Nicholas Bridger Galley Style Kitchens

Are you planning your kitchen layout?

Will a galley style be the best layout for your kitchen?

The name “galley” comes from the layout found on ships, as they are long and narrow, and pack in plenty of storage and work area space. This particular layout is the most efficient of them all when it comes to cooking in the heart of the home. A galley kitchen can feature a single or double run of units on either side and a corridor down the middle. An island can also be incorporated into the design to replace a run, and become part of the kitchens functionality, or generate a divider in an open-plan space.

The “kitchen triangle” is a great way to build into a galley layout where the fridge, cooker and sink are at three seperate points to move around quickly and efficiently just like a professional chef.

When it comes to this layout, there are two approaches to create a multi-functional galley style kitchen:

Symmetrical–  A symmetrical galley is where each side of the run of units mirror each other as much as possible. Arranging the cabinetry in a symmetrical scheme along the galley will help you to achieve a balanced and consistent finish.

Asymmetrical– An asymmetrical galley is where each side of the run of units is different to one another. Use tall cabinets or a bank of appliances on one side of the run, with base and wall units on the other. You could also mix it up a little with a single run of base units on one wall, and on the other an array of tall cabinets and wall units.

A perfect lighting scheme is beneficial for a galley style layout. Simple light tricks can transform a long and narrow galley kitchen into a sophisticated and comfortable space.

• Natural light will open up the room and bring the sunshine in.
• Layered lighting will illuminate an area.
• Task lighting emphasises a certain part of the kitchen, like the main workspace for prepping food, or by using a pendant light to showcase a favourite feature.

Nicholas Bridger Galley Style Kitchens

Our Woodford Green project below consists of our classic shaker style in a galley layout where the island acts as a divider in the very large open-plan space. This kitchen has a little story behind it, we originally built this kitchen 3 years ago for the property’s previous owner, the new owner of the property loved how sturdy and beautiful the kitchen was, and asked our help to relocate to suit the new adjusted layout. This kitchen was hand painted in Farrow & Ball Railings which is a very popular colour.

The single galley style below in Potters Bar is from our traditional shaker kitchen collection that features the exquisite bespoke raised and fielded door panels set into an in-frame carcass. We have hand painted the kitchen in a two-tone colour scheme of Blackened and Down Pipe, both from Farrow & Ball. Our client wanted to create a divider into the open-plan space with an island, and take centre stage. The island houses the sink area and seating for three.

The kitchen design below in Hadley Wood features our classic shaker in-frame furniture with an island acting as a divider in the open-plan space. The kitchen has been designed into a single galley style with a breakfast pantry on the end. We hand painted this kitchen in a two-tone colour scheme of Blackened and Down Pipe, both from Farrow & Ball. Our client also opted for special appliances such as the award winning Wolf M-Series black gloss built in oven which is an oversized 762mm width and the Wolf black glass Induction hob in 914mm width.

The single galley style kitchen below in Whetstone, London is handpainted in an elegant two-tone, complimented with in-line plinths and a skirting style designed into the island. Our client wanted to work the galley layout into the open-plan living space by building an island to seperate and provide a divider between the kitchen and dining/living area. We added extra worktop space with this and more storage solutions, with an additional sociable seating area. On the galley run a striking Caple ceramic sink sits within a marble quartz met with Perrin & Rowe polished chrome taps. We built in open-shelving to showcase a selection of cocktail glasses, and contributed to the classy design with glass cupboards. A Range Cooker sits in and around the classic shaker style giving our client the ultimate cooking experience, and a breakfast pantry sits to the right, making breakfast and brunch times better than ever.

The single galley style kitchen below in Hutton, Brentwood is handpainted in a timeless blue/black that is mysterious, and adds character to the industrial style our client has gone for. It is a very large open-plan space and our client wanted to seperate the kitchen from the living/dining area, with a very large island. We built an island in to the centre to work as a divider, and create more worktop space with additional storage. A large seating area made of sawn oak was also attached to the island to make the perfect entertaining and dining space. The galley run features a Wolf E-Series Professional Built-in double oven, a Shaws double butler ceramic sink met with Perrin & Rowe polished chrome taps, and a sleek fridge/freezer.

The double galley style kitchen below in Balham, South West London provides the most adequate storage solutions you could think of for a hub of the home, and a perfect “kitchen triangle”. With floor to ceiling cabinetry, and base units in an asymmetrical pattern painted in a light hue it represents a perfect galley style layout, with a great design scheme. There was enough space to add a long island to provide another leg of units and worktop space in the middle, as well as creating a sociable casual seating area. We hand painted this in a darker colour to make it a feature and focal point. On one side of the galley a breakfast pantry is featured in the taller cabinets, and the other side holds a row of appliances.

Planning your kitchen layout is one of the main parts of the design process in creating the ultimate hub of the home. Here at Nicholas Bridger we provide exceptional service from start to finish, and will help you in creating the best layout to your room size. Contact us today for more information- we look forward to hearing from you.

Further reading? L-shaped layouts, U-shaped layouts