Can you post a drawing with dimensions, of the existing kitchen and the surrounding spaces?

I can't, only because this is a house we may make an offer on. So we don't own it yet, but we're struggling with thoughts on the kitchen. I'm an avid cook, so the kitchen is one of the most important aspects to me.

The only dimensions I got are from the listing.

We had a situation like that - small galley and adjacent dining room. We expanded the kitchen into the dining room. It was such a weird space that we hired a CKD to help us figure out what do to with it. We loved the way it turned out.The section behind the ceiling beam is the original galley space. Click More Info below for additional photos.

North Oaks Kitchen Remodel by Sawhill Custom Kitchens & Design · More Info

If you want to seriously consider a major reno into the cost for you of this house you are at the beginning of your effort. Maybe 10%. You need a scaled floorplan. This means you go back to the property and use a tape measure to get dimensions. You should identify load bearing walls and evaluate the electrical service and wiring conditions. Same with plumbing and HVAC. See if you can get what you want for a price you'll be satisfied with.

Without a floor plan there's not much we can suggest other than styling the kitchen... I'm showing cabinet up to the ceiling and a counter depth refrigerator.

It sounds like you have not considered extending the kitchen into the dining room (staged as a sitting room). Why not?

I'd think about removing the wall between the kitchen and the awkward space with the desk and gray chair. You can ask the owner for floor plans, you can ask/hire a designer to do a consult before you buy. Obviously, if the house is a hot commodity with a bunch of bids, the sellers can say no. When my parents sold their house, it was contingent on buyers' structural engineer saying they could remove the wall between the kitchen and the living room.

So, if you are serious about the house, explore the options before you put in an offer with a pro who can tell you what's realistic and what it will cost. You can also go back to the house with a measuring tape or a laser measure. Most sellers want offers and someone coming back a second time to do some measurements is promising. Again, in a slow market, they'll be very accommodating. In a hot market, no so much.

Galley kitchens can be great for avid cooks because everything is at your fingertips, and there's not a lot of footwork. Although most pros aren't crazy about open shelves, they do work well in galley kitchens--no cabinet doors to bang your head on--provided day to day dishes and glassare are attractive and frequently used and washed. An armoire or beautiful buffet cabinet in the dining room can hold serving trays and serving pieces not used every day.

Create an Ideabook on Houzz and on Pinterest for "galley kitchens." Read articles about pros and cons. There's a lot you can do with a galley kitchen. I like the one you show because it has a bay window where you can grow herbs!

Franklin Project · More Info

One thing I'd like to do, if it were my home, is continue the wood flooring into the fireplace room and then the kitchen. The current tile kitchen floor might limit what other finishes you choose, and all wood floors throughout will look more cohesive. The extent of a remodel will, of course, depend on your budget, and as mentioned above you'll want more information about load bearing walls.

You obviously would have possibilities to open the kitchen on the adjacent room but without floor plans it's impossible to give you on the spot solutions.

We're going back tomorrow with measuring tapes and I'll ask if we can get floor plans and I'll update this space if I can get some real answers. We have considered extending into one of the other rooms, but like I said, I'm wondering if the fireplace would look out of place being where it is? In the picture with the fireplace, the door there is to the garage. I've been checking Pinterest for ideas as well, but I haven't been pleased with all of the AI imagery, I'd like to see some real sites and pictures, which is why I came to Houzz, or searches on bhg and so on ...

I think it would completely depend on how you expand. The fireplace is a complete set with the two lovely windows! It would be charming to have a round dining table there, if it isn’t in the way of the garage door. You could add storage under those two windows, either built-in or furniture. It looks like you’d gain another foot or so of counter and cabinet between the current kitchen and the garage door. Is that what you were thinking?

Yes we were thinking something like that. My husband says he's also like to add storage space or a hutch on the other side of the door as well, you'd just have to measure and not cover those windows. I love them and find them charming. He also thinks on the other side of the fireplace to have an island put in, but I don't have that same vision or I don't get where he's going with it. If you do that, you'd be trapping the fireplace into the kitchen area. I just can't see it so I may need a design team to help.

3katz4me: You have a luscious kitchen!

I will wait for the to scale plan . I love a well layed out galley kitchen they can be really functional

I think I was looking at the wrong kitchen pix last night. So I came back to look at OP's pix this morning, and have adjusted my original comments accordingly.

The kitchen isn't all that small. I grew up with galley kitchens and lived with one again recently. They were a bit smaller than the one you're looking at, with no pantry and no basement freezer or extra fridge. and yet meals were cooked and families fed. One had two runs of stacked upper cabinets on one side. That added a lot of storage, though not easily accessible. Alas, it doesn't look like your ceiling height would allow that. And there was a broom closet squeezed in that one somehow.

"My" other galleys: one was the same size as the first, but with less storage, since it included a second door on one of the long sides, and then my recent one was smaller, and so narrow you couldn't open the fridge door fully. That was a rental, and I just had to live with it.

I think the one you show is workable. You'll get good ideas for improvement from others here. I agree with others here that galleys can be extremely efficient to cook in. Good luck!

"We're going back tomorrow with measuring tapes and I'll ask if we can get floor plans..."

It appears you don't live there. As others have suggested repeatedly, live there for awhile before considering making changes.

The plan is to replace all appliances ( get a bigger refrigerator and stove is a must. So that'll remove cupboard space), new flooring, deep farmhouse sink.

You need to be more realistic: The plan has to be to entirely gut this kitchen if you actually want it to function differently and have more storage.

Helpful questions:

1. Are you a first time home owner?

2. Have you ever done a kitchen renovation?

3. Are you familiar with how much kitchen renovations cost?

4. After you purchase your home, how much money do you plan on investing in a new kitchen? $30k? $50? $70k?

Within this space, without expanding, you can reduce the window size, replace with a smaller window, add more uppers on the sink side and make all sink side cabinets go to the ceiling.

Tomorrow - investigate if the beam on the range size is load structural or housing electric and HVAC which could potentially be moved, allowing uppers to go to the ceiling there too.

These folks might not have a floor plan. Just draw a bastardized one here from what you ascertain of the space.

I'm a serious cook and have a galley kitchen and have always preferred a galley over other kitchens because they are extremely efficient, fewer steps between appliances and cupboards, you reach over and everything is at your finger tips. I loathe open cabinets and have no problem with closed cabinets in a galley.

These pics don't show your specific situation - not sure we can find those for you. But, here are galley kitchens that have been opened up on the end and wrapped around to get a bit of extra cabinet space.

I have seen some other good ones but can't recall where to find them!

East 47th St. · More Info

East 47th St. · More Info

West End apartment · More Info

111 East 85th Street · More Info

Here are galley kitchens that meander in some fashion:

WHITE WALLS AND BLACK HARDWARE IN A WINDOWED, PRE-WAR KITCHEN (Sweeten) · More Info

WHITE WALLS AND BLACK HARDWARE IN A WINDOWED, PRE-WAR KITCHEN (Sweeten) · More Info

This has bar storage in the cabinets right outside the kitchen.

View on the other side of the wall from the bar storage. Book case is across from the bar cabinets.

The fact that you think that dark kitchen posted is lusciuos says a lot to me. SO no matter what we need a proper to scale floor plan contrary to Kendrah's comment . Show every window. doorway where those lead and every measurement clearly marked too post here in jpeg format in a comment. Most realtors will allow you to measure , but I too advise to not plan this at move in you might actaully find it is not as bad as you think just different from what you have maybe.. All the pictures in the world of other kitchens will not help you sorry to say.

"The fact that you think that dark kitchen posted is lusciuos says a lot to me."

^^ I'm the one who said it is luscious. :0)

I wouldn't want that dark kitchen for myself, but I do think it's gorgeous. I love that there can be all kinds of beauty in home design, as in everything else.

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OOOPS.