Narrow hallway design
A narrow hallway is often left unattended, but in vain. The room allows you to embody quite interesting design ideas. Correctly selected finishes and lighting will make the hallway visually larger and more attractive. You should be careful with the decor, its excess will heavily load the space.
Zoning
The division into zones allows you to make a narrow room more functional and proportional. The entrance and vestibule should be provided as a minimum. The project must be built based on the quadrature of the corridor. Zoning methods:
- ceilings of different levels;
- using different wall or floor finishes;
- combination of several style solutions.
The combination of different floor coverings is used for zoning narrow spaces most often... Durable and easy to clean tiles at the entrance can be replaced with parquet or laminate in the lobby area. And you can also combine wall decor. The use of wall tiles or vinyl wallpaper is relevant.
The implementation of specific styles is more laborious due to the small size of the room and the peculiarities of the layout. However, such a decision will delight every time you return home and amaze guests.
It is worth deciding in advance how many clothes, accessories and shoes you need to store in the hallway. Guest hooks should also be foreseen based on the usual number of visitors.
Expanding space
A very narrow hallway seems uncomfortable and uncomfortable. Zoning will allow you to use the entire space wisely, but there are tricks that will help you visually expand it. Here are the secrets of professional designers.
- Mirrors. Installing mirror surfaces opposite each other works great. As a result, you can get some kind of optical illusion. A reflective cabinet can stand on one side. Alternatively, you can install a mirror with an elegant shape.
- Lighting. Tiered ceiling and LED spotlights can work wonders. The ceiling becomes visually higher, due to which the space expands. The essence of the effect is that warm light bounces off the glossy surface of the ceiling.
- Falling walls... A controversial but working method. The walls are reduced by an arch. But it will not be possible to realize what we have conceived if one of them is a carrier. If the adjoining room is going to be a bedroom and needs to be fenced off securely, then this method is also not the best. However, a combination with a living room or kitchen is perfectly acceptable.
The latter method can be implemented in a slightly simplified form. It is worth getting rid of the nearest interior wall. There will be a feeling that the hallway seems to merge with the passage, the space becomes many times more. Sunlight will make its way into the hallway.
Finishing
The decoration of the walls, ceiling and floor requires special attention. The wrong choice of material will overload the space. In this case, it seems that the walls are literally moving and do not allow to unfold. You need to choose materials based on your budget, style, preferences.
The floor covering should be easy to clean from dirt. Wear-resistant materials will last for many years and will withstand all the stress. Parquet boards and laminate in light colors will perfectly fit into the concept of modern interiors. It is better to use carpet only in the lobby area, but at the entrance you can lay dense linoleum.
Natural stone and ceramic tiles serve for a long time and are easily cleaned of fresh dirt.
It is recommended to choose the material for wall decoration such that it is easy to wash away the accidentally left trace of dirty shoes. It is especially important to consider this criterion if there are children or animals in the house that walk outside in any weather. Walls can be covered with wallpaper or plaster for painting. PVC panels and tiles look good at the bottom, but on top it is worth applying decorative plaster or laying out an artificial stone. Plaster decorations look good if there is little furniture in the hallway.
A stretch or false ceiling is best suited for a narrow hallway. In some cases, a multilevel design is used. The design with expanded polystyrene tiles, styrofoam stucco looks interesting. The easiest option is staining with water-based paint.
Doors must be designed in the same way. It is important that so that they do not open into the corridor. Sliding or folding canvases are great. An acceptable option would be a pendulum door that can be opened in both directions. In this case, there is practically no risk of blocking the passage.
It is better to make a low ceiling smooth. The presence of decorative elements like stucco molding will make the space heavier. The narrow hallway excludes the use of too curly stones for decoration. This will steal usable space.
Most successful colors
A narrow hallway often looks dark and ominous only because of the wrong approach to decoration. Colors and lines literally transform the room beyond recognition. Light shades should dominate. This color can be combined with a darker one that can be placed underneath.
The horizontal lines at the hips and knees look interesting. However, it is not worth marking them on top, where the head is. This will create a heavy long tunnel effect. Vertical stripes work just as well... They divide the space into parts, attract the eye.
You can use saturated and dark colors, but only in combination with light ones. Chocolate walls with milky furnishings are in perfect harmony.White door panels add dynamics.
For combinations, it is better to choose cold tones. Otherwise, it is worth carefully placing bright elements. Blue, green, purple shades make the space visually larger than it is. Small red accents go well with basic white and complementary gray. The brightness will cheer you up when you return home.
Color allows for visual effects. Narrow hallways often feel too high. Painting the ceiling in a dark shade will visually lower it. And we are not talking about black.
It is worth choosing a shade several shades darker than the walls.
Style solutions
The narrow hallway in the apartment causes many controversial situations. The arrangement of rooms and load-bearing walls does not allow expanding the space. However, there is always enough space to create a stylish and attractive design. You can experiment with bold ideas, because finishing a small room will be quite budgetary.
A classic interior will be out of place in a narrow hallway, because stucco and carved elements clutter up the space... You can realize antique motifs in the Greek style. The luxurious baroque will have to be abandoned in favor of the living space.
Here are some good styles for a narrow corridor.
- Scandinavian. The ideal solution for a small space. Light shades combined with rich colors will make the hallway attractive. Facades should have glass inserts with lattice patterns. Only simple silhouettes are used.
- Minimalism. The main thing is to think over the storage systems. They should be simple and hidden from view as much as possible. Only simple furniture of the correct geometric shape is used. The most popular color is white. Can be complemented with black, gray and other neutral tones. The use of several decorative elements is appropriate. For example, you can hang a white canvas with a triangle.
- Urban and modern. Well suited for older houses with narrow hallways. A dynamic interior is created. It is noteworthy that the harmonious elements create a sense of living presence. Natural shades are used.
- Ethnic styles... A combination of stone and wood is used. It is worth giving preference to materials of light shades. Linden or aspen massifs, white marble or sandstone allow you to expand a narrow room. Clay clay works well with a milky finish.
- Rococo. Use gold to highlight key elements. Brown and pastel shades are used as base shades.
- Empire style. Looks quite interesting in a narrow room, provided it is of sufficient length. Only saturated colors are used. It is worth combining gold, red, blue and green. You can choose bright furniture, but leave the walls in a calm shade.
- High tech. The modern design involves a lot of metallic colors, silver. You can experiment and use both simple and curly lines. The main thing is that the metallic look prevails. Bright decor elements are acceptable.
Furniture selection
It is quite difficult to equip a narrow hallway, because you need to use the space as functionally as possible. Much depends on the number of people living and visiting guests. It is necessary to provide space for various things.
- Outerwear, gloves, hats and hats.
- Shoes.
- Mirror. It is better if you can examine yourself in full growth. If a small mirror is used, it must be tilted down slightly. This angle of reflection will allow you to maximize your appearance.
- Means for the care of shoes and things.
To accommodate all this abundance you can use open hallway furniture with multiple hooks, shelves and drawers. For a family, choose a narrow closet. Ideally, you can make a small niche in the wall to at least partially hide the furniture.A wardrobe with a shallow depth looks interesting. The length provides additional storage space.
In some cases, it is worth considering additional furniture. Everything is only the most necessary.
- Bench or ottoman... A small place where you can sit down and change your shoes in comfort. In some cases, there may be a niche for shoes inside.
- Housekeeper.
- Umbrella stand... If automatic models are used, additional hooks can be hung.
- Shelf for a comb, cosmetics... It is better to install it next to the mirror or, on the contrary, hide all the accessories in the closet.
It may seem that placing so many items in a narrow hallway will not work. It is worth choosing multifunctional furniture and installing it as compactly as possible. If necessary, you can replace the cabinet with boxes above the door.
It is important to paint them to match the walls so that the facades are not striking. Convenient to use for storing accessories.
The mezzanine should be positioned so that the tallest member of the family does not bang his head. Several boxes next to it will allow you to hide a large number of things. Then a pair of hooks will be enough for the clothes that are worn in a particular season. A separate drawer should be provided for storing shoes.
The cabinet can only be placed along one wall. Otherwise, there will be nowhere to walk in the hallway. Sliding doors with mirrored or glass inserts will allow you to slightly hide the bulk of the furniture. In shallow cabinets, it is much more convenient to use retractable end rails. The clothes will be placed not sideways, but facing the front.
You can furnish the hallway a minimum amount of furniture. It is quite enough just a bench for sitting, under which boxes or shelves with shoes are hidden. In this case, a wardrobe for outerwear is located in one of the rooms. A topical solution for emptying a narrow hallway in a large apartment.
Decor and textiles
The interior must look complete, otherwise the shortcomings of a narrow hallway will catch your eye again and again. Only you cannot use a lot of decorative elements, otherwise they will begin to crush, making the overall situation heavier. In general concept pictures from a mirror mosaic in thin light frames look good.
This is unusual and allows you to brighten the room.
The use of decor and textiles in a narrow hallway should be dosed.
- The door mat has a functional and decorative purpose. The right choice will decorate the hallway. Better to use square or rectangular models. Clear geometric shapes and lines will visually expand the space. The colors should be in harmony with the overall interior.
- Photos and paintings will add more family comfort to the narrow hallway. You can arrange a collage, or arrange separate frames horizontally.
- The number of decorations directly depends on the total area. It is recommended to place them only in empty spaces. Hanging toys around the mirror or piling up 5-8 photo frames in one area is a surplus.
- You can install an open shelving with textile baskets for small items.
- The key holder can be equipped with sewn name pouches. Very cute and funny. It is worth choosing pastel shades of fabrics.
- Plain walls can be decorated with many small black and white paintings. An alternative would be one bright canvas.
Beautiful examples
Making a narrow hallway requires a deliberate approach. Interesting ideas will help you find inspiration.
- Even in a narrow corridor, a luxurious design can be made. Light colors and a lot of light do their job.
- A prime example of how you can hide furniture. The main and additional light sources are used to highlight the hallway area.
- Stylish corridor, where only the most necessary furniture is located. Successful zoning visually expands the space.
- The bright and modern entrance hall is decorated with only functional decorative elements.The narrow hallway looks cozy, allows you to change your shoes comfortably and evaluate your appearance in a large mirror.
- All furniture is hidden in the walls, so the space is completely free. Bright accents on the walls look stylish and fresh.