Small and Galley Kitchen Remodels in Los Angeles

A lot of Los Angeles kitchens are narrow: galley kitchens in older houses, compact kitchens in condos and apartments, and closed-off kitchens in mid-century homes. A small kitchen can work as well as a big one. It just needs every inch planned.

Start with the work triangle you already have

In a galley kitchen the sink, range and fridge are usually already close together, which is good for cooking. Keeping them in place also keeps plumbing and gas where they are, which is the biggest saving in any kitchen. Most small-kitchen gains come from better storage and light, not from moving things around.

Storage that fits a narrow room

• Cabinets to the ceiling. Taller upper cabinets add storage without taking floor space.
• Drawers instead of doors in the base cabinets, so you see everything from above.
• Pull-outs for spices, trays and trash in narrow filler spaces.
• A pantry cabinet at the end of a galley run, if the layout has room for one.

Make it feel bigger

• Light colors and fewer seams: a light counter and a slab or large-tile backsplash keep the eye moving.
• Layered lighting: recessed lights for the room and under-cabinet lights for the counters. In a galley kitchen, under-cabinet lighting does the most work.
• Opening a wall: in some homes, opening the kitchen to the dining or living room changes everything. It needs an engineer’s check and a permit with plan review, so we look at it early. The permits guide explains how that works.

Appliances for small kitchens

Counter-depth refrigerators, 24- or 30-inch ranges, a dishwasher drawer and a microwave drawer free up counter and walking space. We plan the appliances before the cabinets so everything fits the first time.

Condos and HOAs

If you live in a condo, your HOA may have rules about work hours, elevator use, noise and approvals before work starts. Check your HOA’s rules early, and we will plan the schedule around them.

Cost and timing

Kitchen projects start from $15,000. A small kitchen has fewer cabinets and less counter, but the same trades and the same inspections, so the savings come mostly from keeping the layout. Most kitchens take 3 to 6 weeks of construction once materials are on site. See the kitchen remodel cost guide for what moves the price, and our kitchen remodeling page for what we build.

Small kitchen questions