Small space living is not as difficult as you may imagine. Sure, there’s not much room to spread out and in a small galley kitchen, that can sometimes create issues with the “flow” of work. However, although cooking prep is the key, decluttering, simplifying and embracing the minimalist lifestyle is the essential first step.
When we purchased the boat, our small space living galley kitchen had an “L” shaped worktop, a small oven and hob and a raised section above the fridge. It also had horrible tiles, the worktop had seen better days and the sink & draining board, although smaller than in house kitchens, dominated the space – A refit was called for.
Our galley kitchen when we purchased the boat – Those tiles had bugged me for a long time, as the blue colour did not match with anything else in the boat. We were also VERY limited on workspace.
We decided to keep the layout; we didn’t have a huge amount of choice – space was a premium, so we decided to claw back worktop by eliminating the draining board and installing a round ceramic sink. We also wanted to give the impression of space by changing the tiles to a lighter colour. A solid wood worktop would also create a brighter working area as well as modernising the whole “look” whilst retaining cosy narrowboat vibes.
We’re not skilled DIYers by any means, but we can do a decent job. Chipping away at those ties was very satisfying, as was ripping out the old and worn worktop. Under the gunnel, we found that the blue tiles had been stuck on with silicone and were particularly difficult to remove – Also they were located in the most inaccessible area – isn’t that always the way?
