Have you considered painting the cabinets a color other than whatever they are now? I like the idea of a gallery of your photographs. Are there more on the wall that isn't shown?

Perhaps you can take the color from them. You could be brave and paint the different doors different colors--this is certainly mid-century.

I also suggest that the black frames are too heavy for the space. Think about painting them also.

A colorful runner would also help the space

there doesn't seem to be much wall for wainscotting, but you do need to bring the balance down closer to the floor. With the black frames being the "heaviest" visual thing in the space and nothing to anchor them, the space tends to feel disorientating. A runner on the floor would help with that balance issue.
How about removing all of the doors and replacing what is behind the doors with built in shelving units, some with doors, some with out, make it look more like a library and less like a hallway.

My first thought was also to paint them different colours like Yvonnecmartin said, as it is a mid century home. I would choose some colour from your photos, if they are from your safari I am sure there is some great colours to work with. I would add some interesting pulls to complete the look. Your art work should definitly stay as they are a true expression of your life.

Choose the colours that will best work with your wall colour.

Susan Mills

A couple of things to think about. First , the wainscot will make the space look smaller and crowded . I'd stick to changing the cabinet doors. Take a look at the two links on Hozz that is attached. You can add some trim little expense and custom design what ever you want. In the first pic, the black center can be painted, wire, or a cloth/wallpaper, and tie the black of the photo frames together. http://houzz.com/photos/137744. In the second pic, only the trim can be designed on the door. http://houzz.com/photos/71274 no matter, the build-in's should be painted the same color of your trim. You could just paint them the color of the trim, and change the trin and add new hardware . You'll be very surprised how much a simple coat of paint and new hardware can change a whole space. Here is a pic of some hardware, to maybe over-the-top for you, but your choices are limitless. Good luck and have fun !
http://houzz.com/photos/662435

Terrific safari photos, but I'm not sure as to what your decorating style is? If you enjoy modern or global inspired decor, distressing your cabinets or using reclaimed wood might be a consideration for your space.


Good luck, and keep us posted!

I wrote a response and then lost it in editing. Shorter version:
I really like two of the options proposed so far--painting your cabinets in different colors (maybe a mix of miami beach pastels?) or taking off the doors and turning the shelving into a beautiful bookshelf or shelves for displaying art. The first solution will only work if you think it would go with the style of decor in the rest of your house. The benefit of it is that you preserve closed cabinets for storage. The second solution could be quite beautiful. Here are some photos of hallways, the first with more traditional bookshelves, the second with more contemporary shelves for art. Either, with modifications, could work in your hallway, though personally I'd pick the bookshelves option:




And here are a few more inspiration photos for different styles and configurations of cabinets and shelves:


Actually, that last option might best fit the style of your 1960's house, plus providing room for your safari photos.

If mid-century isn't your thing or you're not adventurous enough to paint several colors in your hallway - go to a kitchen/cabinet showroom and order doors in white with a beadboard detail to fit these openings. If that's too classic for you, just a shaker style door in a wood tone that coordinates with your floor so that they stand out against the wall. Then add a colorful rug to the floor - maybe tribal or kilim runner. Then re-frame the photos in a much thinner frame (so the photos stand out more than the frames) in either a metal tone (antique brass or silver) or just a wood tone to go with the cabinets. If you choose to stay with white for your cabinet doors, paint the walls a light neutral color to create contrast.

maybe some frosted glass sliders to add a little interest?

I love the idea of the frosted glass sliders, good call Shannon! I do think a runner is needed like Mona suggested.

If your budget allows, I too would pull the cupboards out. However, if you can't replace them, work with them and add elements to draw the eyes away from them. I'd love to see glass pulls on those doors. The shape now is kind on modern. Glass or acrylic will blend in, and reflects light.

What if you lightened the frames up a bit, still black but a narrower width? I want to pull one or two of those colors out from your photos too, like the blue from the sky or yellow from the giraffe. You need some pop in there.

What do you think about stripes? If you don't want to go bold, you could add a brighter colored runner with a minimal pattern that incorporates just two of the colors from your photos, again like the blue or yellow, then that runner would marry the floor and the walls. You could even paint wide stripes vertically on the walls just where the pictures are hung in the blue or the yellow. A stripe will draw your eyes to the photos, and contrast nicely with black frames.

Here's a crazy thought, what if you did go bold and painted horizontal stripes all the way around the hallway in say a pale blue, even on the cupboards - treating it like one large canvas? You could put a solid colored pale blue runner down to ground it all. Again, clear pulls on the doors. It's a bold move, but heck, it's just paint!

Thank you all so much for such great and varied ideas. I'm not good at thinking outside the box and appreciate your help so much.

Yes, the frames on my safari photos are too heavy (they're walnut brown not black as they appear in photo) so I will change these. I'm leaning toward buying white doors with the touch latches, could work as my home is simple. These shelves are for storage with things that are not pleasing to look at such as sheets, blankets, Christmas decorations, gift wrap etc. so I do need doors to hide the contents.
Unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't hang photos on these doors as we're in and out of them so often. I love the idea of a colorful runner.

I'm also considering something called "Sun Tunnels" which can bring in natural daytime light. Any experience good or bad with those?

HI -- Sun tubes are great ! And I think the picture frames are good - they are nicely matted and the wood color is rich looking and suit the photo topic - you don't need to change them. Yes, you can hang pictures on the doors - use the sticky hooks and pads etc. from 3M - they will stay put no problem. Look for a runner rug that relates to the subject matter in your photos - something fun like Zebra or Giraffe or an african mud cloth look - but don't go tacky. Have fun !

As an easy start, re-frame the photographs and put them in an informal arrangement that mimics the staggering of the cabinets. Also replace the cabinet hardware, maybe see if there are African animal pulls in the children's section, even if you have to repaint them. Perhaps hardware that looks antique could be an alternative.

Also run that photograph through some color-change filters for the walls, see if anything appeals.

So many great ideas you all have !! Angelynn, I'm afraid you lost me with ..."arrangement that mimics the staggering of the cabinets". ?? I'm attaching 1 more photo showing both sides of my hall as it looks now. The wall with the curio goes into our guest bathroom.

I have never chatted with a group with as much talent and good ideas as you all have.
Thanks again!!

Oops...I attached the wrong picture. This is the one I meant that shows both sides of hall.

Just a thought but Ikea makes great hi gloss cabinet doors and they are relatively inexpensive. If you could hire a handyman to combine the upper and lower cabinets then you can add these doors. As for the Safari pics. I would blow them up large and then have a healthy mat and then a oversized modern frame. Really make an impact on that hallway. Make sure your photos are grouped together well too.

Try adding picture frame molding to those doors and switch to classic white or stainless knobs. Then find a runner that has all the colors and design that you LOVE. The rug will make the statement and the eye height details will compliment it with a "finished" look...GOOD LUCK...It's a GREAT HALL!!!

Great ideas- how about combining a few? I would pick a colorful animal print runner, remove cabinet doors & make bookshelves- paint back walls to coordinate w/ runner. You can display other mementos, books etc related to your travels. (You can mount some pics to face of shelves too-). You could replace recessed lights w/ directional lights to "spotlight" your photo gallery, or move pics down (is middle photo eye level?), & get picture lights-

Switch out the hardware; the handles and the hinges. They are OLD. If you want rustic put some old barn hinges on there. If you need a spot of color but not too much add some decorative trim on the interior (not on the edge) on the front of the door.

My Uncle use doors from Ikea in his bathroom that would be great in your hall since there is a ton of storage. They have pull out drawers all through them. I think they would look great plus it solves the storage problem. I believe it is the PAX system. There are small drawers my Aunt used for her jewelry then deeper ones for blankets and towels.

It appears you put in your baseboard after the floor was installed. My biggest problem is the starting and stopping of the baseboards. I would take them out of this area completely. I also agree with the idea of touch latch doors. I would have a single ceiling to floor door in each area where the doors are in two's. I also would take the frames off the remaining doors. It becomes a very modern architectural look. You might even think about replacing the existing (now frameless) doors with 3 opaque glass panels for a sleeker look which will add some interest to the area. Your safari pictures could be framed in black frames with white mats. Your walls and doors should be painted the same if you choose a white. If you choose a color for the walls, then I would do only the frameless doors in a white and your touch-latch doors same as walls. Your carpet can provide a ballast for your safari pictures if it is in a zebra or some other animal print, or you can pick up colors that will work with your adjoining areas of the house.

Why not install push to open fixtures in the door, remove the handles, blow a few of your pictures up to cover the doors and have a personalized wall paper/gallery effect? If you split a picture on the tall cupboard door and the double doors it would still be OK.By all means keep the smaller picture collection feature to the left and the cupbaord doors as an almost abstract. Paint the divisions between the doors and the frame black to link with the framed photos.
Jenny
Amazing Makeovers, Australia

i think the idea of push-to-open for the cabinet doors works, great here, if there's a lot of storage in there not intended for display....otherwise- I'd get rid of the doors and go for open shelves. Not in a cluster-mad way, but to add some depth to a narrow hallway.

Happy brainstorming :)

tone on tone, wide horizontal stripes, in neutral shades (grays or beiges) across cabinets and walls. They will make the space feel wider and give some quiet energy to draw you to your photos. A runner to bring the colors of the connecting rooms would add a lot too
good luck

Change the hinge"s and doors . Panel doors and new lighting . semi drop lighting adds volumes . A animal print rug will make it pop,

Hi,
If you run a grack floor and ceiling and do'what is now called'barn doors, but contemporary, you will'need a millworker. Hard acrylic finish and at the end of the hallway a floor to'ceiling photo from Africa elephant'heading your way, face of lion.
Cabinets in Gobi Beige Behr and ceiling'same but 1/4 cut, doors a lighter grey, barely kisses grey.
Too many lines, doors, pictures, this is similar to the photo above from Christine.
Lights high hats, or recessed with a brushed nickel plate and cover clear white bulbs.
I think a long African carpet or series or an old beautiful kilim'in bright'colors.
And you are done.
Cost doors 3,500. Lights 129 Each x6 wall photo 350 carpet 1200. Have fun, great home, enjoy every section everyday.

I agree with Christine; the Ikea high gloss cabinet doors is a great solution to open up the space. Simple vertical glass door fronts (hidden hinges) could also work to make that hallway feel more spacious and modern. For the safari photos, you can pick the favorite one and blow it up large to fit the space (formerly occupied by the six frames) with a simple black frame.

I think removing some of the upper cabinet's doors and exposing the shelves will give the hall way some much needed depth. Painting the backs a color you've pulled form the photos will help as well. I would also inset the doors into the cabinets and use magnetic latches vs hardware. This would help modernize and open up the space. I love the safari photos, but find the frames heavy. Re-frame using inexpensive black metal frames with white mattes from Ikea. This is cost effective and would give the attention back to the photos, instead of the frames. Several people have mentioned a runner and I think that's a great idea to bring in some texture and color. Definitely skip the wainscoting - not enough wall space to give it the impact you would be hoping for. Good luck!

I agree with several ideas that have been mentioned already. Change the doors to simple flush with the wall surface panels with touch to open latches. Hinges and hardware will disappear and the effect will be a seamless wall. This will eliminate the closet-look. Use cable lighting for the gallery and display the pictures between two pieces of glass instead of frames. Add the runner and keep the color white or off white.

I never disagree with a design idea in a forum, but I would strongly disagree with glass doors, fronts in a panel in a hallway. Kids, dogs, balls, suitcases, playing, it is too narrow and a little too much of a possible injury. I apologize for this not, there are only good thoughts.

Safety concerns are always worth considering, COconsultants- no apology needed. I use tempered glass in almost every application for safety. Just did a beautiful bronze mirror pantry door in a kid heavy house & it worked out great. The clients thought about it and decided it was truly no different than the french doors they have in almost every room. Glass breakage is definitely something for the homeowners to consider when planning and pointing out all sides is great. I love Houzz for these high quality, thorough discussions.

Thank you for your kind response, we did use tempered and had a soccer ball go through a glass door amazing, all ok, but I am cautious now. Thank you.
I love glass doors, there is a product from Armstrong tjat os wonderful with bamboo sandwiched in and otjer otems take a peek it is plexi ans looks great.

once again thank you I hesistates to wrote those words. A sweet Shannon you are!,

Thanks for the caution, COC, It's always wise to think through all scenarios and weigh your options, especially when it concerns little ones. ;)

Just a word that many of you are suggesting removing the doors when the owner has stated that she does not want exposed storage; she has also stated the picture frames are walnut, NOT black, so painting the space between doors black would not work, either. Our job as designers or problem-solvers is to meet the owner's needs and to really listen to their descriptions and concerns!

Perhaps replacing the doors with frosted glass framed doors would add depth and a different material in the hallway. The illusion of other colors/shadows behind the frosted glass would create some interest. New hardware would help too! A darker (not dark) taupe paint color for walls and storage door frames would be nice against white trim....

an animal print rug in the floor and chaning the lighting . Like a hanging chandalier.

I saw a person install sliding glass doors but instead of glass they used Plexiglass. It was sanded on the back side which gave the appearance of frosted glass.

Sorry, just came back to see the reply. This is a little of what I was talking about. [houzz=]

thanks for the replies. Unfortunately a chandelier wouldn't work as the ceilings are only about 7' high (very low). I definitely like the idea of the animal print runner and may consider the plexiglasss doors as well. The hall is dark as we normally keep the bedroom doors closed so I think sun tunnels in the hall would add natural light. Thanks again guys.