10 Favorites: The Urban Galley Kitchen

Feeding the masses? Long favored by restaurants, the galley kitchen is designed for efficient meal production. Derived from the kitchens of ships and airplanes, the setup, also known as the corridor kitchen, is comprised of a single narrow passageway with cabinets and countertops on either side. Making the most of limited space, the hard-working galley is a perennial favorite in space-pressed urban dwellings. Here’s a look at 10 inspired takes on the type.

Above: Ann DeSaussure Davidson and Scott Davidson’s 75-square-foot Brooklyn kitchen is the quintessential urban galley. Remodeled on a shoestring budget by the couple and architect Josh Pulver of A + C, the room is stocked with sky-high storage and presents a flush faí§ade thanks to small-scaled European appliances concealed behind paneled doors. For a full tour and dissection of the kitchen, see the Remodelista book. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

Above: A layout illustrates an efficient setup for a galley kitchen. Image via Momentum Construction.

Above: An urban galley kitchen with polished concrete floors in Paris has open shelving built efficiently around the radiator. Photograph via Afflante.

Above: An industrial, stainless-steel galley by MNA (Michael Neumann Architecture) features a wall of windows that flood the space with light. Photograph via MNA.

Above: In a 1970s galley kitchen renovated by London’s reclamation experts and designers Retrouvius, a sliding door opens (and sections off) the kitchen from the dining room. For a full tour of this apartment, see A Barbican Flat Goes Glamorous. Photograph by Debi Treloar for Ryland Peters & Small from Reclaiming Style.

Above: London architecture and design firm Project Orange designed a commercial galley kitchen for a London couple who run a monthly dining club out of their home. A stainless steel cart on casters serves as a movable island. Photograph via Project Orange.

Above: Almost every inch of my galley kitchen in London is lined with cabinets. For a full tour of my house, see Christine’s House: Living Small in London.

Above: Floating shelves made from 100-year-old oak floorboards add a rustic element to the galley in a remodeled Eichler home in the Bay Area belonging to Lisa Collins, founding principal of Studio One San Francisco. Photograph by Mark Adams.

Above: A small galley kitchen in Sweden finds extra depth by stepping the cabinets and countertop back from the sink. Photograph via Fantastic Frank.

Above: In her Stockholm galley, photographer and interior designer Benedikte Ugland contrasts black countertops and cabinets–Ikea designs that she refaced and stained–with beveled subway tile. We’ve got our eye on the sleek black faucet; here are some sources for high/low black faucets. Photograph by Anna Kern for Skona Hem.

Above: In Remodelista cofounder Francesca‘s Brooklyn galley, architect Steven Harris created a feeling of openness by floating the long cabinet run off the floor via a stepped-back base. Take a look at the Remodelista book for a full exploration of the house.

For more kitchen layout ideas, see our Remodeling 101 posts:

And for compact kitchen ideas, go to Radical Downsizing: High/Low Mini Kitchens and Ikea Ingenuity: A Two-in-One Kitchen and Mini Herb Garden.