A Tiny Galley Kitchen Gets Brightened Up — And a Ton More Storage

The “before” kitchen in this Upper West Side two-bedroom wasn’t in terrible condition, but it was plagued by a few issues common to small kitchens: teeny-tiny appliances, and a serious lack of cabinet and counter space. The dark finishes and awkward, chopped-up blocks of cabinets made the small space seem even smaller.

The owners, a newly married couple, envisioned a lighter, more streamlined kitchen that would bring a fresh new look to the public spaces of their apartment. They also wanted a kitchen with full-sized appliances and plenty of work and storage space, suitable for serious cooking.

The dark, old cabinets were replaced with new white ones in a classic Shaker style. For a more streamlined, open look, upper cabinets were limited to one line on the left side of the kitchen. A few open shelves on either side of the range hood provide display spots for treasured items.

These homeowners found their contractor on Sweeten, a free service matching homeowners with local general contractors. You can read more about the project, see more photos, and find sources on the Sweeten blog.

Another change that came with the renovation was extending the cabinets on the right side of the kitchen all the way to the wall of the dining nook. These cabinets, while a bit shallower than typical kitchen cabinets, still provide a boost in storage space, and the countertop above can be used as a buffet or as an overflow workspace. A full-sized stove and dishwasher (concealed by a panel next to the sink) replaced the old tiny ones.

The pull-out pantry cabinet on the far side of the refrigerator is another clever storage solution. The upper cabinets now go all the way to the ceiling — a much cleaner look that also adds a few extra feet of storage space. The white cabinets have dark pulls, which match the color of the window frames and add a welcome bit of contrast to the kitchen.

A lightly veined quartz countertop and beveled white marble backsplash tiles round out the look. The new kitchen is bright, sunny, and timeless — a perfect complement to the apartment’s classic look (and also a great place to cook!).

This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: Before & After: A Tiny Kitchen Gets a Fresh Look (& More Storage!)