10×10 Galley Kitchen Layouts You’ll Love Cooking In

A small kitchen can have big potential with the right planning. Looking at a 10×10 galley kitchen on paper may feel like it’s too tight. But, with these designs, it offers an efficient cooking lane that’s easy to quickly access what you need. In this guide, I share real 10×10 galley kitchen layouts you’ll love cooking in with floor plans that place tasks where you need them most. You’ll also get aisle-width sizing, appliance placement tips, and storage ideas so you don’t crowd your prep space, and you keep cabinet doors and drawers from clashing.

Classic Galley Kitchen With A Balanced Work Triangle Layout

This kitchen offers a sink centered directly across from a range, so there’s a balanced work triangle that keeps tasks within easy reach, and has a large aisle to avoid crowding the cook.

Floor plan notes: This 10×10 galley kitchen features a large 72 inch wide aisle with two straight, parallel work zones. This allows for smooth through traffic and easy appliance access for one or more people at a time. The sink is centered on the upper cabinet run with a 33-inch basin that’s flanked by a 24-inch dishwasher on the right and plenty of prep counter on both sides. On the opposite side is the cooking zone with a 30-inch range at the center, with countertop and base cabinet storage on both sides, so hot items can move safely to a worksurface without interruption. The refrigerator sits on the left end of the cooking side, creating an efficient sink–range–fridge work triangle that makes cooking easy and enjoyable.

Dimensions:

• Room size: 10′ × 10′ (120″ × 120″)
• Work aisle (counter edge to counter edge): 72″ aisle
• Base cabinet depth on both sides: 24″
• Sink: 33″ × 24″
• Dishwasher: 24″ × 24″
• Range: 30″ × 24″
• Refrigerator: 36″ × 24″
• Landing base beside range: 15″ × 24″
• Drawer base, cook side (right): 33″ × 24″
• Drawer base, sink side (right): 18″ × 24″
• Prep counter left of sink: 36″ × 24″
• Filler/offset near upper left return: 7.5″ and allows proper door and drawer clearances

Design Tips:

• Keep the sink and range in the middle. This arrangement balances the cooking triangle and creates equal prep zones on the left and right of each fixture or appliance.
• Aim for 15″+ of landing space on both sides of the range.
• Provide at least 24″ of countertop space near the sink for stacking dishes or laying out a cutting board for chopping.
• Use full-extension drawers (33″ and 18″) for pots, pans, and utensils to make prep work easier.
• Choose a counter-depth fridge of 24″ for the body + door clearance. This keeps the aisle at its full 72″ and aligns the cabinets with the fridge.
• Add task lighting along both sides. Install strip LED’s under wall cabinets if used.
• Consider a pull-out trash near the sink. This makes clean-up faster. 
• Add a spice or utensil pull-out beside the range. This helps to reduce the need to cross the aisle while cooking.
• If possible, continue with upper cabinets along both walls. This doubles your storage capacity and adds more value.

Walk-Through Corridor Kitchen Design With Streamlined Cooking Run 

With a focused work triangle that places the refrigerator next to the sink with the range across the aisle, this streamlined galley kitchen lets two cooks move on their own line without crossing paths.

Floor-plan notes: This 10×10 walk-through galley sets all cooking tasks on one wall and places the wet and cold zone on the opposite side to keep traffic very navigable. On the top side, there’s a long countertop prep base that leads into a 30-inch range, followed by a 36-inch counter space, so you have plenty of room to chop, cook, and set down hot pans. The lower side groups the refrigerator at the far left end, followed by a 15-inch landing, then a 33-inch double basin sink, a 24-inch dishwasher, and finally a 9-inch wide pull-out drawer that works for trash, spice, or utensil trays. A 72-inch aisle lets two people work in parallel together without worry of bumping into each other.

Dimensions:

• Room size: 10′ × 10′ (120″ × 120″)
• Aisle width from counter edge to counter edge: 72″
• Base cabinet depth on both sides: 24″
• Range: 30″ × 24″ with landings on both sides
• Prep/landing bases (cook wall): 24″, 36″, 24″ segments
• Refrigerator: 36″ × 24″ (counter-depth is recommended)
• Landing base beside sink: 15″ × 24″
• Sink: 33″ × 24″
• Dishwasher: 24″ × 24″
• Utility base + pull-out at right: 24″ × 24″ with a 9″ × 24″ pull-out
• Wall returns/fillers: 6″ at right and 25.5″ on the left return (for clearance)

Design Tips:

• Use a continuous backsplash so the range, and prep area are styles as one workflow.
• Target 15″+ of landing drop space on both sides of the range and at least 24″ of counter by the sink for rinsing dishes and cleanup.
• Make the 9″ pull-out either a trash or recycle bin, a sheet-pan organizer/cutting board holder, or utensil/spice drawer.
• Choose a counter-depth fridge so the 72″ aisle stays the same throughout.
• Use full-extension drawers on the cook wall for containing pots, pans, and utensils.
• On the sink wall, load up storage for cleaning, mixing bowls, and food items.
• Add a tall pantry across from the fridge for dry goods storage and bulk food items.
• Vent the range well, especially if you do frequent sautéing and baking, so proper ventilation keeps odors from drifting into the house.

Two-Cook Wide Galley with Small Prep Sink Layout

With a secondary prep sink on the range side and a full-sized double basin on the opposite side, this two-cook galley lets two people work together in the kitchen.

Floor plan notes: This 10×10 wide galley is tailored for two cooks with each having their own sink. The upper run has a 33-inch main double basin sink with a 36-inch prep/stack counter or fridge to the left, and a 24-inch dishwasher to the right with a 27″ landing zone. If using the space to the right of the upper sink for the fridge the 27-inch landing zone can be moved between the two fixtures so there’s an offloading spot for groceries. The lower wall is dedicated to prep and cooking with a 30-inch range that’s flanked by landing counters, leading to an 18-inch prep sink positioned to the right of the range. This allows one to rinse produce, fill pots, or drain pasta without crossing the aisle, while the other person cooks at the stovetop. A variety of deep drawer storage options keeps pans and tools at arm’s reach and the 72-inch aisle allows two people to pass and work in tandem.

Dimensions:

• Room size: 10′ × 10′ (120″ × 120″)
• Aisle width from counter edge to the other side: 72″
• Base cabinet depth for both sides: 24″
• Main sink: 33″ × 24″
• Dishwasher: 24″ × 24″
• Landing base at right of DW: 27″ × 24″
• Counter left of main sink: 36″ × 24″
• Range: 30″ × 24″
• Left landing at range: 15″ × 24″
• Right landing before prep sink: 18″ × 24″
• Prep sink base: 18″ × 24″
• Drawer base (cook wall, far right): 39″ × 24″
• Left wall return: 25.5″ and overall floor length between the returns of 69″

Design Tips:

• Give each cook their own lane: Provide a cleanup area on the top run, and a cooking + prep on the bottom to avoid collisions.
• Fit the prep sink with a pull-down faucet.  This will make it easier to fill large pots.
• Make the 39-inch drawer stack your pots and pans tower. You can also add dividers so lids and sheet pans can stand vertically.
• Target 15 inches minimum landing on both sides of the range and keep the 27-inch end landing zone for use with hot trays.
• If the refrigerator isn’t on these runs, place it at an end or next to the top sink on the left with landing space in-between.
• Use counter-depth appliances and low-profile hardware to make it comfortable for two-way traffic.

Traffic-Friendly Galley Style Kitchen Layout

With a refrigerator at one end, next to a range, and a sink and dishwasher on the other side of a large aisle, this galley kitchen channels through-traffic away from the cooking zone so the chef can work without interruptions.

Floor-plan notes: This 10×10 traffic-friendly galley design kitchen starts with a 36-inch refrigerator on the left, then a 15-inch landing base, a centered 30-inch range, and a wide 39-inch drawer base for storing pots and pans. The 72-inch aisle lets a helper move past without interrupting the cook. The upper cabinet run is designated as the wet/cleanup side, with a 33-inch double basin sink sitting next to the dishwasher with plenty of countertop on either side for a place for stacking and rinsing. 

Dimensions:

• Room size: 10′ × 10′ (120″ × 120″)
• Aisle width for counter-to-counter edge): 72″
• Clear floor length between the wall returns: 69″
• Base depth on both sides: 24″
• Main sink: 33″ × 24″
• Dishwasher: 24″ × 24″
• Counters flanking sink: 24″ (left) and 33″ (right)
• Range: 30″ × 24″ with 15″ landing to the left
• Refrigerator: 36″ × 24″ (counter-depth is recommended)
• Drawer base at right of range: 39″ × 24″
• Filler at upper-left return: 3″ for door and drawer clearances

Design Tips:

• Keep cold storage near the entry. This makes it easier for drink and snack-seekers to grab what they want from the fridge without getting in the way.
• Maintain landing zones: Go for at least 15″ beside the range and 24″+ near the sink.
• Use a counter-depth fridge to maintain a symmetrical cabinetry look.
• Make the 39″ drawer a place to stack your pots/pans. You can add dividers for lids and trays to make them easier to find
• Add under-cabinet task lighting on both runs if you’re using upper cabinets.
• Consider a pull-out trash on the sink side just to the right of the dishwasher.
• If family traffic is heavy, add a message or coffee station on the sink-side in the right counter.

Pantry-Forward Galley Style Kitchen Floor Plan

By installing a full-height pantry at the end of the primary cook wall next to the fridge, with a sink opposite, this corridor-style kitchen gains some serious storage wand keeps the sink-fridge-range workflow accessible.

Floor plan notes: This 10×10 pantry-forward galley adds tall storage to the side of the cook zone so there’s bulk food storage next to the fridge within easy reach of the range. The 24-inch deep and wide pantry, leads to a 36-inch counter-deep refrigerator, then a 15-inch landing base, followed by a 30-inch range, and a second 15-inch landing base. The tall pantry sits at the end, so it doesn’t crowd your prep space. On the other side the wet/cleanup run features a 33-inch sink near the middle with a  30-inch counter to the left for prep and a 24-inch dishwasher with 54-inches of counter to the right for all of your needs. 

Dimensions:

• Room size: 10′ × 10′ (120″ × 120″)
• Aisle width from counter to counter edge: 72″
• Clear floor length between the returns: 69″
• Base depth on both sides: 24″
• Main sink: 33″ × 24″
• Counters flanking sink: 30″ (left) and 30″ (right)
• Dishwasher: 24″ × 24″
• Tall pantry (cook/cold wall, left end): 24″ × 24″
• Refrigerator: 36″ × 24″ a counter-depth is recommended)
• Range: 30″ × 24″ with 15″ landings on both sides
• Small right-hand filler at sink wall: 3″ with a left return at sink wall of 25.5″

Design Tips:

• Use the 24″ tall pantry for bulk food packages, and small appliances.
• Keep the landing zones intact at 15″+ on each side of the range and 24 to 30″ by the sink.
• Make the 30″ counter to the right of the sink your coffee or snack station away from the cook line.
• Add under-cabinet task lighting inside the pantry light with an automatic door switch for visibility.
• Specify full-extension drawers near the range for those awkward pots/pans.
• Store your mixing bowls and cleaning items under the sink side.

Global measurement recap (applies to all five)

• Room: 120″×120″.
• Aisle: 69″ counter-edge to counter-edge or 72″ for the cabinet face to face.
• Door-open check: With the dishwasher 22″ and oven at 20″ to open opposite each other, 27″ remains which is passable for one person.
• Recommended appliance placements: Dishwasher placed directly beside the main sink; include a 15″ landing near the fridge and provide 12″ + on one side & 15″ on the other at the range when possible.

FAQs for 10×10 Galley Kitchens

How wide should a galley kitchen be? Plan for 42 inches between counters for one cook. Increase to 48 inches for two.

Can a 10×10 galley have an island? Rarely, as it’s too small. A true island usually needs 42 to 48 inches on all sides, which most 10×10 kitchens cannot offer without sacrificing storage. Use a peninsula instead.

What is the standard counter height and depth? 36 inches tall and 25½ inches deep are common standards for kitchens in the U.S.

Where should the fridge go in a galley? Put it at the far end or near the entry to reduce door conflicts and make it easier to access from the living area. Check the manufacturer’s door clearance and add a filler if a wall is close to the hinge side.

How do I keep the triangle short in a straight plan? Place the sink near the center of one run. Oppose the cooktop and fridge on the other run. Keep each leg within 4–9 feet, with a maximum 26 feet total.

Next steps and tools. Sketch out your 10×10 shell with door and window locations using one of the recommended design programs. Drop in two 24 inch deep cabinet runs. Set the aisle to 42 to 48 inches. Place the sink first, then work in the range and fridge. Verify each appliance’s spec for swing and ventilation. Price the project with our Kitchen Remodel Cost Calculator, or book a design consult to get help with your room planning.