Paint your doors and trim We spotted an image on Pinterest last week and fell so in love with the idea. Even if you don't do anything else, imagine what an impact a bright color treatment like that would have on a hallway!
Fun light fixtures Why waste a good light fixture on a hallway? Well, an amazing light fixture will look even cooler in a small compact space like a hallway. Renter's solution: if you don't want to have to hire an electrician and spend money, why not just hang cool vintage lights or an array of paper lanterns? Unless you use your hallway light a lot this would create a pretty awesome effect.
Runners You can often afford a rug print or pattern you love a little easier when it comes to hallways since runners tend to be smaller and a little better priced. Just make sure it's a pattern or material that will handle a lot of traffic.
Art you don't know where else to put If your art collection has gotten too full and you've run out of wall space or you have a lot of art you love that doesn't fit with any room design schemes, make your hallway into a colorful an interesting art collage.
One-of-a-kind mirror Reflect light, expand a dark hallway and give yourself a place to check your appearance before you greet guests!
Hooks/floating shelves Make your hallway work for you! Add some hooks for coats, hats and leashes. Add some floating shelves at varying heights for both art display and functional storage for keys or mail.
Try a paint pattern/wallpaper If you've got a big enough budget, your own home (or an understanding landlord) and the desire, add some wallpaper for a fabulous, compact space. Or consider a paint pattern that you can DIY.
MORE APARTMENT THERAPY HALLWAY INSPIRATION:
• Design Inspiration for the Long Hall
• Katie & Matt's Magic Marker Forest Hall
• Setting up Home: Hallway as Gallery
• Elements Inspiring a Hallway Transformation
• Before & After: A Dark Hallway Comes into the Light
• Another Entryway/Hallway
(Images: As credited in the gallery captions.)
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Thanks for this post! It inspired me to take a hard look at my entryway, which I've been neglecting, and really think about what I want to do with it. I think I'll try a Blik pattern.
This is a great post! I have a secondary hallway that leads to my garage and also houses the door to my attic in the ceiling, so it's dark even in the daytime. My young boys' rooms are off the hallway, and my 3-year-old finds it spooky. We've recently painted the hall a warm color, hung a bunch of the boys' art, and I'm planning to hang a large mirror as soon as I paint it. I think a chandelier would look great, too.
Mine doesn't look cool whatsoever, but I use it as my library. It currently holds about 1,000 books, the advantage being that my teeny weeny living room doesn't look crowded.
I adore the orange door.
I really like long runners in the hallway but our cats love to use it like a slip'n'slide. Do you guys have any suggestions to keep from having to fix it repeatedly? It ends up being a bunched up tripping hazard.
I still love that birch wallpaper, anyone know where it's a good price... I was gonna use it in my laundry room
I like the idea of making a little accent wall with paint or wallpaper and a mirror. I just wound up with three extra bright orange-framed square mirrors from C&B (their mixup, my benefit) and I wasn't sure what to do -- now I think I'll paint the wall a crazy color and hang all three where we can check out our reflection, but have that corner be somewhat secret in case it's too jazzy. Thanks for the inspiration!
@Middleisgold --
Do you use a grippy rug mat under your runner? If you do, and it's still bunching up, might you try some strategically placed heavy-duty double-sided tape? That should at least help with the feline slip-n-slide thing. (Thank you for the adorable/comical mental image of hurtling cats, too.)
A tip. When hanging art in a hallway, keep it to either simple graphics or small things you want to get close to. If it's a medium to big abstract, for instance, you need space to back away from it. If the hallway is an L, hang the piece so you approach it walking down the hall.
(Works in stairwells too -- I have an L shaped staircase full of art, and the biggest thing is facing the approach.)
@Atomicranch - I'm aware we're several days out so I'm not sure if anyone is checking this.. but the orignal birch wallpaper is from Cole & Sons. Anthropologie sells it for $198 a roll, which is about 53 square feet. I think there are companies making knockoff versions that aren't as expensive, if you're fine with that. I haven't found anything yet that seems to have the texture of the Cole & Sons wallpaper, though.