22 Luxury Galley Kitchen Design Ideas (Pictures)

Welcome to our galley kitchen design picture gallery, which includes a diverse set of layouts, floor plans and designs to give you multiple ideas for your kitchen.

What is a galley kitchen?

A galley kitchen (also referred to as a corridor kitchen) is a layout where the counters run along parallel walls but is open on one or both ends. Check out our Definitive Kitchen Design Guide for other kitchen layouts and design ideas.

Galley kitchens can include islands – which often run parallel to the counters down the center. In our gallery you’ll see several large galley kitchen floor plans with islands.

This style of kitchen is popular in apartments because they work well in small spaces. After all, they derive their name from a boat kitchen which is typically small and efficient in design.

While islands can add a lot of storage and working counter-space, they can also be a nuisance in this style of kitchen because it results in having to walk around the island to get to the other side.

Therefore, good galley kitchen design requires that carefully plan out your key work zones and placing appliances in such a way so that they’re easily accessible… this is particularly true in long galley kitchens or designs that include an island.

Note, this style of kitchen should not be confused with single-line kitchens with an island which can look like a galley kitchen, but technically isn’t. We show examples of single line kitchens with islands here (our Definitive Kitchen design Guide).

Here’s a classic galley (or corridor) kitchen layout with dark wood cabinets. This is definitely an upscale kitchen with custom cabinetry and wood flooring. Runners work great in this style of kitchen because of the long narrow layout.

White galley kitchen with natural wood countertops. While many galley kitchens are dark because each side is a wall, this particular kitchen is much brighter with windows on one side. This is also something to keep in mind – galley kitchens, depending on where they’re located in a home or apartment can be dark. Source: Zillow Digs TM

While this kitchen doesn’t look like a typical galley kitchen, it is one because of the corridor design. It’s more square than rectangle which gives it a much more open design than typical narrower galley kitchens.

While this is not technically a galley kitchen, it’s often referred to as one. Technically, this is a single-line kitchen with an island. Source: Zillow Digs TM

Here’s an example of a white corridor kitchen with an island. The white design works well with darker flooring. As you can see, there can be a lot of walking involved to get from one side to the other.

This is a well-planned large galley kitchen with island because the stove is located very close to two sinks. This minimizes walking to the opposite side, which is reserved for storage and a breakfast counter.

This luxury spacious galley kitchen addresses the island issue of a lot of walking around the island by breaking up the island into to two islands so getting back and forth to each side is efficient. Source: Zillow Digs TM

Here’s a moderately sized galley kitchen with a mix of natural wood tone and white cabinets on a wood floor. The appliances (aside from the refrigerator) are located centrally which is an efficient layout design.

Here’s another example of a single-line kitchen with island. It’s technically not a galley kitchen, but is often referred to as one. This is a very popular design since it enjoys the benefits of a galley kitchen, but is brighter and more open.

This is a good example of a huge galley kitchen that really doesn’t look like one. This large island galley kitchen works efficiency-wise by having 3 sinks and placing the refrigerator, stove and sinks in close proximity. Source: Zillow Digs TM

With an exit off to the left of the rear of the kitchen, this could be referred to as a galley kitchen. However, one may refer to this as a U-shaped kitchen.

Here’s a modern galley kitchen design where a great deal of the counter space is the large island running down the center of the kitchen. The width of this floor plan creates wide aisles, which is something many galley kitchens lack.

Here’s a dark galley kitchen that’s relatively narrow and long. This is a typical kitchen you’ll find in townhomes due to their long and narrow foot print. Source: Zillow Digs TM

I include this kitchen in our galley kitchen photo gallery because the end is a long sofa creating a small seating area. Arguably, this too is a U-shaped kitchen.

Here’s a modern galley kitchen with a narrow breakfast bar on one side. Unlike many galley kitchens, this one is designed with deep counters on one side, which is a real luxury.

This design is unique in that the inside wall was created in what otherwise could be a single line kitchen. The constructed wall creates more storage. Source: Zillow Digs TM

Here’s one of my favorite galley kitchen designs. It’s all white with a wood floor and includes a decently sized island, but the island doesn’t hinder going from side-to-side too much because this isn’t a terribly long kitchen. Moreover, the windows add a great deal of natural light, which is a real bonus.

Here’s another example of a typical galley kitchen – narrow, long and dark. In this case, the cabinets are top-notch in a contemporary design.

Light wood toned galley kitchen with nearly matching floor. A small window above the sink provides some natural light. Source: Zillow Digs TM

Here’s an example of a very small galley kitchen – one you will find in many apartments and condominiums.

We end with a bang. This kitchen is nothing short of spectacular with respect to size and custom design. It’s an unusual kitchen layout and with exits on the far end is arguably a galley kitchen, although it really doesn’t appear like a galley kitchen due to its width and spaciousness.