A “Teeny Tiny Hallway” Becomes a Colorful, Storage-Packed Feature

Sarah EverettHome Projects Editor
Sarah EverettHome Projects Editor
I organize the Before & After series and cover DIY and design. I joined AT in October 2020 as a production assistant. I have an MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri and a BA in Journalism from Belmont University. Past editorial stops include HGTV Magazine, Nashville Arts Magazine, and local magazines in my hometown, Columbia, Missouri.
published Apr 2, 2025
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Don’t underestimate hallways in your home. With the right paint or wallpaper or light fixtures, hallways can become absolutely stylish showstoppers — even though they’re technically just pass-throughs. 

In Morgan Levine’s (@morganlevineceramics) family home, it took a lot of reconfiguring and construction to make the 1870s Brooklyn apartment work for the family’s needs. 

“We redid the kitchen and bathroom, and we reconfigured the bedroom and tiny room into a bedroom and living room,” Morgan says. “We reconfigured the narrow hallway to include storage and feel more intentional.  We kept all of the original floors we could, but other than the floors, the project was basically a full gut renovation.” And the hallway transformation ended up being one of her favorite parts of her home.

The hallway is wider — with an arched threshold.

Morgan and her husband hired a team of pros (including Nick Caraguilo at Transcend Construction) to help them tackle the renovation and give the previously “teeny tiny hallway” a big upgrade. It’s now wider, with room for bookcase storage, and features arch-shaped thresholds with larger molding that makes a bigger architectural statement.

This was one part of the home where the original flooring couldn’t stay, so Morgan designed a new herringbone pattern that she’s particularly proud of.

Gold paint adds a pop of color.

She also loves the pop of gold on the bookshelves — the paint color is Benjamin Moore’s Dorset Gold — not to mention that the bookcases squeeze in extra storage in an area of the home that’s often overlooked. 

She says the hallway now looks “more intentional.”