How to arrange: tips from designers
Tips for arranging a hallway:
- Mirrors, glossy surfaces and light colors are perfect for visually increasing the space in a small hallway.
- A small hallway with interior doors decorated with mirror or glass elements will look much lighter and more spacious. You can add even more light to the room by using doorless openings or arches decorated with curtains.
- In a small and narrow hallway, it is advisable to install only the necessary furniture in the form of a compact chest of drawers or a wardrobe, several shelves and hooks for clothes.
- An effective solution when there is a lack of usable space is a corner design, which is considered very roomy.
The photo shows the design of a small hallway in the interior of an apartment.
What furniture to choose?
It is quite difficult to arrange furniture in this room without losing free space. Therefore, they try to furnish a small hallway with only the necessary and most functional elements.
For example, a chest of drawers can be replaced with a shoe rack or a shoe cabinet, and instead of a bulky wardrobe, a floor or wall hanger can be installed. Hats and other accessories will fit perfectly on hanging shelves.
An integral decorative detail of a small hallway is a mirror, which is best hung on the wall to save useful meters.
For a small and long room, a wide wardrobe with a slight depth is selected, and in a square corridor, a narrowed and deep structure is equipped.
Since the sliding wardrobe takes up a lot of space, to expand the space it is equipped with mirrored facades and lamps are installed above it. An ergonomic solution would be to install the sliding wardrobe in a niche.
A bench in the form of a chest with a folding seat or a drawer is perfect as an additional storage space. A tall, narrow shelving unit or tall unit will make great use of the corners of the room.
The photo shows a small hallway in turquoise and white tones, equipped with a compact black chest of drawers and an open hanger.
For a small hallway, designers recommend choosing multifunctional furniture elements, such as an ottoman and bench with internal drawers or a cabinet combined with a mirror.
Modular items will fit perfectly into an unusual layout. They will allow you to properly organize the storage of things and at the same time will not deprive a small room of comfort and useful space.
Layout
Before starting repair work, it is necessary to draw up a design project that provides a finished look of the hallway with decoration and arranged furniture. To do this, first of all, pay attention to the layout features of the room. The corridor space can have a high or low ceiling, be with or without a window.
Basically, a small hallway is distinguished by a square or elongated configuration. An elongated room should be visually made more proportional and brought closer to the shape of a square.
The photo shows the layout of a small hallway of an elongated shape.
A small space should have a rational design in which nothing will hinder free movement. For example, since there are many interior doors in the hallway, they should open into other rooms, have a folding or sliding mechanism. It is preferable if the door panels blend in with the wall decoration, so they will not attract unnecessary attention and will make the image of the room more complete.
Laconic portals or stylish arches without door panels will look even better in the interior of a small hallway.
Finishing and materials
A two-level combined ceiling with a plasterboard frame and a mirrored stretch ceiling in the center is perfect for visually enlarging a small hallway. A light painted ceiling plane or glossy plastic panels will do just as well in expanding the space. The main thing is not to decorate the ceiling with voluminous and massive structures that hide the dimensions of the room.
When decorating the walls in a small hallway, it is appropriate to use ceramic tiles, brick or stone masonry, plaster, PVC panels and ordinary plain wallpaper. To prevent a small room from visually decreasing in size, you should not choose canvases with contrasting and too gaudy patterns. Cork material or photo wallpaper with a perspective image will look very unusual on the walls.
The photo shows walls covered with photo wallpaper with black and white patterns in the design of a small hallway.
The flooring in the hallway must meet special requirements, be wear-resistant, durable and easy to clean. Linoleum, parquet or porcelain stoneware have excellent qualities. A more economical option is laminate, but it does not tolerate moisture well and can deform over time.
In an elongated hallway, the flooring can be laid crosswise, so the room will seem much wider. To add extra volume to a small room, use finishing materials in light shades, such as beige tiles, gray linoleum, or laminated boards with imitation ash or oak.
The photo shows a small hallway with an accent wall decorated with mirror panels.
Color scheme
The color scheme should be particularly moderate. In a small room, no more than 2 or 3 colors should be used, one color as the main one, and the others as contrasting accents.
A great idea for a small hallway would be a white palette, which helps to significantly expand the space. A snow-white room always has a feeling of freshness, airiness and cleanliness.
Milk-coffee or light brown color schemes are very practical. Beige tones fit harmoniously into any style, creating a warm and homely atmosphere.
For a neutral and restrained design, choose laconic gray shades. The monochrome interior looks livelier due to polished steel surfaces and mirror elements in combination with the right lighting.
The photo shows the interior of a small hallway in a modern style, done in gray and white tones.
A truly cute and unobtrusive image of a small hallway can be achieved with the help of lavender, blue, mint, pink or lemon colors.
The photo shows white in the design of a small corridor.
Decor options
In a small room, you should use a minimum number of decorative items that do not differ too much ornate execution.
You can fill a small hallway space with coziness using live plants, soft rugs or a bench decorated with beautiful pillows. One accent wall can be decorated with modular paintings, photo collages or panels. Stylish frames or stickers are selected for mirrors.
The photo shows mirrors in silver frames on the wall above a sofa decorated with soft pillows in the interior of a small hallway.
A small room is best complemented with mobile and stable tall figurines, statues, jardinieres or flower stands.
Lighting
A light room looks much more spacious than a dark one. That is why a cramped hallway needs high-quality lighting.
For a small hallway, installing one or two lamps above the mirror or spotlights built into the wardrobe is suitable. In a small room, you can place a compact ceiling chandelier or several bulbs emitting diffused light. Decorative lighting will help add a certain zest to the atmosphere. LED strips are used to decorate mirrors, shelves, niches, and also to design false windows.
The photo shows a small hallway with lamps located above the mirror.
Photo in the interior
Examples of real photos of the design of a small hallway in an apartment and house.
Design of a very small hallway
When there is a shortage of space in the hallway, various techniques are used to give the room additional space. For example, a small hallway is sometimes combined with a storage room or expanded at the expense of other rooms. An excellent decorative way to expand the area is to install a large mirror that perfectly reflects light or use light glossy materials.
The photo shows the design of a small hallway in a Khrushchev-era apartment.
As a storage system for clothes, it is better to give preference to floor or wall hangers. Only seasonal items can be hung on hooks. A very advantageous solution for a small hallway would be to use upper mezzanines.
Examples of decorating a small hallway in a house
A narrow space should be decorated in light colors, using minimalist decor and furniture elements. For example, to save space, in a small hallway in a country house or summer cottage, you can install a simple outdoor bench.
The walls in the hallway are plastered, painted, or left with natural finishing materials. The floor is covered with high-quality flooring.
The photo shows a small hallway with a window in the interior of a log house.
If there is a window, it is decorated with light curtains and live plants and flowers are placed on the windowsill, enlivening the atmosphere.
The photo shows the design of a small elongated hallway in a country house made of timber.