How to Renovate A Galley Kitchen

A galley kitchen is a long narrow kitchen with counters along both long edges and the walkway down the center. Various appliances are placed at intervals along the sides. It generally takes up very little space, and therefore, is very compact.  The average galley kitchen would be around 100-150 square feet. If your kitchen fits that description and you think it could do with a remodeling, you have come to the right place. 

The job of renovating a galley kitchen is simpler than that of a larger kitchen, and much less expensive. A DIY enthusiast could easily tackle it.

·         Use Appropriate Kitchen Designs

Avoid things that take up a lot of space. Breakfast bars, Kitchen islands and similar things take up a lot of space, and that’s something you can’t afford. So bite the bullet and keep it simple. Stick to the basics; upper and lower cabinets, counters, oven/range, sink, refrigerator and perhaps, a dishwasher. However, if your galley kitchen is open on one side, you could consider a breakfast bar on that side. 

·         Remember the Classic Work Triangle

The sink, oven and refrigerator form the three points of what is known as the classic triangle. This is something you must always keep in mind. They should be placed such that you can move without restriction between the three.

·         Watch the Sink

Large and fancy sinks are out. You cannot afford to waste the space. Get a scaled down sink which fits in, and install it in line with the other appliances.

·         Maximize Storage Space

Storage space is at a premium here, so you need to think up original ways to maximize what you have. You could raise the height of the upper cabinets to the ceiling. However the problem with that idea is that you may feel crowded in. If it’s an open-sided kitchen, you could hang see-through cabinets on that side from the ceiling. Lazy Susans and roll-out shelves are a great way to utilize space.

·         Blocking Off a Window

Does your window give you sufficient light and air? It is not so in many city apartments.  In that case you could consider blocking out the window to install more cabinets. This can be a painful decision to take, so you need to think it out very carefully. If you feel the window is contributing to your kitchen, you could leave it there and put some cabinet units on top of it.

·         Painting Your Kitchen

There is a simple rule about painting a galley kitchen. Light tones; Light shades and variations thereof. You are starting with a small space. Dark tones will only make it look smaller. You can use bright colors for just about everything in your galley kitchen.

So? With this short but almost complete list of thing to look out for, do you feel confident enough to start on the job? Of course you do! If you need more to know go for HGInsights

More Remodeling Articles:

Best Ten Eclectic Kitchen Designs

Eclectic kitchens are distinguished by the way the traditional and the modern are blended together. There may be experiments with a play of colors or eye-catching designs. You can for instance have a traditional kitchen with some modern design ideas, or a modern kitchen with some traditional elements fitted in. Obviously, in all cases, all elements must blend together. This is your opportunity to make a personal statement. You are limited by only your creativity, taste and budget. If you are an individualist, finding a designer who can work with you on this, however may be difficult.

Use of Colors in Modern Kitchen Design

How do you plan a beautiful and classy color theme for your kitchen? Will you go for a neutral color palette or any rich or intense color? You may have heard about the normal trends of using neutral colors to design a contemporary kitchen. However, a combination of rich balanced colors may boost up the entire kitchen appeal.