This is an example of a large traditional galley separate kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, green splashback, glass tile splashback, panelled appliances, with island and travertine floors.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Phoenix with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops and stainless steel appliances.

A colorful small kitchen
Small traditional open plan kitchen in San Francisco with coloured appliances, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, subway tile splashback, linoleum floors, blue splashback, no island and blue benchtop.

Joshua Bustos Photography
Design ideas for a traditional galley separate kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, no island, terra-cotta floors, brown floor and grey benchtop.

The owners of a charming home in the hills west of Paso Robles recently decided to remodel their not-so-charming kitchen. Referred to San Luis Kitchen by several of their friends, the homeowners visited our showroom and soon decided we were the best people to design a kitchen fitting the style of their home. We were delighted to get to work on the project right away. When we arrived at the house, we found a small, cramped and out-dated kitchen. The ceiling was low, the cabinets old fashioned and painted a stark dead white, and the best view in the house was neglected in a seldom-used breakfast nook (sequestered behind the kitchen peninsula). This kitchen was also handicapped by white tile counters with dark grout, odd-sized and cluttered cabinets, and small ‘desk’ tacked on to the side of the oven cabinet. Due to a marked lack of counter space & inadequate storage the homeowner had resorted to keeping her small appliances on a little cart parked in the corner and the garbage was just sitting by the wall in full view of everything! On the plus side, the kitchen opened into a nice dining room and had beautiful saltillo tile floors. Mrs. Homeowner loves to entertain and often hosts dinner parties for her friends. She enjoys visiting with her guests in the kitchen while putting the finishing touches on the evening’s meal. Sadly, her small kitchen really limited her interactions with her guests – she often felt left out of the mix at her own parties! This savvy homeowner dreamed big – a new kitchen that would accommodate multiple workstations, have space for guests to gather but not be in the way, and maybe a prettier transition from the kitchen to the dining (wine service area or hutch?) – while managing the remodel budget by reusing some of her major appliances and keeping (patching as needed) her existing floors. Responding to the homeowner’s stated wish list and the opportunities presented by the home's setting and existing architecture, the designers at San Luis Kitchen decided to expand the kitchen into the breakfast nook. This change allowed the work area to be reoriented to take advantage of the great view – we replaced the existing window and added another while moving the door to gain space. A second sink and set of refrigerator drawers (housing fresh fruits & veggies) were included for the convenience of this mainly vegetarian cook – her prep station. The clean-up area now boasts a farmhouse style single bowl sink – adding to the ‘cottage’ charm. We located a new gas cook-top between the two workstations for easy access from each. Also tucked in here is a pullout trash/recycle cabinet for convenience and additional drawers for storage. Running parallel to the work counter we added a long butcher-block island with easy-to-access open shelves for the avid cook and seating for friendly guests placed just right to take in the view. A counter-top garage is used to hide excess small appliances. Glass door cabinets and open shelves are now available to display the owners beautiful dishware. The microwave was placed inconspicuously on the end of the island facing the refrigerator – easy access for guests (and extraneous family members) to help themselves to drinks and snacks while staying out of the cook’s way. We also moved the pantry storage away from the dining room (putting it on the far wall and closer to the work triangle) and added a furniture-like hutch in its place allowing the more formal dining area to flow seamlessly into the up-beat work area of the kitchen. This space is now also home (opposite wall) to an under counter wine refrigerator, a liquor cabinet and pretty glass door wall cabinet for stemware storage – meeting Mr. Homeowner’s desire for a bar service area. And then the aesthetic: an old-world style country cottage theme. The homeowners wanted the kitchen to have a warm feel while still loving the look of white cabinetry. San Luis Kitchen melded country-casual knotty pine base cabinets with vintage hand-brushed creamy white wall cabinets to create the desired cottage look. We also added bead board and mullioned glass doors for charm, used an inset doorstyle on the cabinets for authenticity, and mixed stone and wood counters to create an eclectic nuance in the space. All in all, the happy homeowners now boast a charming county cottage kitchen with plenty of space for entertaining their guests while creating gourmet meals to feed them. Credits: Custom cabinetry by Wood-Mode Contracting by Michael Pezzato of Lost Coast Construction Stone counters by Pyramid M.T.M.

This galley style kitchen works hard, including a breakfast nook and plenty of storage into its small footprint.
This is an example of a large traditional galley eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances, light wood cabinets, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, subway tile splashback and no island.

This 7,000 square foot renovation and addition maintains the graciousness and carefully-proportioned spaces of the historic 1907 home. The new construction includes a kitchen and family living area, a master bedroom suite, and a fourth floor dormer expansion. The subtle palette of materials, extensive built-in cabinetry, and careful integration of modern detailing and design, together create a fresh interpretation of the original design. Photography: Matthew Millman Photography

Crestwood Cabinetry. Breckenridge door style, Knotty Alder wood, Sand stain with Black accent glaze.
Design ideas for a traditional l-shaped separate kitchen in Nashville with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, beige splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and beige benchtop.

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Dallas with a drop-in sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Photo of a small traditional galley kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops and light hardwood floors.

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Dallas with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island and beige floor.

Photo of a large traditional open plan kitchen in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors and multiple islands.

Large traditional single-wall kitchen in Nashville with a drop-in sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and with island.

An elegant modern take of a traditional kitchen
Design ideas for a large traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

By using light colors, stainless steel appliances. This apartment kitchen became much more inviting. jim@jcschell.com
This is an example of a small traditional galley separate kitchen in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, stainless steel appliances, slate floors and no island.

Maple cabinets in Praline are highlighted by glass doors and wine storage in this warm and comfortable kitchen.
Photo of a small traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Detroit with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula.

Inspiration for a small traditional galley eat-in kitchen in New Orleans with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, a peninsula and beige floor.

Small traditional open plan kitchen in San Francisco with metal splashback, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula and beige floor.

Simon Black
Photo of a small traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, metallic splashback, metal splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.