Galley Kitchen Ideas

If you’re not sure what exactly a pantry is, it’s more than likely that you’ve been to a kitchen many times. Galley kitchens are more common in smaller homes and provide a practical use of space by keeping all units, appliances, and cabinets for each side of an otherwise narrow space with a central path to walk through and work. But when it comes to an accomplished gallery kitchen, luckily there are easier ways to go than any other style of kitchen.

Galley kitchens are common, but they can be difficult to design and get the most out of if you don’t have someone to point you in the right direction. They can feel closed and small, and space in a pantry is usually not entirely limited. To help you get the most out of yours, we reached out to Décor Aid interior designers (many of whom had their own pantry at the same time) so that you can make the most of the space you have while creating a modern and stylish space can kitchen that works in your favor.

Mirrored cabinets

In case you didn’t already know, mirrors have an instant magical effect when it comes to making even the smallest rooms appear larger, more luxurious and brighter. And since a pantry usually has little wall space and lots of natural light, consider it indispensable.

You can easily get a stylish mirror cheaply from almost anywhere. However, if you’re on a more flexible budget, nothing can beat the look of mirror-front kitchen cabinets. Or you can opt for a distressed chrome for a more maximum and warm feeling.

Glass front cabinets

Perfect for minimal and more traditional kitchen ideas in the galley, just like mirrors, glass-fronted cabinets will make smart use of important wall space that is usually confined with a closed feeling.

They also help you see what’s inside with ease. However, our interior designers recommend opting for frosted or corrugated glass so that the inside doesn’t appear as a visually loud mess. Store items in glass cabinets in an attractive way to keep up with the feeling of everyday elegance no matter how busy you are.

Intelligent storage solutions

No matter the size of your kitchen, we all need smart storage solutions at some point to make cooking and hosting even easier. And when it comes to kitchen ideas for kitchens, brilliant storage solutions pay off.

In addition to the budget you have to work with and the kitchen style you have in mind, your approach to storage is crucial in creating a working kitchen that will keep you inspired and stress free.

Contrasting cabinets

Another design hack when it comes to modern kitchen ideas is to use contrasting cabinets for a warm juxtaposition game. Go for darker base cabinets and lighter colored wall cabinets for the right look and ease of use.

This, in turn, keeps the eye moving and makes your ceilings and floors appear much larger than they are. And there is no denying how eye-catching this contemporary take on kitchen furniture will look in the years to come.

Go for minimalism

When it comes to realizing a challenging small space, almost nothing is as simple as a room-defining interpretation of the calm simplicity of minimalism. And a pantry is the perfect place to stick to a reduced, clean sensitivity.

But since this is a kitchen, we’re not just talking about clean and clinical minimalism. Instead, use a black, gray, and white color scheme, unadorned, flat-fronted kitchen cabinets, and smooth and smooth surfaces and surfaces.

Keep the color scheme calm

Just like with contrasting kitchen cabinets, a cool color scheme will surely help you make the most of the galley’s timeless kitchen ideas with a slight nod to its retro charm.

Think matte pastels like mint, light sage, berries, and even a watery pink for a more modern feel, and choose a boldly patterned floor to add an eclectic feel and spirited energy to your small pantry. This way, you don’t have to dive too far into experimenting and still enjoy the joy of color.

Limit upper cabinets

In a pantry, you run the risk of feeling trapped. One of the best ways to ensure this doesn’t happen in your home is to limit the number of top cabinets that you have installed on the wall. Limiting your top cabinets to one wall in your kitchen will ensure that it doesn’t feel locked away and spatially limited. This idea opens up your kitchen and helps make it feel as wide as possible while also giving the feeling of extra space.

Of course, it should go without saying that whatever you can do to create the feeling of space with your kitchen ideas will work to your advantage. Eliminating a wall of overhead cabinets is an effective way of resizing and maximizing your kitchen space.

Open kitchen shelf

Another way to make your pantry more spacious is to invest in open shelving. Open shelves eliminate the need for kitchen cabinets so you can open up your kitchen and make it more spacious. Choose your open shelf well and let it fit seamlessly into your kitchen – for example, white or glass shelves on a white wall so it doesn’t stand out too much – which creates the feeling of having as much space as possible at the same time to offer you plenty of storage space.

Open kitchen shelves also make a stylish feature to highlight your kitchen decor in the galley. Just make sure you keep the less attractive kitchen utensils underneath out of sight and store them.

Shiny surfaces

Shiny surfaces are a godsend in a pantry kitchen, reflect light and help brighten up your room. Letting natural light fall into your pantry will make your space feel as big as possible when you open it up. You have so many options when it comes to shiny surfaces in kitchens, from tiles to backsplashes to countertops and kitchen cabinets. With standard kitchen elements there are so many options for light reflection.

You can opt for a light countertop and glossy gray cabinets. The light reflective properties of the darker kitchen furniture keep it from feeling too moody.

Introduce light

Don’t make the mistake of suffering from a poorly lit kitchen (there’s nothing worse than struggling with a lack of light in a pantry). Many kitchen designs don’t offer the luxury of natural light. You have to overcome this by making sure it is well lit.

This can mean opting for new fixtures that offer plenty of light or investing in under the counter lighting to brightly illuminate your countertops. If you’re doing a full kitchen remodel in the galley, this might be a great opportunity to add more ceiling lights.

Everything white

White is known for its light reflective properties and its ability to make a room look bigger, brighter and more airy. White walls, white countertops, white kitchen units, and white floors will come together to create a galley kitchen space that feels as spacious as possible.

Give your accessories character and interest – interestingly shaped handles, eye-catching fittings, fittings and kitchen appliances in bright colors together form a kitchen design for a galley that feels spacious and full of personality at the same time.

Clear counter

Never underestimate the power of clear countertops in a pantry kitchen – there isn’t a single option on this list of kitchen ideas that does a better job of creating a sense of space than keeping your countertops clear. When your countertops are crowded, your space will instantly shrink and your kitchen will shrink. If you don’t have enough space for all of your things, it’s time for some proper editing or time for more storage ideas.

You may need to add more shelving or sort your kitchen with clever storage options to remove some of that clutter from your surfaces. You will be surprised how much more visual space a clear surface creates and how much more open and spacious your kitchen will feel.

Open up your space

Think about ways to revamp your kitchen designs in the galley to open up the space. Is there a wall that you can knock out? Or even part of a wall? Even opening up a small section of space can work wonders in a pantry remodel. When you let in some light, split up the space, and do something else with your kitchen, your kitchen immediately feels a lot more open.

You may need to rearrange the order of your kitchen units and consider where to put your appliances, but with a little thought, your kitchen will feel open in no time.

Enrich a kitchen wall

If your pantry is closed at one end, you will affect the decor of your pantry and make it something special. If you can’t remove the wall, you’ll be happy to take it. Blackboard paint is a fun and useful way to get the most out of a kitchen wall. So you can write shopping lists and weekly menus on the wall or give the kids a space to sketch while you cook.

You might want to fill your wall with art, liven up your kitchen, or create a wall of distinctive plants to make your pantry feel as warm and inviting as possible in a small space.

Tall kitchen cabinets

Tall kitchen cabinets that reach to the ceiling and don’t waste space in front of you provide plenty of extra storage space in a pantry so you can put everything in one cupboard so you don’t have to leave anything out on the surfaces. Storage solutions are often a problem in a smaller kitchen and it will be crucial to provide as much storage space as possible in such a kitchen.

Put your less-used items on the top shelf so you don’t have to constantly climb up to get things. And invest in a step stool for easy access to items on the higher shelves. We like how the kitchen above kept the look of their expanded cabinets bright with paned glass for a more airy look.

Move the sink

In a pantry, the best place for the sink is almost always at the end. If your sink isn’t here already, consider placing your sink at the end of your pantry if possible to make the most of this challenging little kitchen style.

This makes the space feel wider as there is a wide focal point at the end of the room that won’t interfere with your prep and storage space, which is best at the sides of your kitchen space. Regardless of where you put your sink, it’s best located where it is less obstructive to your counter-room flow.

Basket shelves

In a smaller pantry, storing baskets is a smart, elegant, and inexpensive solution that is also easy to source. These make it easy for you to access the store and your most used items by keeping all related items in a basket so that they’re easy to put away and find.

To save time, you can then remove the entire basket of items and parts you need and take it with you to the other end of the kitchen. This way you can keep everything clean when you are using your pantry or when you are not using it as parts are easy to put away as they have a specific area.

Images via Pinterest