5 Secrets to Making Your Galley Kitchen Work
The galley kitchen in my guesthouse is tiny, with a floor space that measures a mere 5” x 7”. When I was ready to tackle the renovations for the kitchen, I was struck by what a dispirited little room it was. The walls were beige, the countertops were a beige Formica, and the floor was beige linoleum. I was at a loss for inspiration.
So I cast about on Pinterest for ideas, sleuthing for photos of galley kitchens that work. The secrets were hiding in those photos.
Here are five things I noticed: (1) The fixed layout of a galley kitchen resembles an aisle. It usually consists of two walls of cabinets that face each other. Every successful galley kitchen I found uses the fixed layout to narrow the eye’s focus and pull it to a dramatic payoff at the far wall. One way to narrow the eye’s focus is to paint the cabinets a dark color. A dark color makes the cabinet walls seem to advance and close in on the aisle. (2) The payoff at the far wall might be a vibrant piece of art or a distinctive window or door or a large plant. (3) Then successful galley kitchens lead the eye to the payoff at the far wall with a line of interesting light fixtures on the ceiling or an interesting runner on the floor.
Visit Annie Guest Design on Pinterest to see the huge collection of photos showing galley kitchens that apply these principles. On the landing page, click on Saved. Then look for the board at Annie Guest Design called “Galley Kitchens That Work.” I can’t post those photos here, because, very understandably, photos on Pinterest can’t be exported to other sites without permission of the copyright holder. But you can certainly visit Pinterest to see those photos for yourself.
https://www.pinterest.com/annieguestdesign/
Successful galley kitchens also make every inch count. They create drama and interest without adding clutter. So to create interest: (4) they go heavy on a variety of textures — say, with a nubby jute rug, a woven basket, a wicker window blind — rather than adding unnecessary objects. (5) Finally, every object that is added has to earn its place with an interesting shape, color, pattern, or material.
Galley kitchen, ‘before’
I applied these five simple principles when I renovated my own galley kitchen. I describe the renovation process in detail in my book DESIGN FOR YOUR MIND. In the end, my galley kitchen taught me that it’s possible to turn a limitation into an actual design advantage. In other words, renovating the galley kitchen has been a lesson in turning the proverbial lemons into lemonade. I love the results.
Galley kitchen, ‘after’ (detail)
