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buder_shapiro

Galley Kitchen Remodel - what do's or don'ts and make sure's?

3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago

Hi everybody - this will be the first kitchen that I am building for myself. I am going with Ikea for the cabinets. I want white gloss - so Veddinge (https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/veddinge-door-white-20266782/) or Ringhult (https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ringhult-door-high-gloss-white-30266692/)(not sure if I should pay more and get Ringhult). The floors are parquet, original from 1950s.

I am having trouble visualizing what kind of cabinets I want for the island. I am building my own. Currently I have: 18", 30", 18" base cabinets. Don't know whether to put large drawers or pull out shelves or? Countertop wise, I am leaning towards the Kasker quartz (https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/kasker-custom-countertop-white-marble-effect-quartz-10395001/).

An 18" dishwasher will go to the right of the sink. The old fridge (it will stay) will go to the right of the dishwasher. You can see this layout in the picture.

I only plan on installing cabinets against the north wall.

Everything else is up to me. I plan to not have an oven as I have a Breville Smart Oven Air. I am leaning towards getting a 2 burner induction cooktop vs 4 burner. This will go near the NW corner.

Given all of this, do you guys have any advice for me, per the subject title? Thank you for any advice!






Comments (34)

  • 3 years ago

    This is a very, um, unique plan. Is there a good reason for going with such non-standard appliances? Do you have room on the opposite wall for cabinets? A one-person galley kitchen can be fine with only 36" between the 2 counter runs. If your kitchen is 7' wide, you could have cabinets on both sides and make this much more functional. Which is to say, easier to sell to a future buyer.

  • 3 years ago

    Galley kitchens are my favorite. Some tips to keep in mind for this project.


    https://www.thoughtco.com/corridor-kitchen-layout-design-elements-1206608


    Drawers vs. shelves; here's why.



  • 3 years ago

    Can you provide a to scale drawing. The one you provided doesn't match the measurements you are giving.


    We need to see all the doorways and windows for the entire area and need to know how you plan on using the space so we can better assist you.


    I am guessing that you will need the kitchen and that the other space is your living room. I don't know the dimensions of the small area beside the current 11' kitchen.


    Do you want to be able to eat at the island or will you have a table somewhere?

    How big is your sofa. What other furniture do you have? Assuming the attached room is where you will be sitting and watching TV. Any other activities that need space allocation in this area?

    Can you use the space beside the kitchen (12/13/14/15) as extended kitchen space. I know you can't take down the wall because of the electrical box being there.


    We need to understand the whole picture to provide you with good advice.




  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I appreciate all the advice so far. I have changed my mind about the stove top; instead of 2, I will get 4. And I will get an oven.

    Jennifer, I tried to make a more detailed floor plan.

    I want to eat at the island. I like to entertain. So, I envision an 7' x 4' island with an overhanging countertop so that guests can sit and eat at the island. I do not want a table elsewhere.

    My sofa is 9'2" x 3'. It has a lounge seat at one end which surpasses the 3'. I do have a 50' TV also that I could see going somewhere in the living room.

    "Can you use the space beside the kitchen (12/13/14/15) as extended kitchen space. I know you can't take down the wall because of the electrical box being there." - Absolutely!!! I was thinking if I need more pantry space, I could get this: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/sektion-maximera-high-cabinet-w-4-doors-5-drawers-white-enkoeping-white-wood-effect-s19472617/

    I am appreciating all of the small tips. Thank you.

    As for the oven and stove and microwave, do any of you have specific suggestions as to brands and size? Unfortunately, I cannot have an exhaust vent that goes out. More so, I think hoods that don't vent out are useless. I have a microwave that I would like to keep.

    That's all for now. Thank you all again!


  • 3 years ago

    A waterfall island won't accommodate as many as one with counters on 3 sides.

  • 3 years ago

    Hi Deco - point taken. I edited the post. Thank you for helping me to clarify the difference.

  • 3 years ago

    @Buder Shapiro Are there really no windows in the front of the house, just the back?

    The picture looks like the living room has an open doorway just a few feet from the back wall.

    Where exactly is the hallway opening and what is the other opening on the wall opposite the Kitchen.


    Knowing where the sofa and TV will be placed makes a difference on where and how you can place the island and have seating. With the current plan I still don

    t know where your TV and Sofa will go.




  • 3 years ago

    Can you also tell us exactly where the sink is. Moving plumbing can get very expensive.

  • 3 years ago

    Here is what I have so far. Randomly placed a 9' Right hand Chaise sofa.


    Space is tight and you will need to account for walking space around everything. A 7' island with 3' on the left will cut into the walking space on the right because of the 3' wall that cannot be moved.


    You really don't need a 4' island. I had 3' counter height with cabinets underneath and a 12" overhang and it worked. 15" overhang would have been better, but it was okay at 12".




  • 3 years ago

    Your living and cooking space is only 18'x 18' - many living rooms are that size, so there may need to be some creative thinking and some compromises to make this open concept.

  • PRO
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I still need a to sacle plan that does not go green when I try to enlarge it, could be my computer but does not happen all the time..Honestly declutter and then take pics there is no way to even begin to see the space as it is. Why are you building any cabinets when you are choosing Ikea for the perimeter why quartz and have you checked out the cost for removing that wall? Is this an apratment or a single family home ? I need more info and much better to scale plan

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @Patricia Colwell Consulting - is the plan that I created going green or the one the OP created?

    (Their floorplan is not to scale).

  • 3 years ago

    So, my last kitchen was a 10’10” x 8’ galley. That 2’ wider made it possible to have cabinets on both sides, which was wonderful! But it gives me great insight into your constraints. The first thing is to make that wall on the right side of the fridge less than 30” deep so you can put the fridge right into that corner without worrying about the doors opening all the way. The best thing would be to remove it completely, allowing you to steal a few more inches for the cabinet run.Do not use a fridge larger than 30” wide. A 28” fridge would work well. If you really need more fridge space you could use a smaller one in your dining area. The 18” dishwasher is a good idea. I would probably stick with a 27” sink base. Then use the space on the end for a 24” range. This gives you an oven and a location for a 24” over the range microwave if desired. Also, a really space for preparing food in the corner. Also would allow for a good run of upper cabinet space to help make up for the lack of lower storage space.

  • 3 years ago

    Shoot, you have a window on the end. How wide is it? You may not be able to put the range there. Can you move or remove the window? How high is it from the floor?

  • 3 years ago

    Where are you going to put a large TV once you take down that wall? REally seems like a challenge. Also, single wall kitchen means no counter other than island unless you make all the "extra space" into kitchen proper.


    Whew. I like the L idea, but no voids! (get the kidney-shaped swing-outs in place of cabinets shown.) Then a skinnier island. Becomes a lot easier if you can put a sink in the island, so stove on main wall, but not sure how absolute your sink placement is.


    Lots of constraints and lots of variables. When you take down the wall, you will have a gap in flooring, so something will need replacing, and doing all of the LR/kitchen wood at once might be most efficient. This is a very tricky job, and I would not wade into it without professional guidance!

  • 3 years ago

    I can see that the Blue Room could be part of the kitchen dining area the table could be in front of that large window

  • 3 years ago

    Or perhaps bottom cabinets and the table out in the middle of the room are by the windows in the are you there

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Thanks to everybody for the comments and questions. My apologies to everybody for not having a properly scaled drawing but I don't know to do that.

    Firstly, this is a condo. Garden style. I am on the 2nd floor. There are no elevators. Sorry I didn't state this initially as I see that this has caused a lot of confusion.

    The sink will stay where it is as I don't want to move plumbing.

    Patricia - everything I am proposing is possible and has been done in these buildings which have identical 2 bedroom units.

    ACM, I am hiring a professional to do this.

    Jennifer, I have attached pics of the measurements you requested. I do not know where I should put the couch nor TV....




    Question: "I had 3' counter height with cabinets underneath and a 12" overhang and it worked. 15" overhang would have been better, but it was okay at 12"." - Just so I am understanding correctly, you are saying that you had a 7' x 3' island that had a counter top that hung out 12" past the cabinets?


    Mainenell; "Shoot, you have a window on the end. How wide is it? You may not be able to put the range there. Can you move or remove the window? How high is it from the floor?" - The window is 36.5" wide and 33.5" from the floor. I cannot move the window.


    Mainenell, unfortunately, I think it will be cost prohibitive to remove that wall completely that is next to the fridge currently. It has the electrical panel in there. I am considering shaving off a few more inches to get more flow though. That is an option that I am going to explore.

  • 3 years ago

    Are you by any chance in Virginia? Looks like a WWII-vintage condo we had, right down to the floors, bulkhead and door frames. I re-did our galley kitchen, keeping the original walls, but moving the sink to the corner.


    Don't let your current fridge constrain your ideal layout. Check out Haier's 28" models, which are fairly shallow.

  • 3 years ago

    Hi Latifolia - yes, I am in VA! Arlington!! Are you nearby?

  • 3 years ago

    I have been just boggled over how to fit your 9' sofa and have an island with seating in such a tight space.


    I think I came up with something that could work well.


    Here is an inspiration photo




    Here is how I see it in your space




    Counter seats would need to tuck completely under the counter.

    I would love to see the kitchen isle widened to 42-48" but you will have to test how that works with the sofa and TV viewing.


    You can play with the placement of the range, sink and fridge.

    I like the fridge in the opening - easy to get to when your sitting and want a drink or snack. Didn't put it in the corner because all to often they don't open all the way if they are too close to the corner. So the details aren't all thought out, but the overall idea is laid out for you.

  • 3 years ago

    Ours was in Parkfairfax; sold it in 2020 after owning it nearly 35 years. Had a great patio.

  • 3 years ago

    Jennifer - thank you so much for taking the time to draw this out. I will think on it.

  • 3 years ago

    Jennifer - I found photos of an identical unit that had the work done.


    In the middle picture, bottom row, could the TV go on the wall there, where the painting is? Sofa could go: 1) bottom row, on the left, where those seats are but it might be too far away from the TV. Solution: I could move it away from the window?


  • 3 years ago

    The problem with their setup is that it doesn't work for most people - they have 3 chairs and an armless loveseat or small sofa and no TV.


    With your 9' sofa w/ chaise and their setup this is what you would have:





    Can't walk past the island on the left.


    Moving the island down to be centered on the doorway feels like you are encroaching on the entry space.


    Both setups limit your furniture to just your sofa and maybe one chair.




  • 3 years ago

    BTW - I am not a designer and space planning, furniture layout is not my area of expertise. (I am really good with color.)


    @Patricia Colwell Consulting and @decoenthusiaste are both really impressive when it comes to furniture placement and space planning, kitchen design.


    Maybe they will chime back in.

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Hi everybody - I have an update. I am being quoted for this setup - high gloss acrylic - $7010. Does this sound reasonable? The same setup with Ringhult from Ikea is around $4300.

    The cabinet company is a wholesale company and my contractor is trying to help me out by not marking up the fees. Thank you for any input.

    Notes: Those wall cabinets are 39". Island: 18"+36"+15". I will put a 7'x4' countertop over it.

    EDIT: The bottom picture is the front of the island. There is only one island in this setup.





  • 2 years ago

    If you can get the boxes (Sektion cabinets are randomly backordered everywhere), then I would do the Ringhult. They're very nice and we almost chose them but they didn't work in our space.

  • 2 years ago

    Two things. Is the refrigerator door proud of the wall on the right to allow for full access? How much space between the wall and the range and microwave?

  • 2 years ago

    The wall on the right of the fridge is immovable. Full access is available to the fridge currently.


    I'm aiming for 2.25 inches of space between the oven and the walla adjacent to it.


    Ikea Sektion cabinets are backordered everywhere. I am leaning towards a non Ikea option because I want to help the contractor do all of the work at once vs coming back later in piece meal. I know that ikea is cheaper but these non-ikea cabinets are better quality apparently. Does the price sound reasonable to you all?

  • 2 years ago

    Box out that space to the left of the stove and put countertop on it. Don’t just leave a big gap.

  • 2 years ago

    Hi everybody!! Thank you for all your input. At this point, I have decided to go with Ikea Ringhults for the kitchen. I placed the order and will be waiting patiently for 7 SEKTION cabinets. In the meantime, two walls will get knocked down, soffits removed, kitchen floor redone.


    Lighting question: would these lights work at the red "x"? (That kitchen on the right will be knocked down).


    Lights: 4 inch led wafer - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-Contractor-Select-Wafer-Series-4-in-Canless-Selectable-CCT-New-Construction-Remodel-Integrated-LED-Recessed-Light-Kit-WF4-LED-27K30K35K-90CRI-MW-M6/308905674


  • 2 years ago

    The frig/stove, sink should form a triangle. Line up island with sink &dw.