Galley kitchen with two parallel runs of graphite matt lacquer and oak tall units

Layouts · Galley

Galley kitchen design for narrow rooms

A galley kitchen sets two runs of cabinets opposite each other — or one run along a single wall — and asks the cook to take only a step or two. In a room 7–10 ft wide, nothing is more efficient.

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01Why a galley

The galley kitchen, done properly

Professional kitchens are galleys for a reason: a galley kitchen keeps the cook between two worktops, with every drawer within reach. In Los Angeles condos, townhouses and older homes with a narrow kitchen, it is often the only plan that fits — and, planned well, the one that works best.

The aisle decides everything. Below about 42 in (107 cm), two open drawers or a dishwasher door block the room. Above about 60 in (152 cm), the cook starts walking instead of turning. For two people cooking, we aim for 48 in (122 cm).

Dark kitchen with book-matched marble wall, glass cabinets and brass tap — Nolte Küchen design

02Zones

Which side gets what

We usually put the working line — sink, dishwasher, prep space and cooktop — on one run, and tall storage on the other: refrigerator, larder, ovens at eye level. That keeps hot pans and water on the same side, so nobody carries them across the aisle, and leaves the second run for things you fetch rather than work at.

In a through-galley with doors at both ends, the zones stay away from the entrances so people can pass without crossing the cook. In a dead-end galley, the closed end is the natural place for the refrigerator and larder.

03Narrow-room details

Small decisions that make a galley feel larger

Handleless fronts
Nolte’s MatrixArt recessed profiles, or push-to-open in MatrixZERO (nolteneo), leave nothing to catch a hip or a sleeve in a tight aisle.
Shallow where it helps
Nolte plans base units at 39, 50 or 60 cm deep (15.4, 19.7 or 23.6 in); a shallower run can buy a few inches of aisle.
Storage to the ceiling
Tall units up to 215 cm (84.6 in) and top-mounted units above them use height instead of floor.
Light and reflection
Pale matte lacquer or gloss fronts, a continuous under-cabinet LED line and a light floor widen the room visually.

04Dimensions

Galley kitchen dimensions

Room width: About 7–10 ft (2.1–3 m)
Aisle: 42 in (107 cm) one cook; 48 in (122 cm) two cooks; avoid more than about 60 in
Run length: From about 6 ft (1.8 m) per side; 8–12 ft is typical
Wall unit depth (Nolte): 35 cm (13.8 in)
Single-wall alternative: One run of about 8–20 ft (2.4–6 m), often with an island opposite

05Single wall

The single-wall kitchen

Where only one wall is available — a loft, an open-plan living room — the galley becomes a single run. It needs tall units to carry storage and appliances, and it often gains an island opposite, which turns it back into a galley with a social side. Compare the other kitchen layouts, including U-shaped and peninsula plans, or see how storage and organizers make a short run hold more. Draw your galley in the 3D configurator, then talk to a designer.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Still deciding? Call +1 (213) 776-0000 or send us your plan.

Ask a designer

How wide should a galley kitchen aisle be?

At least 42 in (107 cm) for one cook and 48 in (122 cm) for two. Much more than about 60 in makes you walk rather than turn, and you lose the galley’s efficiency.

Should the sink and cooktop be on the same side of a galley?

Usually yes. Keeping water and heat on one run means you do not carry hot pans or dripping pots across the aisle, and the opposite run can hold tall storage and the refrigerator.

How do you make a small galley kitchen feel bigger?

Use handleless fronts, light colors, continuous LED under the wall units and storage to the ceiling. Fewer, wider drawers also look calmer than many small doors.

Can a galley kitchen have seating?

Not inside the aisle. Seating works at the open end of a galley, on a short peninsula, or at an island opposite a single-wall kitchen.