It must have come from living in small apartments throughout my life, but I love galley kitchens. In fact, I almost feel lost in anything but. The skinny proportion is comfortable and it's nice being able to simply turn around to reach the other side of the "room".
Some folks call them crowded or say they don't have enough storage. I say they are perfectly sized and have just enough room to store anything that's truly important. These are a few galley kitchens I find particularly beautiful. The cream of the crop, in my mind.
Do you also like working in galley kitchens? If so or if not, please let us know why in the comments below!
Related: Tom Colicchio Cooks in a Rental Galley Kitchen
(Images: Bosworth Hoedemaker, Eric Piasecki/House Beautiful, DecorPad, Domino, House Beautiful, John Granen/Sunset, DIY with ADD via Apartment Therapy, Grand House Design)
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I'm smitten with that first picture, I love all those windows! So bright and airy.
Most the apartments I've lived in have had galley kitchens, and although I love the photos above, I have to say that they aren't my favorite in terms of practicality. I actually don't mind working in a galley kitchen alone, but my husband and I like to cook together and we're always bumping into one another or asking each other to move out of the way to get to something.
domesstic.com
The only galley kitchen I liked was my aunt's and it was very wide so there was plenty of room for family to gather. Otherwise I hate them, they just don't offer enough work space and usually aren't great entertaining spaces. That said, # 1 & 6 are absolutely gorgeous in terms of design. I love the windows in 1 and the historic charm and colors in 6.
I have a small galley kitchen now, and I love how cozy it is, and how easy it is to keep everything I need within reach, but I agree that it's hard for my partner and I to both work in the kitchen at once, and it's a bum space for entertaining. So, I guess there are pros and cons, in my experience.
I've been loving #6 ever since it was first posted!
Galleys are working kitchens... ever so practical when the cook actually cooks. True, it's not an entertainment space, but sometimes that's a good thing. Guess I'm a bit of a control freak. LOL
Love the greenery outside the window of #1 and the mystery "come into the light!" of #7.
Gorgeous kitchens all! I'd be proud to call any of them my own.
I completely agree with Regina concerning the notion that you have enough room in them for what's really necessary. They appeal to my love of simplicity.
I love my galley kitchen. It is great to work in. I also love the fact that it is mostly tucked off on its own. It is somewhat open to the main living space via an opening over the sink, counter but the main working space is closed off.
And...that probably makes no sense...but anyway
We're looking to buy our first house, and with our budget in the city where we're moving, we can pretty much only afford a galley kitchen. I'm perfectly happy with this, as I find that everything is within reach, and it keeps people from lingering in the workspace.
Bonus points for kitchens with a pass through or breakfast bar, so that I can socialize with those not working while I get to work.
Sorry to be nit-picky, but #2, #5, and #7 are not technically "galley" kitchens. #2 and #5 are U-shaped, and #7 is L-shaped. All of these are small kitchens, but "small" and "galley" are not synonymous. "Galley" means that the sink, all countertop space, and all major appliances are on one of two parallel strips. If there's anything on a third wall, it's no longer a galley kitchen.
My very favorite kitchen lay-out is a small-ish U-shape, with the stove in the "bottom" of the U, the sink on one side, and the fridge on the other, with some counterspace on either side of the sink, and on either side of the stove. I had this in my old apartment and I miss it. Everything was in such easy reach, but it wasn't too crowded, either.
Sorry, that's #8, not #7. #7 IS a galley kitchen!