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:
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.
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.
