Small Galley Kitchen Design

Last updated August 25, 2026

Growing up I’ve lived in apartments with these small galley kitchens. I was not a big fan of them, they felt too small and cramped. When my friend reached out needing help to design his apartment and I saw the kitchen, I knew this would be a great opportunity to change my mind! These small kitchens can make big statements! Read along to see this small galley kitchen design.

What is a Galley Kitchen?

A galley kitchen is also known as a corridor kitchen. The layout consists of two parallel walls lining a narrow walkway. Galley kitchens became popular in the 1900s and got their name from shipboard galley. It is a great use of limited space normally found aboard ships.

Many people started using this idea in their homes that were ideal for small spaces. Flash forward to today, you’ll see small galley kitchens in smaller homes and apartments.

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Initial Thoughts on This Small Galley Kitchen Design

When I first took a look at this kitchen the size didn’t bother me as much because look at all those cabinets! Lot’s of storage for such a small space!

First thing on the punch list was to paint the cabinets. It would brighten up the space and make it feel more open.

When designing a space on a budget, my first approach is to see what we can keep. Keeping the same layout and not having to move any plumbing can save you thousands.

Keeping things as is but just upgrading them right where they are makes such a big difference.

Small Galley Kitchen Design Plan

Ceiling light——Backsplash—-Faucet—-Galanz Refrigerator—-Bamboo Shade—-Knob 

The goal for this tiny galley kitchen design was to keep the same layout and upgrade what was already there. Painting the walls and cabinets, adding new hardware to the cabinets, a new ceiling light, and new countertops and backslash.

New flooring was already added and we were going to keep the same stove, that was removed to be cleaned, and keep the same vent hood.

There was an open space on the lower right near the sink that did not have a cabinet. So we measured the space and purchased a new base cabinet with drawer. It fits perfectly and although it’s slightly different, once painted it blends in nicely!

Kitchen Cabinets

Because the space is so small, deciding on what paint colors to paint the cabinets was very important. I know I wanted the upper cabinets and walls to be white. This will open up the space and it won’t just look like a room full of cabinets.

To add some interest and color, doing two-toned cabinets would work best. Initially, doing dark lower cabinets sounded great but I wanted the entire space to feel light and airy. So we went with Benjamin Moore October Mist for the lower cabinets and Benjamin Moore Simply White for the upper cabinets.

We hired a cabinet painter for this project but if you are looking to save money and take on this project yourself, checkout How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets. I painted the kitchen cabinets in one of the apartments at our rental property an they turned out great!

The minute the cabinets were painted it immediately opened up the space!

New Backsplash & Countertop

When searching for a backsplash, I wanted something neutral but also something that brought some texture.

When I ran into this Boutique Ceramic Zellige Glazed Ceramic Subway Wall Tile at Lowe’s I knew I had to use it! I love the variations in the colors and it looks so much like the popular Cloe tiles but for a fraction of the price!

We added a nice white grout and sealed it and it turned out gorgeous!

New quartz countertops were installed and it included a new stainless steel sink. We went with a nice single basin undermount sink and paired that with a pretty brushed gold faucet.

New Hardware & Lighting

The original white knobs and pulls on the cabinets were replaced with brushed brass pulls and knobs. It came together so nicely with the cabinet colors and faucet. I didn’t have much of a choice with the placement of the hardware since the holes were already there. However, if you want to add hardware to cabinets that didn’t previously have any, I created a guide for you! In the guide, I break down cabinet hardware placement, measurements, and sizing. There’s also a cheat sheet for you to download for free towards the end of the blog post.

I like to shop on Amazon for affordable knobs and pulls. I like that they come in bulk and there are lots of options to choose from too!

A nice new light fixture that provides great lighting when the sun isn’t shining through the window compliments the kitchen so well.

Final Touches

We were able to salvage the original vent hood and stove and it honestly looks great in the space. Because of the dark cabinets and overall lighting in the room, we thought the hood was off white. I even wiped it clean and it still looked off white. That was until everything was painted and we brought it back into the kitchen to realize that it was a nice bright white! The lighting was making it look beige!

Painted the walls and trim Sherwin Williams Pure White and to bring in some warmth we added a nice Roman shade to the window.

Right outside the tiny kitchen is a retro fridge which is perfect for the space and a cute little breakfast nook right before heading into the dining space.

In the base cabinet that was added to fill that empty space that was previously there, we installed pull out trash bins and a drawer organizer for the utensils in the drawer.

I love the pull out trash bins! It’s perfect for small kitchens!

To dry dishes in the sink, we purchased a roll up dish drying rack and appliances that we were able to store in the surplus of cabinets that were already in this kitchen.

This small galley kitchen design came together so well! Despite the space being so small, I think we’ve managed to make a big statement. It’s a fresh, bright and airy space now instead of a dark hallway full of cabinets.