Long Narrow Kitchen Ideas to Maximise Your Space

Published on 20 Oct 2020

Creating culinary art is never easy but it’s even trickier when your studio is a long, narrow kitchen. When you’re not squeezing past a relative, you’re elbowing a salt grinder or trying to catch a falling knife with your foot (abort!). And they’re hard to design, too… unless you’re an expert.

At Masterclass, we have that kitchen expertise. Test us. What’s a long narrow kitchen called? A galley kitchen. Who first created Shaker kitchens? The Shakers in the 1700s. What characteristics define a modern kitchen? Fixed cabinets and continuous worktops. We’re on fire!

Every week, we share a wealth of design knowledge to help everyone love their kitchen. Our topic of the day is slim kitchens. Making them pretty yet practical is a challenge but today we have some ideas that should help you create a truly inspiring space.

Maintain a Working Triangle

Stunning kitchens might catch your eye but you’ll only experience long-term love if the layout is also functional. In reality, there’s only one way to ensure that happens: create a working triangle.

Ashbourne Light Grey and Graphite

Tried and tested as the ideal kitchen layout, a working triangle—or "kitchen triangle" as some call it—ensures everything you need is within easy reach. It comprises three components:

• Your fridge
• Your hob
• Your sink

It makes sense when you think about it; one for storage, one for cooking, and one for cleaning.

Create a triangle formation using these three elements and you’ll maximise usability, optimising for easy workflows, whether you’re baking a cake or putting away washed crockery.

Don’t Rule Out a Kitchen Island

Yes, you read that right. You might think your room is too thin for non-wall-based furniture but we have plenty of long narrow kitchen diner ideas to enhance a classic galley.

Sutton Heather Slate by Sigma Kitchens Esher and Lumina White

Take, for example, the handleless Sutton and Lumina kitchen ranges featured above this paragraph. If your galley kitchen opens onto a larger space, it’s possible to include a kitchen island or, perhaps, end a narrow kitchen counter run with a small peninsula.

Light Your Kitchen

Lighting is also vital for long narrow kitchens. Indeed, according to leading research, all sorts of sensory elements affect how we perceive a room, but light is the biggest spatial indicator.

Natural lighting is always the best kitchen lighting for small kitchens. Hence, obstructing windows and installing skylights should be your top priority if either are possible in your situation.

Marlborough Coastal Mist by 102 Kitchens in Bristol

If you’re short on natural light, though, ask yourself, “Could I buy kitchen lights to brighten my workspaces?” Depending on your taste, you could choose rustic farmhouse lighting or modern fluorescent lights for kitchens. Or, add spotlights. Kitchens always look larger with good lighting.

Minimise Wall Cabinets

According to a 2022 article by Healthline, “Overcrowded living spaces have been shown to have an effect on our health, acting as a stressor." In essence, hoarding make us feel claustrophobic.

Hardwick Scots Grey by Sigma 3 Kitchens in Esher

Removing wall cabinets is controversial but, not only will the choice make your kitchen look larger; you’ll also feel better in it. They darken spaces, and alternative clever storage solutions—like a single, tall, thin cabinet—can lighten long narrow kitchens without losing storage.

Maximise Kitchen Storage

Did you know you could remove all wall units and actually end up with more kitchen storage? It sounds counterintuitive but it’s possible if you use cabinets that truly embody their French “small room” etymology (cabin-et).

At Masterclass Kitchens, our LineaPlus extra deep cabinet drawers are the widest and deepest on the market. Thanks to innovations, they have 30% more usable storage than other leading cabinet designs, making them perfect for a long narrow kitchen. Use these in a narrow galley kitchen and you can forego wall-mounted units altogether.

Embrace Handleless Design

If you have a narrow kitchen, the last thing you want are protruding handles that snag on clothes and make rooms appear smaller. Instead, consider a handleless range for your galley kitchen.

H Line Hampton Oxford Blue by Counter Interiors in York

Our H Line Collection has handleless options with a wide range of finishes and colours to ensure you create a long narrow kitchen that oozes style. Uninhibited by handles, sleek cabinet lines elongate narrow rectangular kitchen designs and enhance narrow kitchen layouts to great effect.

Want More Narrow Kitchen Design Ideas?

Follow today’s tips and you’ll totally transform a galley kitchen into a bright, inspiring space that maximises storage while remaining stylish. That said, if you want more help, find your nearest Masterclass showroom and consult one of our world-class design consultants, or become a Masterclass Insider today. It’s free and, as an Insider, you’ll get exclusive design tips, guides and resources.

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