A “White, Joyless” Hallway’s Under-$1,000 Makeover Has More DIYs Than Meets the Eye
Don’t underestimate a hallway makeover’s potential to give a whole home a little more pep in its step. Take it from homeowner Janneke Simpson (@house_of_janneke), who says her “white, joyless” hallway, with many rooms branching off of it, was bringing the whole house down.
“There were things I loved: the ceiling height, the original doors, and the beautiful arch at the entrance,” Janneke says. “But beyond that, it felt forgotten — a space without warmth or soul.”
She says the project started with trim and “turned into a full transformation” from there. Its total cost was under $1,000.
First, the door at the end of the hallway got a makeover.
“I’d seen countless videos on Instagram where people transformed plain doors with trim, turning something forgettable into a real feature,” Janneke says. “It started out as a bland, builder-grade door, and I added paneling to give it some depth and character. It now feels intentional, like a proper design element, not an afterthought.”
The door makeover inspired a whole-hallway transformation.
The door makeover inspired new trim on all of the walls — and Janneke bought a pair of miter shears to make the job easier. “Honestly, they were worth every penny,” Janneke says. “They saved so much time and made the process way more precise and less frustrating than using a saw.”
Before adding her trim pieces, she marked everything with masking tape on the wall “to visualize the layout and proportions,” she explains. “That step helped me feel more confident in the design and spacing.”
She also switched halfway through from using real wood to using plastic pieces of trim that were longer (aka created fewer seams to smooth out). Janneke says the new trim isn’t completely perfect, but it turned out better than expected. “It gave the hallway so much more character … Now I want to panel everything!”
The hallway got a fresh coat of white paint.
Janneke says what she loves about the “after” is “how much brighter and more welcoming the space feels.” This is, in part, thanks to a fresh coat of white paint (Lick’s White 03). Janneke used a matte finish, but in hindsight she wishes she would have gone with something glossier.
“[It] looks beautiful, but wasn’t the most practical choice for a high-traffic area like a hallway,” she says. “I should have gone with an eggshell or something with a slight sheen, just enough to make it easier to wipe down and keep clean.”
The chandelier adds a wow factor.
“I’m especially proud of the chandelier,” Janneke says. “It adds such a touch of glamor to an otherwise functional space. I actually had it shipped to the UK, and a friend brought it back to Germany in his car for me. It was a whole mission but absolutely worth it.”
She also likes the striped mirror, which she scored secondhand and added painted stripes to with Little Greene’s Bronze Red and Tuscan Red paints. And last but not least, the wall art to the right is actually on hinges; it has a pull attached, and hides a fuse box underneath.
“Now, every time I walk through the hallway, it makes me smile,” she says. “It feels considered, warm, and just a little bit fancy, and I love that.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.