When it comes to kitchens, sometimes size doesn’t matter.
The galley kitchen layout has historically gotten a bad rap as the most undesirable layout. But size needn’t upset the flavor of one’s culinary creations nor the look of one’s dream home. In fact, a recent surge in its popularity is proving that what these idiosyncratic layouts lack in square footage, they make up for with clever spatial tricks. Function aside, these pocket-size powerhouses also offer limitless potential for style that packs a punch, as designer David Cafiero’s ship-inspired Provincetown cottage kitchen, Eve Robinson’s moody-slash-sleek Hamptons culinary space, and Joe Lucas’s high-gloss blue wonderland prove. Marble Floor Polishing
Though galley kitchens traditionally refer to cooking spaces in planes, trains, and boats, they have been reimagined for residential spaces too. “They have always solved the question of how to house a kitchen in a small dwelling, so they are still desirable and popular in urban settings where we live in smaller footprints,” explains Sarah Sargeant, principal of New York–based firm Cochineal Design. Unlike other kitchen layouts—which often have freestanding appliances—galley styles have their ovens, dishwashers, fridges, and microwaves built into the design so they don’t skimp on counter space.
These types of kitchens are ideal for small spaces, but they do run the risk of feeling a bit claustrophobic. Fortunately, Sargeant has a suitable solution. “We love to use a mix of upper cabinets and open shelves to break up the monotony,” she shares. “There are many ways to jazz a galley kitchen up. You have to think beyond white cabinets and subway tile!”
And there’s plenty of chic galley kitchen inspiration to be had. You just need to know where to look. To help you through this ordeal, we’ve culled the ELLE DECOR archives and asked professionals how to make the most of the galley kitchen. Whether your style is traditional or contemporary (or your project low lift or a full-blown renovation), there’s something below for every kind of space. Go ahead—keep scrolling for the very best galley kitchen ideas to create a delectable culinary space.
Designer Lauren Buxbaum Gordon knows how to maximize a narrow space with unbridled flair. In this Manhattan apartment, she extended the glossy white cabinets all the way up to the soaring period ceilings to maximize dead space and create a sense of added height. The gleaming gold hardware and fixtures are simply the cherry on top. Tip: Light wood flooring and an all-white kitchen go together like peanut butter and jelly.
We’re swooning over this moody kitchen built in a former fishing shack in Provincetown, Massachusetts, which is true galley style by any definition. Inspired by a ship’s galley, designer David Cafiero fitted the space with a Kohler sink and fixtures by Newport Brass. The result is a narrow kitchen layout that is as enchanting as it is symmetrical. In the end, the kitchen is a testament to its setting. “Here the tide comes in and goes out, and things remain the same,” Cafiero observes, “while constantly changing with the water.”
The Barbie movie (have you heard of it?) was released in 2023, but its biggest cultural sway—the Barbiecore trend—will linger forever, mark our words. These pink kitchen walls in an Eric Allart–designed apartment complements the black backsplash remarkably well, contributing to an overall feel of warmth, ease, and a certain Parisian je ne sais quoi. Suprématie de Barbie!
A patterned tile mosaic isn’t the only interesting thing in paradisiacal culinary space. Officine Gullo’s design of this farmstead-turned-luxury hospitality space, Tenuta Carleone in Radda, Italy, boasts warm sunshine-yellow cabinetry with stainless steel appliances and polished chrome hardware that seamlessly come together to create a sun-splashed utopia.
This kitchen, part of an early Frank Gehry–designed house, offers a study in harmonious contrasts; a ceiling of bare wooden planks commingles well with concrete floors and stainless steel appliances. Proof that Gehry’s comparatively aggressive deconstructivism needn’t be at odds with comfortable living.
When Caterina Fabrizio, the second-generation co-owner of her family’s textile house, Dedar, came across the ground-floor flat of a neoclassical 1930s villa, she fell in love with its double-height ceilings and generous full-length windows, but the narrow galley kitchen was smaller than envisioned. Her solution? Drench it in bright firehouse-red-lacquered cabinets that make a statement and make the most of the small layout.
Just because you have a small kitchen doesn’t mean you can’t adorn it with items you love and use on a regular basis. This dreamy setup in a Hollywood Hills abode, courtesy of ELLE DECOR A-List designer Garrett Hunter, is playful and replete with unexpected touches like the Ming dynasty table, Spanish majolica pendant, and mismatched bohemian prints on the walls. Let loose a little and create a kitchen you actually want to see every day.
When it comes to kitchen design, Joe Lucas adheres to his own golden rule. “No white kitchens,” Lucas explains. “Before, the cabinets were all white… so we immediately painted them.” This high-gloss galley kitchen—elevated with a splash of blue bird–blue—in Lucas and David Heikka’s sunny California home proves the timeless appeal of blue cabinets. This blue kitchen is always azure to impress!
This high-in-the-sky kitchen, located 821 feet above TriBeCa, features vertiginous floor-to-ceiling cabinetry in a shade that matches the blue sky just beyond. Our favorite detail? The kitchen island houses the stovetop for ultimate space optimization that is honing all the galley-style vibes at no expense to openness.
Remember when we said navy cabinets are bold? Enter: this vivid green wonder, which takes 2024’s “Brat summer” trend and absolutely runs with it. The home of an artist practically demands riskiness in its aesthetic identity, and Julie Polidoro’s Roman apartment is a case in point. Polidoro tells us she “went for a greengrass that reminds one, in a subliminal way, of where our food comes from.”
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill tile mosaic and sunshine-yellow kitchen! The cabinetry in the pictured Hamptons cooking space is intentionally made of ebony-stained ash, while the counters are decked out in a carbon gray stone. Designer Eve Robinson framed and contextualized light neutrals (like the overhead oak paneling you see) with dark surroundings throughout the whole home—so that it never, ever feels too predictable.
The color palette of this kitchen is oh-so-soft and was actually inspired by Prada stores! It’s not all eye candy though, trust us: Couple Daniel Cole and Nick Grinder, with the help of architecture and interiors firm Studio DB, ensured the small space was both integrated and insulated. This was achieved through the addition of porthole windows, inserted into the dual pocket doors that separate the kitchen from the rest of the apartment.
These stainless steel shelves, bought by designer Timothy Brown from a restaurant supply store, would be 100 percent approved by the entire cast of The Bear. They’re a less conventional choice than, say, millwork ones, but are more resistant to the wear and tear that inevitably comes from cheffing it up 365 days a year.
The blue-stained pine kitchen in this Brooklyn triplex is more like a galley kitchen that has been stretched out across one wall—but there are lessons to be learned from this similarly compact setup. Observe the one feature that is cropping up in kitchens more and more: open shelving. Keep all your essentials just an arm’s reach away with a fixture that showcases your finest culinary treasures. It makes for a cooking space that is as pretty as it is functional—that is, if you keep the shelves as uncluttered as possible.
Just because a galley kitchen has limited square footage doesn’t mean it can’t be a multipurpose space. In his Milan apartment, Dimorestudio’s Emiliano Salci placed a petite bistro table and chairs by the window, making the kitchen an even more high-trafficked room. Dinner with a view? Yes, please.
Want your galley kitchen to pull double duty? Turn your countertops into an island by scooting a few chairs on the opposite side. Augusta Hoffman’s East Village home nails the look with the help of three woven stools.
There was nothing that designer Angie Hranowsky could do on the inside of this Maine vacation house to compete with the view overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Crockett Cove. So taking her cues from the original architect, Emily Muir, she didn’t try. Here in the kitchen, she simply added a fresh coat of paint to the kitchen cabinets and covered the counters with new sheets of Formica. In this rustic-yet-colorful galleylike space, we’d wager that nothing further is required.
Ahh, mirrors: the quintessential element needed to make any room feel twice as big as it is IRL. The mirrored kitchen wall here, designed by L’Artigianato, provides just that kind of effect and pairs especially well with the moody, dark color scheme. The kitchen is in an 1890s Milanese apartment, so it deserves to be a little dramatic.
This kitchen, in a West Village townhouse, literally says: Let there be light! While petite in size, the space’s skylights instill it with just the right level of brightness—moderated as it is by the monochromatic color palette. Stargazing while cooking late-night pesto pasta is in your near future.
The kitchen in this Los Angeles home may be small, but its practical spatial solutions and custom redwood materials create a homey culinary space that punches above its weight. The oven and dishwasher are by Miele, and the sink fittings are by Vola.
Stacia Datskovska is the assistant digital editor at ELLE DECOR, where she covers news, trends, and ideas in the world of design. She also writes product reviews (like roundups of the top firepits or sheet sets)—infusing them with authority and wit. As an e-commerce intern at Mashable, Stacia wrote data-driven reviews of everything from e-readers to stationary bikes to robot vacuums. Stacia’s culture and lifestyle bylines have appeared in outlets like USA Today, Boston Globe, Teen Vogue, Food & Wine, and Brooklyn Magazine.
Rachel Silva is the associate digital editor at ELLE DECOR, where she covers all things design, architecture, and lifestyle. She also oversees the publication’s feature article coverage, and is, at any moment, knee-deep in an investigation on everything from the best spa gifts to the best faux florals on the internet right now. She has more than 12 years of experience in editorial, working as a photo assignment editor at Time and acting as the president of Women in Media in NYC. She went to Columbia Journalism School, and her work has been nominated for awards from ASME, the Society of Publication Designers, and World Press Photo.
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