I go with a light to medium taupe on the walls (more grey than tan, SW Functional Grey comes to mind), and add a runner or Flor tiles the length of the hallway in colors that tie into the neighboring rooms.

That dark floor has got to go - I agree with farmhousemoderne re runner in a light colour. Gorgeous doors and loads of space, lucky you!

Start with a creamy white or like @farmhousemoderne said, medium taupe. Once you start decorating and find your style, you can decide later on if you want to actually paint a color to go with your home. Also, the light neutral will be easy to paint over.

I don't think your floor is hideous, once you brighten up the walls and simplify it, without the all the stripey patterns going on, your floor will be less of a distraction.

I agree with the suggestions above. I'd also get rid of those heavy brass light fixtures, and go with a modern, silver-colored metal fixure. Or spray-paint the ones you have black or white depending on your taste. (See the Door Sixteen blog for how great that can look).

Good suggestions so far. I'd just like to add that most wallpaper is easy to remove with a steamer, which you can rent or buy. You could do that entire hallway in just one day and end up with it ready to paint. The only exceptions are if the wallpaper was hung on unprimed, unpainted drywall. Then a steamer won't work.

If you plan on doing lots of rooms, it's cheaper to buy a steamer. They're only about $60 new, equal to about two days' worth of rental. You can also find them used if you hunt around a bit.

I love that staircase. This will look fantastic when you're all done with it. I always like to start with neutrals- and I love the Benjamin Moore historic colors-- my house is Edgecomb gray which I just love, and I've also used Ashley gray which is darker, but also beautiful. And both look great with white trim. Very clean and classic.
You will definitely want to put something different on those stairs. And I would use small area rugs over the tile instead of Flor tiles. You're not going to want something resembling carpet in an entryway. It will just get dirty and gross.
Good luck! It's going to look great!

I think derivatives of yellow work well in dark spaces because the color brightens the space as well as white. Consider using a butter-yellow derivative in a "satin" finish while using a cream enamel in semi-gloss for your woodwork. The satin and semi-gloss finishes will help reflect light around the space. If you will be painting your ceilings, maintain some derivative of white, again using a satin finish for reflective qualities.

Finding the right yellow is critical and will require some work. Get color samples from all the paint stores you care to and tape the samples to the walls around your foyer. Then during the course of a sunny day, with the windows open in all the surrounding rooms, monitor which colors remain bright throughout the day in all parts of the space.

As has already been noted, use a light colored rug runner or consider replacing your flooring with a much lighter color material. Replace your existing light fixtures with large, substantially higher wattage, closer to the ceiling fixtures, and use dimmer switches.

Good Luck!

Take the paper down, repair the wall, and prime it white.

In the time it takes to get all that done, and as you settle into the house, chances are you'll decide on a color by then, since this spaces feeds into many other, no?

If you are keeping the floor, take some cues from there.

Were it me, I'd also paint all your trim white except for the stair treads.

I agree with Spanky. I've removed wallpaper in way too many houses using different wallpaper-removing-liquids. I've messed up a lot of sheetrock, but nothing that wasn't fixable. This past year, I finally broke down and bought a used Wagner steamer on Ebay. It's my new favorite friend! You'll be able to get that wallpaper down in no time...relatively speaking. As far as paint colors go, only you know what makes you feel good. Slap up some paint samples--You can paint it on poster board if you like. Are you a taupe-type person? Do you lean more towards spring-like colors? Have fun!

I'd love to see a buttery-yellow or a light gray on the walls. Replace the light fixture with some light and airy. A new stair runner in a great pop of color or take inspiration from that recent post about using a patterned decal on the stair risers (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/entryway/zebra-print-stairs-highheeled-foot-in-the-door-107070)...

I'd be careful with any creamy yellows or taupes, if I were you. I have a similar kind of entryway and hall, and the previous owners chose a creamy/buttery yellow for the walls, and a kind of greyish taupe for any of the trim that wasn't natural wood. I go back and forth between appreciating it and hating it. On one hand, it can feel kind of moody and antique-y--the whole feel reminds me of Whistler's Mother, for some reason--and that can be nice, but most of the time it feels more drab and oppressive, like I'm surrounded by old yellowed newspapers. I think the buttery walls could work well with bright white trim--I would've painted it white already, but they used that taupe on the trim all over the house, with several different wall colors, so it's kind of a daunting job.

In order to make it feel lighter and more spacious, I would go with a nice creamy or ivory shade.

DKC -28 (a very happy but subtle shade) would be my first pick, and DKC-52 (slightly lighter) my second.

Donald Kaufman Colors (DKC) are full-spectrum paints, containing from 6-16 different pigments, as opposed to the usual 3 or 4 in regular paint. As a result, they respond to changing levels and and quality of light by changing colour instead of going muddy or greyer. I find their whites and light colours literally glow on the walls.

You can get sample pots online at cox paints.

I think that wall-to-wall sisal (sisal or other sea grass, etc.) in the hallway, as well as a matching sisal runner going down the stairs.

I think the pendants are too low, and you would do better to go with something like this:

http://www.nausetlanternshop.com/store/item.php?item=84

Or this

http://www.nausetlanternshop.com/store/item.php?item=85

All together, it will look fresh, light, pulled-together and will look lovely with the white panelling under the stairs. The look works with traditional as well as more contemporary furnishings (would look really great with that bureau that's in there!).

Don't do taupe or ivory! An actual color will bring out the beauty of those dark floors.

Farrow & Ball's "Lancaster Yellow" is nice too, as is their "Blue Ground." I ordered their catalog and had my local paint color match "Lamp Room Gray" for our bedroom. It looks great (though I doubt it will last the way Farrow & Ball paint will, I love the color).

I'd also suggest "Clear Water" by Behr. We have our dark living room (only two small windows and lots of trees and houses blocking natural light) painted in "Maiden Voyage" which is a bit darker than Clear Water, even. It is so bright and beautiful, it brightens up the space even when its dark out.
http://www.materials-world.com/paint-colors/behr/behr-colorsmart/behr-colorsmart-27.htm

Mirrors on the walls can help reflect light. Ikea has cheap multi packs of mirrors that you can use to make little mirror vignettes.

I'd go with a warm grey or a greige with decorator's white trim semi-gloss - BM early morning mist or grey owl for color.

Oh, and yes, runner on stairs, what about using a Madeline Weinrib pattern for inspiration? That being said, flat weaves probably aren't the best on stairs...but I love her stuff!

The floor can work - don't stress over it. It appears that it stretches into other spaces, and it also looks to be in good condition. Is it tile, I assume?

Two ideas:
1. Aggressively rip down the wallpaper, intentionally leaving scraps on the walls. Create additional texture by adding joint compound in patches, using a trowel to create a look of old plaster.

Then paint a base coat in a neutral brown (this will help blend the floor). On top of that, do a stripe/circle/stencil of a damask print - something to appear like old wallpaper. Ideally, it would be very tonal. Over the entire finish, do a top coat of a glaze or watered down paint.

I've done this several times to great results. You can go wild with color, or keep it simple and streamlined. Clearly, your home is older and can "wear" a vintage look like this quite well.

2. Strip the wallpaper and opt for a color that introduces the rest of the home. I could see a warm version of a red, gray, etc. Make it pop with a new light fixture that is an opposite, something unexpected.

For the floor, I suggest:
1. Vintage oriental runners that are mismatched casual.
2. Drop cloths dyed in vibrant colors and trimmed to the size needed and secured to the floor.
3. Sisal runners.
4. Flor tiles are great - but think of them outside the box. I'd be careful with some of their textures with the pattern on the flooring.

Good luck!

I'd paint everything a pale blue w/ white trim...
...and replace dark brown woolly runner w/ something light and striped in whites and blues...
...and the ditzy lanterns w/ amber glass inserts should be replaced w/ oversized black lanterns w/ clear glass - You can find them in the Outdoor Lighting section of Home Depot or Lamps Plus.

Also: I am not convinced on yellow unless you plan on replacing the floor. It might look too retro, and not in a good way. I would pick colors that have more familiarity to the floor. Same with a light green, red, etc - follow?

You are right-that wallpaper has got to go. I agree with the others regarding replacing the ugly light fixtures as well. You may want to replace the doorbell chime cover and the switch plates as well.
My color suggestion is a light-to-medium cheery blue (the inspiration coming from the vase on the table). A mirror or two on the walls will also help reflect natural and electric light and give the hallway an overall brighter feel.

Going off the floor color and the wood color I would say a pale blue (like Farrow and Ball's "Borrowed Light") would look fantastic. It would make the dark brown feel intentional and could even work with brass fixtures. I also notice the blue vase on the sideboard which would still look nice with the new color!

It would be a nice modern-traditional balance!

Many good ideas.

I would paint it first in a soft white, give it a month and see how you feel about it. The wood color is no longer kind in this setting. SF is full of wonderful examples of the above. And there's even books that can help with that specific vintage.

I always remember visiting Charleston and seeing the bold colors -- orange, red, indigo, cobalt, yellow -- that they used to brighten their homes. And lots of it! Another inspiration perhaps.

In the meantime, how about a colorful runner.

And the light is out of scale and dates the whole look. Go with a large fixture, hung lower, preferably modern.

You have great bones here, but they're lost in the jumble. If you start clean, add one color of pop on the floor and a great 21st century light fixture, the wonderful craft and beauty of this vintage will be highlighted to the point of envy.

The reason I suggested wall-to-wall sisal over that floor is that it looks to me to be vinyl flooring which is worn in parts; be a trick of the light, but it doesn't seem to be tile to me.

The inspiration for my suggestion was how good the staircase looks, with the wood stairs and the white railings and panelling... mixing in a creamy white or pale ivory, one which is designed to bounce around light and change colour with different lighting conditions, will make the space seem larger, simultaneously elegant and casual.

I dig the dark floor! I think it will contrast beautifully with light walls and a jewel-toned runner.

My instant thought was for white walls and trim with a floor of patterned or tesselated tiles. Those dark tiles are nasty.

The best way to see your space in a new light is to imagine it differently which is sometimes difficult. Next thing, find an inspirational photo. Below is a similar foyer that was featured on AT:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/how-to/how-to-create-a-welcoming-entryway-094951

This is a good starting point to see how light and bright it can get for you. A question I hear a lot from my clients is, "Do I paint the wood doors and trim or leave them stained?" I realize the front door is key in preserving yet do you want all the rest of the doors to also be exposed or do you paint them a light color? It also depends on what you've done or plan to do with the rest of the house. Either way, finding inspirational photos is a great starting point amongst the great suggestions from others.

In looking at the space, white is too cold for the foyer, where a sandy tone would meet the wood tone part way if you are to keep all the wood trim, doors (besides front door) exposed. I'd use a sandy tone that is more warm and saturated .... a soft earthy butter and put a long runner rug that is fun and colorful on the floor if you are not yet ready to change out the flooring. Also, you can make this a functional area .... a wood shoe holder for wet and muddy shoes, a place to hang umbrellas, coats. Get fun iron rod hooks for the side stair wall. Good luck with your project!

My apartment is painted every color in the rainbow....yet I immediately think "Bright Crisp White" when I see your hall...no beiges or taupes. Something like Benjamin Moore's Decorators White or C2's Architectural White.

I, for one, love your floor. Keep it!

If you do want color, I'd go with turquoise -- either a historical one or a bright, modern one depending on your taste.