Galley kitchens are comprised two sets of kitchen unit cupboards that run parallel, forming a corridor or galley in which a cook will work. This design is ideal for all types of kitchens, particularly small, tight kitchens where space is at a minimum. Galley designs are preferred by many professional chefs because of the way it can improve safety conditions and efficiency when cooking for multiple groups of people at once. The galley kitchen design garnered its name from the galley of ships, where they had to make the most of their available space on board. If you have limited space to work with or just like the design, here’s some examples of galley kitchens to prompt some ideas.

As previously mentioned, galley designs are favoured by many chefs. The image above shows a commercial example of a galley kitchen – before the lunchtime rush we assume. This is on a smaller scale to many professional kitchens, but you can still see how working in this style of kitchen is beneficial as chefs can easily switch from chopping veg to frying steaks by simply turning around. The galley here is wider than you might find in your average household, as this space will need to be occupied by several more people. Galley designs also offer users access to a wealth of kitchen storage, again all within easy reach.

For anyone that isn’t blessed with an enormous open plan mansion, maximising space is an important consideration when designing a kitchen. Galley kitchens are perfect for these situations. By limiting the space used by kitchen units and appliances, a clear walkway can be carved through the room. In addition, all the storage space is neatly fitted around the appliances, again saving on space. Symmetry plays a big part in galley kitchens as you want it too look good aesthetically in order to make the space feel thought out and to spread out storage equally – this kitchen gets the balance spot on.

You can give your galley kitchen a luxurious feel by making the most of the natural light available. This can be achieved by opting for white kitchen worktops to reflect that light back around the room. By opening up the room into a combined living and dining area, the space feels a lot bigger and sociable. Rather than focusing on storage, you can choose to focus on the social aspect by incorporating an efficient galley design.

As this suggests, not all kitchen styles that use a galley design are limited on space. By adding an island you can not only introduce a marvelous centerpiece into the room but also a galley. Be sure to not have the island too far from your worktops as you will lose some of the efficiency of the galley design. This option is great for making your kitchen the true hub of your home with a breakfast bar adding to its social capabilities.

Hopefully, these ideas have prompted some galley kitchen inspiration of your own that you can apply to your home. We offer a wide range of kitchen doors, storage and surfaces to match any home and bring your vision to life. Alternatively, contact one of our expert team to see whether a galley kitchen design would be best for you.