good or bad idea? Changing galley to L-shaped?

16 years ago

Hello, I have lived in my old house for 2 years now and want to tweak the kitchen. It measures 13x10 and has a galley kitchen. It has 2 windows and 3 doorways so therein lies the problem as to how to rearrange it for my family's needs. According to my neighbors, the kitchen was updated in the 70s. The cabinets are oak and I will be using them since they are very solid. I have all original stained moldings and such on the first floor, so I will not be touching the mouldings. I will try to post pics later today or tomorrow so that you can see what the space looks like. I have a 2 year old son and another sibling will be here in June. I would like to take my maternity time as a time to bond with the little one and do a small reno in my kitchen. I have cabinets on both walls and a little sitting nook. We have a breakfast room that used to be a porch which is usable during 3 seasons. In winter, we use the adjacent formal dining room. I was thinking of making the galley l-shaped. Would I have regrets if I did this since it would not be an eat-in kitchen? I was thinking that I can put a little breakfast bar or small table across from the cabinets for when guests or my kids come in to talk to me in the kitchen. I will draw out the space and attach soon so that you can help me decide. But in the meantime, any thoughts on doing away with the galley?

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Comments (15)

Buehl
16 years ago
We are changing our eat-in kitchen to a full kitchen and plan on using the DR all the time. We took out the wall b/w them and put in a peninsula w/2 seats. I can't tell you yet if we'll regret it, though.

However, our children are now 11 & 13. When they were younger we ate in the kitchen but as they grew we also outgrew the eating area. Our kitchen table had to be expanded (lengthwise) so it jutted out too far into the work area.

You can sort of see what we're doing from these pictures:

Before:

Don't you just love that cluttered refrigerator LOL! Our new refrigerator will be SS so that won't happen again...but now I need to find a place to hang my children's pictures and artwork...!

Plan for after:

Wall b/w DR & Kitchen taken down so it opens it up.
mls99
16 years ago
I think it depends if you like corners. I hate corner cabinets in kitchens - hate them with a passion, lazy susans and all. So I'm changing an L to a galley (mine's 13.5' x 9').

But are you sure you want to renovate with a teeny tiny one? What about the noise? What are you going to do for sink? Fridge? Cooker?
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rhome410
16 years ago
Looking forward to seeing the photos and plans. Can't really give an opinion in your particular case without.

But, I'm with mls99. I'm a fairly experienced mom (of 8) and it seems we've always been in the midst of a remodel, babies or not (if there was a time without babies...can't remember!)...But a 2 yr old, a newborn, AND a renovation that you want to do during a limited leave? That's pretty ambitious, and I'm thinking not the best plan for your health and well-being? Your 2 yo will challenge your recovery and bonding time already. I'm not sure I'd want to encourage you to add the remodel to that...

Sincerest best wishes on all of your upcoming changes!
sarschlos_remodeler
16 years ago
littlealexa, tread carefully jumping into renovations right now. A lot of what you may be feeling may go away soon. And, you may think you will have time for reno during your maternity leave, but let me assure you that maternity leave with a 2 yr old and a new baby is NOT a good time to take on any new projects, and if you take on too much you could trigger post partum depression.

I don't say this to lecture you, but just to warn you. It happened to me. I have a now 3 1/2 year old DD and a now 10 month old DS. Decided we couldn't live in our old house anymore and bought a 1962 fixer. Then I had 2 houses (market screeched to a halt in the meantime, we were lucky to lease ours for 1 year but we'll be back on the market next year unless the renters want to renew), including one fixer, 2 babies and had to go back to work. My DD went into a funk and started acting out, didn't like her brother, didn't like me, etc., because she was so little and wasn't ready yet to not be the center of attention. DS went into a funk when I returned to work and went on a hunger strike -- stopped growing for 2 months (very scary), and even now is only at the 3rd percentile for weight. In the meantime, the stress of going back to work, new house, selling old house, planning remodel, trying to learn how to deal with my increasingly distant DD and trying to get DS back on track took its toll, and I went into a major funk and was not able to produce sufficient breast milk to pump for my DS (I pumped for all 12 months for my DD), who now has exzema like his dad instead of all of my immunities. Please be careful what you take on during this very stressful time. A major renovation is nothing to sneeze at, even if your nesting instincts are in overdrive. Watch a lot of HGTV, but don't make any major plans just yet.
3katz4me
16 years ago
It would be helpful to see photo or layout. I have a real galley kitchen - 7x12 and expanded my new kitchen to include the former dining space - kind of an L but a really narrow L. I never used that old eating space - but we don't have kids around.
plllog
16 years ago
Galley. I love cooking in a galley. It's SO much more efficient. I have this big airy G which will become a big airy U, but I long for a galley. With a little seating area. And a breakfast room. Can we swap?

No, really. Listen to all the good advice. Since the cabinets and trims and all are good, can't you just freshen up the wall color and buy some new cannisters?
littlealexa
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Moms for your advice, my hormones are out of whack so at least you've provided some healthy advice. I will continue to save articles and clippings till my little ones are a bit older ;o). I may however take plllog's suggestions and change the hardware and/or paint. I'm awaiting my pwd for photobuckets since its been so long that I used it. I may just create a new account and post pics.
gardenwebber
16 years ago
Hi there -

I jumped into a very large renovation project recently that started with the kitchen then bled into other rooms. My kiddos are 2, 6 and 9. It is very overwhelming with children under 4 (I would estimate) because they aren't very good at entertaining themselves and staying out of danger/trouble. If you decide to take on a renovation, plan your "camp" BEFORE you start. I am pretty much back in operation now, but for a couple weeks things where NUTS here while we were demoing. Between the mess and not having a functional kitchen and losing one of our bathrooms, it was very stressful. I didn't think ahead and make plans to work around all of this. So, plan how you will live in your house while the reno is going on in advance.

I agree with the other moms who suggested waiting. I sometimes have days where I wish we never started this! (But I am excited most of the time)

I know a few people who prefer galley style kitchen, but they are empty-nesters. We are going from galley to L + island and spilling our kitchen space into another room that was adjacent to the old galley. I think it will be fun while the kids are little, and I totally picture myself going back to the galley style in about 20 years when they are gone!

HTH
rhome410
16 years ago
I do encourage you to go ahead and spiff things up with the paint and hardware. It seemed like I was always painting rooms while pregnant. It is good for the spirits to have things clean and new looking when you have the new baby.
raehelen
16 years ago
Ironically gardenwebber,

We had a Large galley type kitchen when kids were small, (we designed it that way- changed the builders plan which had a peninsula). It was great, lots of room for walkers, kids (who always seemed to be clinging to one leg), etc. Mind you, it was very large- with separate eat-in area at one end, (I'm guessing from memory that eat-in was at least 12 X 10).

I have a cousin, who took out the L-part of her smallish kitchen, to create a galley. She liked the open flow better.

Now, that we are empty-nesters, we changed this galley-type kitchen (different house) to a 'square' ? Counters on all four sides, and a peninsula! :>) So guess it totally is different strokes for different folks! LOL!

littlealexa, since you asked this question, I'm guessing you have a pretty easy 2 yr old now. My first-born was a dream child too. We built a house while she was a baby- no issues - just plunked her down in the play pen and everything was copasetic (SP?) However, no guarantees, #2 will be easy- Mine wasn't, if tables had been turned, our marriage might have ended, I might have ended up in looney bin (or prison :>). So, if you're lucky, #2 may be easy and everything will be tickety-boo. I wouldn't depend on it. Decorate now, and bond with new baby singing lullabies and having tea parties with 2 yr old.
sarschlos_remodeler
16 years ago
Paint and new pulls/knobs will do wonders, and you'll feel like you're accomplishing something! I also recommend a major spring cleaning of your cabinets and drawers -- organize the pantry, throw out all the wedding presents you still have but will never use and anything else that you don't use, set up a cabinet for all the baby bottles/stuff if you don't have one already. Get all the baby stuff sterilized and ready to go.

As for the painting, if you paint, make sure you get the low VOC paints -- Dunn Edwards carries a special paint designed to have the lowest VOCs possible -- and then paint OUTSIDE, with doors and windows open and fans/air filters going. OR, better yet, get that DH working. During my first pregnancy, I was determined that the hall bath had to be redone before the baby. Poor DH had to remove a giant mirror, relocate lighting (new lighting), patch the wall, build an open shelf unit to replace the ugly medicine cabinet, refinish the vanity, replace the sink, faucet and countertop, baseboards, remove a glass tub/shower enclosure, new shower head, and paint (oh, and I picked out a harlequin stencil for the paint!). Being the good sport that he is, he got it all done and it was beautiful.

BTW -- don't expect that just because your 2 yo is an easy child as an ONLY child s/he'll stay that way when there's another one there taking away your attention. That's a whole different ball of wax.

Good luck!
rhome410
16 years ago
Even 'easy' 2 yr olds need Mom-time when baby is asleep, which we all know, isn't often, even if Baby is 'easy,' too! :-)

Have to tell a story: One of my well-meaning, slightly older friends was concerned about me painting --all latex...but on walls, so hard to take outside ;-) --when I was pregnant. She said if I reached up with my arms, and the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck, I might tighten it...As if my arms were somehow connected to the umbilical cord! :-) Have to love the old wives' tales...
sarschlos_remodeler
16 years ago
Haha! I love that story. My main issue with paint was the SMELL. It just turned my stomach and gave me headaches.
littlealexa
Original Author
16 years ago
Ok, I've attached pictures of the kitchen, these are from when we were about to move in. Please pardon the dust. The green room with carpet now has porcelain tile (17x17) as does the kitchen so that they can flow together. The radiator has been moved since we installed central air. That's the breakfast nook area.

One kitchen that draws inspiration is Tito's Craftsman Bungalow posted here http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg122325344297.html. It has a similar setup to mine expect his is a foot or 2 bigger.

So should I do away with the nook and have it run all the way down. See pics.

{{!gwi}}

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Here is a link that might be useful: titos kitchen
sarschlos_remodeler
16 years ago
Paint, new nobs/handles, a new stove and OTR micro in SS (have you checked out the new GE Cafe line? So Pretty and not a budget buster) and a pretty faucet will make a world of difference without stressing you out too much about renos right now. How about refinishing your fridge with black chalkboard paint? That should tide you over for a couple years until you're more settled and really ready to reno. I hated the kitchen in our old house -- also oak, oak, oak. Changed out the appliances and hardware, put in new lighting, and it was gorgeous! Get your DH working! :-)

good or bad idea? Changing galley to L-shaped?

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good or bad idea? Changing galley to L-shaped?

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