In article . com, mike says...


wrote:
Hello,

We have a relatively small galley kitchen in a traditional-styple
house. We are trying to get ideas on renovating it without increasing
its footprint.

Of course, most kitchen renovation websites/books discuss larger (and
more expensive/extravagant rooms).

Does anyone have ideas about where to find information about
renovating smaller areas?

Thank you,
Steve

I'd just add that you should keep your galley a true galley and resist
the urge to put in corners. If you lack space, you cannot afford the
dead spaces that corners create.

But nowdays there are cabinets with pull-out shelves (or, I have a corner unit
with pull-out shelves, and pull-over shelving into the space that can be
reached with the pull-out shelves out). Granted, I use this space to store
less-used items. But that space isn't necessarily wasted.


Over-the-range microwave hoods can save space as well.

Yes. Pretty standard, actually.

Big, deep
drawers that extend out fully give you more storage space, and avoid
the two step dance of opening lower doors and then pulling out a shelf.
And for a little more space, extend cabinets to the ceiling (if your
ceiling isn't too wavy or uneven.


I recently had my small galley kitchen remodelled, extending the cabinet trim to
the ceiling made a swoop in it a bit too obvious. Something to consider.

Other hints - get a side by side refrigerator - opening the fridge door in a
galley kitchen forms quite a block. Even with my side by side, with my 14 year
old parked in front of it with the doors open half the time, it might as well be
a wall ;-) Glad I didn't get a full door. It may be worthwhile to invest the
$$$ and tolerate the smaller cu. ft. of a cabinet-depth fridge - sometimes I
wish I had. What I have visually extends a bit too much into the floorspace
past the cabinets, too.

See if the same flooring can be extended out of the galley, like into a dining
or family room area, to make the small galley look like less of a small space
(some continuity).

With that kind of layout there was a pretty clear tradeoff between sink size and
configuration and countertop space. I went for a single D-sink, the D-curve
gives more sink front to back while allowing the faucet to be installed in a
"corner" for a standard depth counter and cabinet. With more space, I would
have certainly gone for a double sink, but with the dishwasher I dont' miss it
as much as I thought. Having more counter space between it and the stove
definately was the right choice, I would have had to cut into that for more
sink.

I got a great floorplan from the kitchen speciality outfit that provided my
cabinets. Went through a wall, not to extend the kitchen, but to open up to
the pretty family room. Overall a great result. Very efficient and pretty too.
You don't have to go growing your kitchen just because the home TV shows are
pushing it.

Cheers,
Banty