen, but that does not mean that hanging cabinets on every square inch of wall is a good idea. Wall units can encroach on a space and make it feel smaller. Instead, try open shelves, as here, and take them right up to the ceiling. Picking attractive cast metal brackets scores extra style points, too.
Dabble with something dark
Although plain white units might seem like the best choice for a galley kitchen, creating clean lines and boosting light levels, they can end up making the space read more as a corridor than a cool and compact kitchen. Painting a dark colour on one wall or around units immediately offsets this effect and adds depth and warmth, too.
Add a patterned floor
This kitchen may not be big enough for a master chef, but that doesn’t mean it’s short on style. The light grey units melt into the wall, while the dark base units create balance and heft. Then there’s the beautifully tiled floor – a glorious dose of colour and pattern that’s both practical and wonderfully unexpected.
Work with the angles
This colourful, 1970s inspired retro galley kitchen is not only bright and fun, it’s beautifully designed to make the most of the angled ceiling. The back wall is fitted with a combination of open shelving and cupboards that press every inch of room into service as storage, display space and even a home for the fridge.
Hang oversized lighting
This is an easy and rather clever way to suggest a bigger space when the actual footprint of your kitchen is small. Oversized lighting draws the eye up to the ceiling and helps break up the perspective. These two big lampshades soften the linear feel of the room, while reflective cabinets and glossy tiles help bounce light around.
Lay feature flooring
Any feature that draws the eye away from the runway proportions will help make a galley kitchen feel bigger. Here, bold chequerboard tiles create a strong, eye-catching pattern while also complementing the softly retro feel of the space – very American diner!
Create horizontal lines
You might think working in horizontal lines would only serve to accentuate a galley’s long and narrow dimensions, but when the lines drive towards a key feature – in this case the doors and garden beyond – they add energy and focus to the room. Downlights mounted into ceiling plinths join the floorboards in subtly leading the eye.
Open it out
Where decorating fails, a massive sledge hammer can succeed! Nothing makes a galley feel less like a galley than knocking out a section of wall. This kitchen has modest proportions, but thanks to the open view onto the living space beyond, it feels anything but cramped.
