How to Make a Galley Kitchen Bigger

Knock down a wall between the galley kitchen and an adjoining room, preferably along the long wall of the room. Move the kitchen wall out into the other room by a foot or more if possible. If the wall is a load-bearing wall, hire a contractor to handle the construction.

Build an additional section onto the galley kitchen by adding to the outside of the home along the wall of the kitchen. Hire a contractor to do the work, as it involves changing the structure of the home.

Cut out a pass-through in the wall of the kitchen adjoining the family room or other common areas. This gives the perception of a larger kitchen and enables you to place bar stools on the other side of the pass-through for additional seating.

Extend cabinetry to turn the corner at the end of the galley kitchen to create more of an "L" shaped kitchen if possible. Take advantage of all the wall space available for cabinetry.

Rearrange the layout of the kitchen to make it more functional. Create a functional work triangle that allows you to easily reach your stove, sink and refrigerator, as well as work areas, so the kitchen seems larger and more useful.

Make the galley kitchen larger vertically by adding additional shelving and storage space above your cabinets, particularly if the kitchen has high ceilings. Add open shelving on areas of the wall that aren't covered with cabinetry to offer more space for your essentials.

Make the room feel larger by painting the walls and cabinetry a light color. Allow more natural light into the room and install additional lighting fixtures if needed for additional light.