Hall + Study Advice
Working with Small Dark Hallways
If eyes are the windows to the soul, then hallways can likewise reveal the secrets of your home. If your hallway is dark and pokey, first impressions on visiting guests will not necessarily be the ones that you want. And no excuses when it comes to size because it really doesn't matter if your hallway is tiny! If you want the entrance to your home to be a grand one, then just add a touch of light...
Hi Donna,
After living in our current home for four years, we have decided to decorate our hallway.
From the front door to the first step on the stairs it is approximately two meters, so it is very small. There is one window on the landing at the top of the stairs. The stairs do not go straight up to the landing but turn slightly to the left. On the landing there are four doors - three bedrooms and bathroom - with the actual landing about three meters long.
Do you have any ideas about what we could do?
Thanks,
Stephanie, from Bedfordshire.
Our Homes And Property Expert replies:
Hello Stephanie,
The main thing to keep in mind is to maintain and promote any light that your hallway gets. Such a cramped space would suffer if you overwhelmed it with either heavy colours or too much fussy pattern. So I recommend that you keep your colour scheme as light as possible.
Using pure white can be too stark, plus it's not really hardwearing enough for heavy traffic areas like hallways; especially if you have kids or pets. So, I would opt for subtle wallpaper or paint in a wipe-clean shade of warm cream which will look welcoming at any time of the year and any time of the day.
If you want to make this small space look taller you could add a dado rail - wallpaper below it and paint above it. Alternatively, opt for a darker shade below the rail and a lighter one for above.
If your walls are really scarred and uneven, you could even add a charming country effect by fitting tongue and groove up to dado height and painting it in a clotted cream eggshell. Keep all woodwork white as this will help bounce any light around.
On the floor, you could keep the hallway in a bare wood and seal it with a hardwearing yacht varnish, then add a soft biscuit-coloured carpet on the stairs. Or use carpet throughout.
Obscuring the window in any way will definitely reduce the light, but you still need your privacy, so invest in some opaque white window film which lets soft light filter through whilst still maintaining privacy. Or you could opt for a soft, transparent voile curtain panel or a softly-folding Roman blind.
Finally, add some interest with a few decorative details such as a brass Moroccan lantern. Also, why not create the effect of an art gallery with a collection of your favourite black and white photos or prints?
Stay as snug as a bug by fitting this deep pile Pampas Textured flooring underfoot from Kersaint Cobb, contact them on (01675) 430 430. Featuring a knitwear-like weave, this flooring comes in cream, coffee or grey and costs £32.60 per sq metre.
I hope this helps you out!
Donna.
After living in our current home for four years, we have decided to decorate our hallway.
From the front door to the first step on the stairs it is approximately two meters, so it is very small. There is one window on the landing at the top of the stairs. The stairs do not go straight up to the landing but turn slightly to the left. On the landing there are four doors - three bedrooms and bathroom - with the actual landing about three meters long.
Do you have any ideas about what we could do?
Thanks,
Stephanie, from Bedfordshire.
Our Homes And Property Expert replies:
Hello Stephanie,
The main thing to keep in mind is to maintain and promote any light that your hallway gets. Such a cramped space would suffer if you overwhelmed it with either heavy colours or too much fussy pattern. So I recommend that you keep your colour scheme as light as possible.
Using pure white can be too stark, plus it's not really hardwearing enough for heavy traffic areas like hallways; especially if you have kids or pets. So, I would opt for subtle wallpaper or paint in a wipe-clean shade of warm cream which will look welcoming at any time of the year and any time of the day.
If you want to make this small space look taller you could add a dado rail - wallpaper below it and paint above it. Alternatively, opt for a darker shade below the rail and a lighter one for above.
If your walls are really scarred and uneven, you could even add a charming country effect by fitting tongue and groove up to dado height and painting it in a clotted cream eggshell. Keep all woodwork white as this will help bounce any light around.
On the floor, you could keep the hallway in a bare wood and seal it with a hardwearing yacht varnish, then add a soft biscuit-coloured carpet on the stairs. Or use carpet throughout.
Obscuring the window in any way will definitely reduce the light, but you still need your privacy, so invest in some opaque white window film which lets soft light filter through whilst still maintaining privacy. Or you could opt for a soft, transparent voile curtain panel or a softly-folding Roman blind.
Finally, add some interest with a few decorative details such as a brass Moroccan lantern. Also, why not create the effect of an art gallery with a collection of your favourite black and white photos or prints?
Stay as snug as a bug by fitting this deep pile Pampas Textured flooring underfoot from Kersaint Cobb, contact them on (01675) 430 430. Featuring a knitwear-like weave, this flooring comes in cream, coffee or grey and costs £32.60 per sq metre.
I hope this helps you out!
Donna.
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