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b r e a k i n g n e w s a t L EA D ER P O ST . C O M S ec t i o n F
S at u r day, S e p t e m b er 14, 2013
Galley kitchen layout gets necessities and more TV, breakfast bar and lots of shelving Samantha Pynn Postmedia News Q: I live in a small unit that has what used to be a narrow galley kitchen. There are appliances on one side, but there’s a blank wall on the other (you can see where the previous owners removed the cabinets). There is a large window at the end of the kitchen, but no room for a table. I would really like to have a narrow counter where I can eat breakfast. I was thinking of installing a counter along the window, or on the blank wall across from the sink. I’m having a hard time with the layout. Also, because it’s a small space, should all the
countertop material be the same? Other suggestions? A: A galley kitchen (with a window to boot!) is a dream. Serious cooks love having countertop prep space on both sides of the room and the potential for the coveted work triangle. Myself, I like that the mess and smell when I attempt to cook is contained. A breakfast bar for casual meals will work, though you won’t have that open-concept island feeling, where guests sit on one side of the counter while the cook/ bartender preps a meal and serves margaritas. You can install a counter in front of the window from wall-to-wall, but you’ll want to have a depth of at least 18 inches (24 inches is standard). This will definitely allow you to take advantage of the light. And, you will be able to pull up a couple of stools so you can enjoy the view while eating. However, if you have
company, bear in mind that you’ll both be staring out the window while you eat. Picture the way people sit in front of the window at a coffee or bagel shop. A counter along the wall opposite the sink will provide you with a great prep space. But I wouldn’t install a breakfast bar on that wall, because you’ll be staring at the wall when you eat, which always feels odd and lonely. Because the wall opposite your sink is blank, you could follow Julia Black’s lead (she’s assistant home editor of Chatelaine magazine). She installed a high-top table made from a marble offcut. In open-concept homes, I’m not a fan of a high-top — you don’t want to feel like you’re dining in a food court at the mall. But with a narrow galley kitchen, it balances the weight of the appliances and cabinetry on the opposite wall. To give the dining spot some presence, Julia in-
stalled a ribbon of white subway tile in the same width behind the table. The small white TV also adds to the built-in feeling of the seating area. Notice that the chairs and marble are white, to keep the narrow room feeling open. If she wanted to make her seating area stand out, or to add some visual weight to the table side of the room, she could paint the wall with black chalkboard paint, a bold colour or simply grey. Open shelving, like Julia’s, is a good replacement for the cabinets the previous owners removed. Shelves will provide you with storage and keep the room feeling spacious. Last, you don’t have to match the counters. A butcher block or a marble off-cut can help keep costs down, or you can go the custom route with a solid surface material like Caesarstone or Corian. Send your small-space question to asksampynn@gmail.com.
Roberto Caruso/Chatelaine
To give a tiny dining spot some presence, a ribbon of white subway tile was installed in the same width behind a high-top table. The small white TV also adds to the built-in feeling of the seating area.
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