Case study · Shawlands, Southside Glasgow
Small galley kitchen refit in a Shawlands tenement (G41)
A Shawlands small kitchen refit replaces a cramped 1980s galley in a top-floor tenement. The new layout is a light-grey shaker galley with a tall larder, integrated washer-dryer and a laminate worktop, fitted in 2.5 weeks for £11,000–£14,000.
Privacy: Exact street and client details withheld for privacy. Postcode district and project facts are accurate.
Project at a glance
- Area
- Shawlands, Southside Glasgow
- Postcode
- G41 (district level)
- Property
- Top-floor sandstone tenement, c. 1903
- Completed
- 2024
- Cost band
- £11,000 – £14,000 (supply and installation)
- Time on site
- 2.5 weeks on site, 4 week lead time on units
The brief
The owner is a first-time buyer with a tight budget and a 2.6m × 2.2m room. The brief was 'maximum storage, no wasted millimetre, and please make it feel bigger than it is'. Existing pipework, an old back-boiler footprint and a single small window dictated the layout.
Scope of work
- Strip out of existing kitchen and removal of disused back-boiler housing
- Replaster of the back-boiler wall to create a flush full-height run
- Light-grey shaker units with tall larder, pull-out bin and corner carousel
- Integrated washer-dryer, slimline dishwasher and full-height fridge-freezer
- Laminate worktop with matching upstand for value and water resistance
- Brushed nickel handles, single bowl sink and pull-out spray tap
- Repositioned ceiling light to a 5-spot bar centred over the work zone
Challenges and how we solved them
Every millimetre matters
We measured to 2mm tolerances and used 296mm and 396mm carcasses to avoid wasting end-of-run space. A pull-out larder replaced a corner cupboard that would have been unreachable in the original layout, gaining roughly 30% usable storage.
Old back-boiler footprint
Removing the back-boiler housing exposed unfinished brickwork. We dot-and-dabbed plasterboard onto the brick rather than building a stud wall, saving 75mm across the run which made the fridge-freezer choice possible.
Budget discipline
Laminate worktop, integrated mid-range appliances and a standard sink kept the fit-out within budget without sacrificing the look. We were transparent about every line of the quote so the owner knew exactly what could be upgraded later (worktop and tap) without re-fitting the kitchen.
Outcome
Completed in 2.5 weeks against a 2.5–3 week plan. Final cost £12,800 against an £11k–£14k estimate. The owner has since told us friends regularly assume the kitchen is bigger than it is, which we'll take as a compliment.
"I'd budgeted £12k and assumed I'd have to compromise on storage to hit it. The pull-out larder and the integrated washer-dryer mean nothing sits on the worktop. The kitchen feels twice the size."
Frequently asked questions
How much does a small kitchen cost in a Glasgow tenement?
A compact galley refit in a Glasgow tenement typically costs £9,000–£15,000 supplied and fitted, depending on appliance spec and worktop choice. This Shawlands project landed at £12,800.
Can I have a tall larder in a 2.6m galley kitchen?
Yes. A 600mm pull-out larder fits inside a 2.6m run alongside a tall fridge-freezer, oven housing and a 1000mm base run for sink and washer-dryer. Layout planning to 2mm tolerances makes the difference.
Is laminate worktop a false economy?
Modern compact laminate is water-resistant, scratch-resistant and easy to replace later. For a budget-conscious refit it's a sensible choice; we leave the worktop run designed so it can be swapped for quartz in future without changing the units.
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