Modeling Your Kitchen After A Ship’s Galley

Most houses and condo units have a small kitchen as modern design philosophy favors space maximization. If your living space follows this trend, you can opt to have your kitchen set up like a ship’s galley. In a nutshell, a galley maximizes space by having cabinets, cupboards and countertops facing each other divided only by a narrow working space. This space is usually meant only to accommodate at the most two people. Having a narrow corridor to work in means that everything will be within easy reach.

Even those with large traditional kitchens would stand to benefit a lot by implementing design elements from a ship’s galley. For one, you will be able to get the most out of what’s available and conceivably double your kitchen’s existing capacity. Also, being able to use storage space that performs double-duty is a nice feature to have. In a real ship, every last bit of space has to be used wisely and having worktops that double as something else will be a great convenience to any housewife.

Apart from the undeniably practical aspect of a galley kitchen, anyone can also benefit from an aesthetic standpoint. A nautical theme is both eye-catching and novel enough to really grab people’s attention and have them talking. It’s relatively easy to get small items like spice racks that have a nautical design. Also noteworthy are the galleried tabletops present in all ships. You can duplicate this design at home and have a functional as well as stylish piece.

You can extend this look into wall shelves that hold frequently-used items. Have your coffee, sugar, and milk all displayed in a brass and wood assembly for a great look. You can build on this look by having every jar match. Look for matching containers in home improvement stores that carry them. Brass is a good material for the lids since it complements the whole nautical look.

You can apply the nautical theme in your choice of decorations as well. You can find small knick-knacks and accessories in garage sales and flea markets that follow your theme and go to town with those. You can also look for pictures or paintings of ships and marine life and hang them on your kitchen walls. Another great and simple way to flesh out your theme is changing your cabinet handles. Look for handles that are clearly designed with a nautical theme in mind: anchors, ship’s wheel, propellers, even pirates’ skull and crossbones, all can be used to great effect. The only challenge with oddly-shaped handles is that they are generally a pain to fit. A good way to g around this problem is to take one of your existing handles in the hardware store with you so that you can compare it with the ones you are planning to buy. This way, you lessen your chances of taking home something that would not fit. If you do your homework and pay attention to details, your kitchen space can become the topic of conversations for years to come.