Small Kitchen Remodel Ideas for Lebanon County Homes: What Works in a Galley, a Rowhome and a Farmhouse

Half the kitchens in Lebanon County are small. The borough rowhomes in Lebanon and Annville, the post-war ranches in Myerstown and Palmyra, and the old farmhouse kitchens that were built for a wood stove all have one thing in common: a room under 120 square feet with a window, a door and three walls that do not agree with each other. The good news is that a small kitchen is the cheapest kitchen to make excellent, because every upgrade is a few feet of material.

Here is what actually works, from the jobs we do, with honest cost ranges at the end.

Start with the layout you have

Moving plumbing is the most expensive thing in any kitchen, and in a small one it rarely buys enough. The three layouts we see:

• Galley. Two parallel runs with a walkway between. Keep the sink and range on the same wall if they are already there, put tall storage at the ends, and keep the walkway at least 42 inches.
• L-shape. Two walls, one corner. The corner is where storage goes to die; a lazy susan or a blind-corner pullout fixes it.
• Single wall. One run, usually in a rowhome. Everything depends on height, so this is the layout where uppers to the ceiling matter most.

PennsylvaniaJul 2025after

Storage: go up, then go deep

Uppers to the ceiling. Standard uppers stop 18 inches short of an 8-foot ceiling and leave a dusty shelf. A 42-inch upper, or a 30-inch upper with a 12-inch stacked cabinet above, adds a third more storage for the same floor space. We did exactly this in a South Philadelphia rowhome kitchen.

Tall pantry cabinets. One 24-inch-wide pantry beside the refrigerator holds what four base cabinets hold. If the room has a dead end, that is where it goes.

Drawers instead of doors in the base cabinets. A drawer brings the back of the cabinet to you. Three drawers in a 24-inch base replace a door and a shelf you have to kneel to reach.

Pullouts in the narrow spots. A 9-inch pullout beside the range holds spices and oils. A 6-inch one holds trays.

Open shelves only where you will keep them neat. They look good in photos. Over a sink or beside a window they are useful; over the range they collect grease.

Light and color that make the room bigger

• One color on cabinets and backsplash. White shaker with white subway tile reads as one surface and the eye does not stop at the corners.
• Light counters. A pale quartz bounces light. A black counter in a small kitchen absorbs it.
• Under-cabinet lights. The single cheapest upgrade with the biggest effect. The counters are where you work, and the ceiling light is behind you.
• Recessed cans instead of one center fixture. Four small cans light the corners the center fixture never reached.
• A bigger window, if there is any budget for it. Replacing a small window over the sink with a wider one is exterior work, but in a kitchen that gets daylight from one side it changes everything.

Appliances sized for the room

• 24-inch dishwasher is standard; an 18-inch one fits where a standard will not and holds a day of dishes for two people.
• Counter-depth refrigerator. Six inches shallower than a standard, which in a galley is the difference between a walkway and a squeeze. Look for ENERGY STAR models.
• 30-inch range with an over-the-range microwave, or a 24-inch range in a rowhome kitchen. We tell owners up front whether the microwave hood can vent outside; on a party wall it usually cannot.
• Skip the double oven and the separate cooktop. Each one costs cabinet space a small kitchen does not have.

South Philadelphia, PAAug 2025after

Ideas that do not work in a small kitchen

• An island. Unless the room is at least 12 feet wide, an island makes a walkway, not a kitchen. A narrow peninsula off the end of a run is the small-kitchen version.
• Dark cabinets on all walls. They can work with a lot of light. In a north-facing rowhome kitchen they make a cave.
• A farmhouse sink in a 24-inch base. The sink needs a 33-inch or 36-inch base. Plan for it or skip it.
• Removing the only wall of uppers for open shelves. You will put everything on the counter.

When to add space instead

A kitchen bump-out or addition runs $200 to $400 per square foot in our area, because every added foot needs foundation, roof, cabinets, plumbing, electrical and a permit. Even a small addition carries the full cost of structural work. For most houses, remodeling inside the existing footprint is the better use of money. The exception is a farmhouse with a pantry or a porch behind the kitchen that can be absorbed without new foundation; we have opened those up and it is worth looking at.

What a small kitchen remodel costs

Typical regional ranges, not a quote. If the cabinet boxes are solid, our cabinet painting guide explains how a refresh gets most of the look for a third of the money. For everything else, the kitchen cost guide has the line items.

Pennsylvaniaafter

Hiring for a small kitchen

A small kitchen leaves less room for error. A contractor who mostly builds big open kitchens may not have the instincts for a tight galley. Ask to see small kitchens they have done. Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act requires a written contract for any job over $500 and registration with the Attorney General for contractors doing more than $5,000 a year; ask for the number. NARI and This Old House are good places to read before you call anyone.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a small kitchen remodel cost in Lebanon County? A refresh, $3,000 to $10,000. A mid-range remodel, $10,500 to $20,000. A full remodel with new cabinets, $20,000 to $35,000.

Should I take the cabinets to the ceiling? Yes, in almost every small kitchen. The top shelf holds what you use twice a year, and the room looks taller.

Can a small kitchen have an island? Only if there is 42 inches of walkway on every side after the island goes in. Measure before you fall in love with one.

Is it worth adding a bump-out? Rarely, at $200 to $400 per square foot. Fix the layout and the storage first.

Get a plan for your kitchen

Our kitchen remodeling page shows what is included. Send a photo and the rough dimensions and we will tell you which of these ideas fit your room before we come out.

Get a Free Estimate