As a place of passage, the hallway is a space that tends to be neglected. And yet… it doesn’t take much to make it a pleasant space, or even a room in its own right.
With a few shelves, it becomes a warm library, inviting you to stretch out on a bench with a book in hand. With a beautiful wallpaper or a set of flashy paints, this austere hallway becomes an airlock in which to bask.
Perhaps it’s time to change your perception of corridors… More than just places of transition, they add charm to a residence, provided they’re skilfully designed.
Here are our 10 professional decorating tips for optimizing, enlarging and decorating your long hallway.
Installing a console In hallway
A small shelf no more than 40cm or 60cm wide, the console is one of those pieces of furniture that’s perfect for a hallway.
Long and slender, its curves perfectly match those of the space. But that’s not all…
As well as being elegant, a console table used to display a few ornamental knick-knacks and even to store a few effects. Available in marble, wood, stoneware, etc., it adapts to all tastes and lifestyles.
Creating a hallway custom-made dressing room
Yes, that’s right. That long, useless hallway can become an extremely practical dressing room.
Haven’t you noticed that dressing rooms are similar to mini hallways? Installed along a wall, sliding wardrobes face a bench under which slippers can be slipped.
If you live in a small apartment or have a large family, why not turn the square meters of your long hallway into a wardrobe?
Freed from all those clothes, your rooms will once again become places that are truly conducive to relaxation.
Create an office spaceIn your hallway
This design idea isn’t for every long corridor. To ensure that your workspace doesn’t become a mess, there are three essential rules to follow:
- Your office chair must be set back at least 90 cm;
- Your table/worktop must be at least 60 cm wide;
- Your desk must be equipped with an auxiliary light in addition to corridor lighting.
As you can see, in addition to being long, your hallway must be at least a little wide to use this trick. If all the criteria are met, install two drawer units, a small table and watch your productivity take off.
A huge hallway library
Are you a bookworm? Are you a parent who wants to pass on a love of reading to your children? Or are you a true lover of the arts, dreaming of a place to store your finds?
If you’ve answered yes, even just once, turn your long corridor into a library without wasting another second. As wide as a book, you’ll be able to move freely.
By playing with height and length, you can create one that suits your needs perfectly.
Linking long carpets
Long hallways mean long rugs! Like a monarch reigning over his lands from his fortified towers, use rugs to dress up these long rooms.
To decorate your hallway brilliantly, pay attention to the shape of your rugs. They should be thin and preferably rectangular. Many brands offer hallway rugs up to 450cm long!
As soon as you enter, show the way by arranging rugs one after the other, or one rug along the entire length of your hallway. To give your carpet a soul, don’t settle for plain carpets if your walls are empty. Floral or patterned rugs are much more eye-catching. If you’ve decided to decorate your walls, opt for plain carpets.
A large Hallway mirror
Need we remind you of the virtues of the large mirror as a decorative tool? Refined yet extremely simple in nature, it enlarges space in the blink of an eye. By its very presence, it brings the sunshine into the room. That once dark hallway suddenly becomes a den of light…
To optimize the placement of your mirror, use this well-known tip from interior designers: install your mirror either opposite a source of light (preferably natural), or at the end of a corridor.
Turn it into an art gallery
All the years you’ve spent on this earth have left their mark… Don’t friends, family and all those people who mean so much to you deserve a place in your home? Pay them a vibrant tribute by displaying their beautiful photos on your wall.
Family photos, wedding mementos, paintings by artists… Put your hallway to good use by hanging frames over and over again. To preserve harmony, opt for similar frames. For example, you may decide to work only with frames with thick black borders.
A piece of Eden
Outside your home, it’s all asphalt and tiles. Despite its extraordinary intellect, human sapiens sapiens remains an animal like any other. Let your wild nature speak for itself and reconnect with Gaia through houseplants.
In nature, there are plants that grow perfectly without sunlight. From the colorful Bromelia to the exotic Cyperus, there’s no shortage of options.
And if you prefer smaller plants, once again you’re spoilt for choice. Zamioculcas raven, golden scindapsus, cactus… Which will win your favor?
Dare to use color
No, no and no. Your long hallway doesn’t have to be as welcoming as a prison door… To make your guests want to enter, dare to use color on the walls. Whether on the entire wall or just a few centimetres, warm up the atmosphere with unusual colors.
Mustard yellow, duck blue and fuchsia are colors that brighten up even the darkest spaces. More classic shades include anthracite grey, taupe and slate texture. The advantage of the latter: your children can let their artistic souls shine through.
Evoking distant lands
What if your hallway became a passageway to another world? You don’t have to be a seasoned witch or a centuries-old magician to achieve this… All you need is a beautiful panoramic wallpaper.
Available in any store, this decorative accessory dresses up walls in the blink of an eye. Whether it’s an elegant Ryukin with aerial fins or a representation of the Amazon jungle, traveling becomes child’s play.
Mistakes to avoid when designing your hallway
Doing without decoration
Although corridors are usually one of the most overlooked areas when it comes to decorating, they have great potential. So don’t neglect your hallways.
Put in a plant that needs light
To give your hallway a new look, you can opt for indoor plants. But make sure you choose a plant that doesn’t need natural light on a daily basis.
Unnecessary storage
Don’t store unnecessary objects in the hallway. This could obstruct passage and overload the room for nothing.
Choosing the wrong furniture
Avoid cluttering a narrow hallway. If it’s not part of your entrance hall, installing oversized furniture is not advisable.
Overloading your entrance
If you prefer a minimalist or uncluttered decor, this can be totally appropriate for a hallway. Overloading this space is not advisable, especially if it’s narrow.
Choosing the wrong lighting
Remember to choose the right lighting. Hanging lights can make your hallway narrower, for example. Choose ceiling lights instead.
Choosing the wrong wall coverings
Whether it’s paint or wallpaper, choose a wall covering that won’t make your hallway narrower or darker. You can opt for neutral or light colors.
Forget about the mirror
Create the illusion of a larger hallway by mounting one or more mirrors on the wall. This can also create a play of light at the same time.
Choosing the wrong floor covering
Think about your floor covering too: parquet, tiles, carpet… Avoid going against the overall decor of your home, for a more harmonious hallway.
