Design ideas for narrow kitchens
Whilst most of us would jump at the chance to have one of the expansive chef's kitchens usually seen in a Nancy Meyers film, it often simply is not possible – especially for those of us living in small flats or in refurbished Victorian houses. Galley kitchens can be a design challenge, as space is limited and lighting may be less than ideal. However, we've rounded up our favourite design ideals to help you have the kitchen of your dreams, no matter how narrow it may be.
Everything has its place
There's no way around it: narrow kitchens require an almost militant commitment to keeping tidy, or else you run the risk of having an overwhelmingly chaotic kitchen. We advise creating as much practical storage space as possible, either through, for example, floating cabinetry, as seen in designer Jane Gowers' London house or with a built-in alcove as seen in a modern flat in southeast London.
Add decorative elements where you can
It can be difficult to add decorative elements to a narrow room, as there are limited options which do not interfere with the necessary practicalities and realities of creating workable kitchens. However, we recommend adding in a few where you can: one example would be to add a lovely, but easy-to-clean rug, such as the rattan one found in a Notting Hill pied-à-terre or the Oriental rug seen in a Kensington kitchen designed by Kate Guinness, which each help to centre the space and add a polished look. Another excellent option that is also practical is to add exposed shelving: not only does this allow for extra storage space (a necessity in a narrow kitchen), but it gives space for a collection of attractive ceramics, utensils or photographs, as seen in Marianne Evennou's tiny kitchen in her Parisian flat.
Let in the light
The factor that is most likely to make a room feel smaller and more cramped than it actually is is a dearth of light. This is especially true in narrow kitchens, which are often wedged into small sections of a house or flat (sometimes even without windows). If possible, we'd recommend creating an open-plan space, taking away a wall of your kitchen (or adding in a window, like Sebastian Bergstöm did in his Stockholm apartment) to integrate the narrow space into the rest of the house, effectively letting in more light and making the space seem larger.
Discover our favourite design ideas from the House & Garden archive
Christopher Horwood1/20‘The client doesn’t want to think about changing a thing for the next 20 years,' notes Steph Hill. As Honor Devereux puts it, ‘another family could come in and just enjoy the house. It won't jar with anyone.' The kitchen is from Blakes London, with ironmongery from Devol. The table in the window is from Robert Kime. The wall plate is by Claudia Rankin, the small bird artwork is by Hugo Guinness. Both were sourced at Wilson Stephens and Jones.
Simon Bergström2/20The kitchen was the biggest project when Sebastian Bergström first moved into his tiny flat in Stockholm. We especially like how Sebastian has organised his small, narrow kitchen, ensuring that everything has its own place whilst never compromising on counter space. “I often say that it is a working kitchen - every tool or whatever I need to use is just a one step away and I love that,” says Sebastian. Another great idea to takeaway is Sebastian's installing of a window above the counter looking into the living room, as it is an excellent way to let in more light, tricking the eye into believing into what would be a small dank space an airy, more open area.
James McDonald3/20The kitchen in a Kensington house by Kate Guinness, designed and made in collaboration with 202 Design, opens into the conservatory. The narrow kitchen's walls are indented, which makes for quite a design snafu often difficult to manage in a narrow kitchen. However, Kate cleverly used the furthest indent to house her refrigerator and even took away some space to add in a marble backsplash and countertop. The refrigerator's shiny black gloss paint coat and the marble's stark whiteness help to pick up and disperse light in the dark, narrow kitchen; the niche set into the marble, too, gives the impression of a larger, more spacious kitchen. The rug, from Tate & Darby, also helps to give cohesive spacing to the room, necessary for scaling a narrow space.
Art: Henri De Waroquier © 2023 ADAGP, Paris/ ARS, New York4/20To make her Parisian apartment's small kitchen feel more spacious and bright, owner Morgane Sézalory enlisted the help of an artisan to make a custom mirrored wall, complete with carved frames and cleverly designed ledges where she displays her various collections. The stacked ceramic coffee cups are from Les Composantes, the Braque exhibition poster is vintage, the painting is by Henry de Waroquier, and the stove is Lacanche.
STEPHAN JULLIARD5/20The kitchen in Marianne Evennou's tiny Parisian apartment is a masterclass in space saving: exposed cabinetry allows for practical storage of more sightly appliances and tableware and the small, foldable ‘Pliante’ chairs from Maison Gatti create a bistro-like effect; however, because they are foldable, they can easily be stowed away to create more space in the tiny room.
Romain Laprade6/20To create a dining space in his small and narrow kitchen in his Paris apartment, designer Fabrizio Casiraghi added a built-in bench to the end of the kitchen units with a small table and chairs also by Hoffman, the perfect solution for an apartment with a narrow kitchen without space for a dining room.
Maree Homer7/20A 19th-century former whaler’s cottage in North Sydney has been transformed by Australian interior designer Lisa Burdus into a vibrant, comfortable home with a nod to classic English country style. The kitchen's U-shape attached island countertop is both adorable and practical, functioning as a multi-sided storage unit and a breakfast bar for dining.
Michael Sinclair8/20The designer Jane Gowers discovered her London house by chance, but its restoration and decoration have been the result of good judgement and a sympathetic approach. The narrow kitchen's traditional cream units were made by Woodstock Furniture and pick up on the light from the adjacent garden terrace. The cabinets' windows, too, give the cabinets a ‘floating’ effect, which make them less imposing in the small space.
Simon Upton9/20Shunning our throwaway culture, interior designer Patrick Williams, of Berdoulat Design used salvaged finds and traditional techniques to imaginatively restore his former Victorian flat in east London; the plaster walls in the kitchen are sealed with beeswax to make them water resistant – a practical addition to a kitchen with little elbow room.
10/20With small aesthetic changes, this narrow Oxfordshire cottage kitchen works and looks better thanks to Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler managing director Emma Burns. Emma brought in joiner Chris Bell to create units an inch shallower than the existing ones, a tweak that makes a huge difference to the sense of the space.
FRANCESCO DOLFO/LIVING INSIDE11/20When it comes to narrow kitchens, many usually assume that a dining table and chairs are out of the question, as they threaten to encroach upon valuable space. However, in the kitchen of this 16th-century Italian villa, the owners added a simple Ikea table and Ercol chairs to the space, which offsets the bespoke stainless steel counters nicely and makes for a more welcoming space. Another great feature perfect for narrow kitchens are the hand-painted tiles hand-painted tiles from Cotto di Minturno, which give the space a fun, elegant flair.
Dean Hearne12/20India Holmes is no stranger to working with a narrow kitchen, as evidenced by her bright blue kitchen in her London house: “I often have loved the way the pantries of grand British houses look and it made sense therefore, since my kitchen is quite small, to make it feel more like a smart pantry. I think the butler's sink, open shelving and blue and white crockery help bring this together.”
Mark Fox13/20Whilst the kitchen is part of an open-plan living space in this flat in southeast London, it can nevertheless be classified as a narrow one, with limited choice for storage and counter space. However, by keeping the kitchen counters relatively free of objects, the small kitchen still maintains a sleek air.
Mark Fox14/20This alcove slightly away from the kitchen in the same London flat houses clever storage for the microwave and other kitchen necessities – a vital and practical addition to anyone working with a narrow kitchen.
Taran Wilkhu15/20Zoë Zimmer panelled the units in the narrow kitchen in her Notting Hill flat, painting them in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Minster Green’, which plays well with the flat's glossy black floors. The wall behind the kitchen island is full of space-saving storage, which allows for the kitchen to remain uncluttered. Additionally, by reconfiguring the living areas of her flat into an open-plan concept, the kitchen itself has the air of being larger and less narrow.
Michael Sinclair16/20With her innate sense of proportion and symmetry, interior designer Pallas Kalamotusis has capitalised on the lofty dimensions of a hotchpotch mansion flat in west London to create a harmonious home. In her kitchen, Pallas has painted nearly every element a calming white colour, which makes the space seem airier. By swapping a kitchen door for an open archway, the narrow kitchen is much larger and allows for less restricted movement in the space.
Alexander James for Studio Peake17/20After much deliberation, the client and the studio decided to retain the old, galley kitchen rather than put in a new one in their Notting Hill pied-à-terre. To spruce up the narrow space, they removed and replaced handles, put in new worktops and made several surface level changes. The kitchen's ‘Tiffany blue’ colour gives the impression of a lighter space, despite the kitchen's lack of windows. The rattan rug from Birdie Fortescue also helps to give the room a defined sense of space, which is an excellent idea for a galley kitchen.
Mark Fox18/20The industrial open shelving in this Hackney flat was purchased from a restaurant supply shop and houses pots, pans, crockery and lots of Japanese ingredients. Not only is it an excellent, space-saving design ideal for those living in rented flats or those unable to install permanent cabinetry, it is a playful design element.
Matt Clayton19/20The kitchen forms one corner of the open plan sitting area in interior designer Cath Beckett's London flat. By adding open shelving next to the refrigerator instead of continuing the cabinetry, it gives the impression of more space without compromising on decorative elements, important for a small or narrow kitchen.
Daniel Schäfer20/20Beneath the freestanding side table in the kitchen of this house in the southern French countryside are oyster baskets holding all the table linen, and covered with vintage linen cloths to keep the dust off. Antique tables like these make for excellent storage options in smaller or more narrow kitchens that stray from the more conventional floating cabinetry or under counter storage.
