Ghastly to Gorgeous Galley Kitchen: 5 Tips
Home plans these days mostly renounce galley kitchens for the “open concept” kitchen with an island. But say you love your home, galley kitchen and all, and want to stay in it. Short of a TV network magic wand “Hey, let’s move your kitchen to THIS part of the house!” -kind of change (read $$$$), there are ways to enhance the appeal and utility of a galley kitchen. Need to know how to make a galley kitchen look bigge?
I can help with that!
My client had had ENOUGH of her home’s dark, dated kitchen, dining and living room. Last time I showed you how taking down the wall and arched opening between the dining room and living room opened up the flow of this kitchen/dining/living hub.
I know you’ve been dying to see more of her incredible new kitchen!
Ready for tips to make your galley gorgeous?
What are good colors for kitchens?
Are white kitchens out of style in 2020?
Tip #1 – White cabinets
Yes, Virginia, once upon a time everyone wanted stained wood kitchen cabinets. But that was then, and this is now. Dark colors absorb light, but white reflects light. If you have a big kitchen, you can get away with dark mahogany cabinets. But that didn’t work in this galley kitchen. To make this kitchen “bigger” without changing the footprint we brought in new white Shaker cabinets to bounce light all over the room. (The window with its new custom roman shade does the light fetching!)
Do you want to know what kitchen cabinets and popular cabinet colors are in? These are my favorite.
What kitchen trends should I follow and which ones should I avoid?
Tip #2 – Unify finishes
Fresh subway tile on the backsplash and white quartz on the countertops (both glossy white: see “reflected light” in #1) work with the white cabinets for a unified look. When you have a myriad of finishes and colors, the result is choppy–the eye stops to look at every change. The white finishes throughout this kitchen keep the eye moving and create a feeling of spaciousness. (I’m in love with that farmhouse sink!)
Tip #3 – Increase storage
No one has said galley kitchens aren’t efficient, but–they are not long on storage. To maximize your galley kitchen’s space, take your cabinets all the way to the ceiling. To keep the look light and open, we installed glass doors in the topmost cabinets and used some open shelving. Is open shelving for you? 3 ways to know.
Tip #4 – Appliance Appeal
The sleek lines and satiny steel finish of my client’s new suite of appliances did worlds to bring her kitchen into the 21st century. Taking the backsplash and stove vent to the ceiling added fool-the-eye visual space, as well as high style.
Tip #5 – Wow Factor
If you want a great look to replace old beige, boring builder grade kitchen tile, patterned tile has real verve and vitality. It grounds this all-white kitchen with some jaunty contrast. (And I must ask: aren’t those black and brass pendants the cat’s pajamas? They’re just the exclamation mark this white kitchen needed!)
Remodeling this formerly closed-off galley kitchen and bringing it into orbit with the revamped dining and living spaces gave this whole home new life!
Want to know where to shop for these items?
Is your nest in need of reconfiguring and redecorating? I have ideas!