Having a galley kitchen in your home doesn’t have to be a negative. In fact, professional chefs almost always cook in tight quarters in the backs of restaurants, and working in a compact space can actually be highly efficient. With your prep station directly parallel to the stove and all of your cooking tools within arm’s reach, you’ll be making dinner in record time — while keeping all of the mess tucked away from your dining space. Still need convincing? Check out these seven galley kitchen ideas to help you whip up your ideal cooking space. And for even more inspiration, find thousands of galley kitchen ideas and pictures below.

1. Knock Down a Wall: If you’re looking for small galley kitchen remodel ideas, you might consider getting rid of one of the walls enclosing the space. That way, you’ll still have two countertops facing each other, but the space won’t feel as claustrophobic. Of course, you’ll have to ensure this is possible with your home’s layout and piping systems.

2. Let the Light In: Light is important in a small galley kitchen, both to provide you with adequate lighting to work under and to help the space feel inviting. If you’re remodeling, make your window or windows as big as possible; otherwise, make sure to install quality light fixtures.

3. Go With Open Shelving: While you look for ideas for your galley kitchen makeover, pay attention to the sorts of features that pack in both function and style. Open shelves can look beautiful and may fit the space better than bulky cabinetry. You’ll also have your serveware and cooking tools readily available.

4. Add an Island: If you’re looking for galley kitchen island ideas, consider how much room you have. You can use a rolling kitchen cart for when you need an extra prep surface, If your kitchen simply consists of one wall of appliances and counter space, install an island parallel to it to create a galley kitchen — and make sure it has plenty of built in storage space.

5. Pull Up a Chair: Dedicated dining spaces can be hard to come by in small apartments, so get creative with small galley kitchen design ideas. If one of your counters isn’t bounded by a wall, simply add some bar stools on the other side and call it cozy dining.

6. Hang It Up: Revolutionize your cooking routine by installing a pegboard on the wall to hold your pots, pans and cooking utensils — after all, Julia Child herself was a proponent of them. In terms of galley kitchen design, a pegboard is an intuitive solution that will help you make use of vertical space.

7. Go Bold With Color: Sometimes, the best way to enjoy your small kitchen is to create a jewel box of a space with vibrant colors and patterns. If you’re in need of small galley kitchen ideas on a budget, simply add in a colorful rug or paint the walls deep blue. If you can spend a bit more, install playful tile flooring or a colorful backsplash. Keep in mind that strong colors and patterns won’t be overwhelming if they cover a small area.

Whether you want inspiration for planning a galley kitchen renovation or are building a designer kitchen from scratch, Houzz has 185,011 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including MAK Design + Build Inc. and Flavin Architects. Look through kitchen pictures in different colors and styles and when you find a galley kitchen design that inspires you, save it to an Ideabook or contact the Pro who made it happen to see what kind of design ideas they have for your home. Explore the beautiful galley kitchen photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.