Long hallway....ideas?

10 years ago

Our upstairs hallway connects all of our bedrooms, and is pretty much utilitarian. Narrow and straight, with no natural light other than what comes in when the bedroom doors are open. I have painted/redone all of the bedrooms and now would like to do the hallway.

Aughh! don't know why the photo loaded sideways! (If anyone knows how to edit once the photo is posted, let me know)

I'm wondering if anyone has tried painting a space like this with a dark color. We have one wall covered with B&W photos using white mats and frames, and will probably do another at the opposite end of the hall.

Here are a couple of other views:

Looking down the stairs..(sorry for the sideways photo again; don't know how to straighten it or delete it once I've added it)

This is the view looking up from the entry downstairs.

The paint there now was a custom match for the beige that's in the wallpaper. It is a decent match but not perfect. I'm wondering if I should do something darker or lighter in the same color family but not try to match. It's kind of "builder beige" at the moment. Not sure every space needs high drama, but would like the hallway to be interesting, since we pass through it several times each day.

Also, not looking at the possibility of adding wainscoting, different lighting, etc., just paint and the addition of another photo gallery wall for now.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Featured Answer

Annie Deighnaugh

10 years ago

I don't think you save money on solatubes...we have 2 and while I love them and the light they bring in, with how cheap LEDs are to run, you certainly won't get payback for decades when you figure cost of the tubes plus installation...and then you still need regular lighting for night time.

If you want to do more of a gallery effect then, rather than the centered ceiling fixtures, I'd look into track lighting. The spots on the art create a much softer effect and add a lot of texture and interest to the wall, while still lighting the hall. And they make very interesting tracks and fixtures these days.

Contemporary Art Gallery Hallway · More Info

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Comments (8)

avamom2012
10 years ago
This is a great article:

[https://www.houzz.com/magazine/architects-toolbox-hallways-that-shine-stsetivw-vs~609234[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/architects-toolbox-hallways-that-shine-stsetivw-vs~609234)
bpath
10 years ago
Put in two solatubes! They bring in natural light, you won't have to turn the lights on until dark (in summer, I didn't have to turn on the lights until nearly 10pm, in winter not until 5 or 6) They really go a long way to making it feel more spacious.
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jjam
Original Author
10 years ago
thanks avamom; that is a wonderful article. It gave me a few ideas. And bpathome, I ran the idea of solatubes by DH awhile back and didn't get much enthusiasm. I may be limited to paint and some creative wall decor on this one. I'm so envious and glad you are enjoying yours.

I think the key is to find the right paint color; one that is interesting but not overwhelming. Easier said than done, of course!
bpath
10 years ago
Tell DH how much money and energy you will save with solatubes! They are way less invasive to install than skylights, you can get them with an integrated light.

But I hear ya, I have yet to talk DH into them in our current house; they are a little bit down on the list of "must-do's".
busybee3
10 years ago
In a previous house when we painted I worried because I chose a deeper color than a couple of people thought I should for an upstairs hallway and it looked great- I could have gone even deeper... it was wider than your hallway but I don't know how much that matters really...

I probably would hang larger pictures in a narrow hallway rather than a lot of smaller ones...
jjam
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks Annie and busy! I have looked for several images of long hallways and hadn't seen that one yet. Definitely like the look of larger pieces there as opposed to several small ones, as busy suggested. We thought about putting a track lighting in there but decided on doing three recessed cans instead, and they do put out plenty of light. With 8 ft ceilings I'm always looking for ways to make the ceiling look higher and I thought the recessed would do that. Three cans with LEDs gives us more than enough light; almost too much at times, so we put a dimmer switch in to help with that.

Now that we have so better lighting, that's kind of what got me thinking about doing a deeper color, despite the lack of natural light. busy, thank you for sharing your experience with the color you chose. It's a bit counterintuitive, so that's one reason I thought I'd ask the forum readers about it. Another thing I'm seeing in several photos is to paint the ends of the hall a darker shade to make it look less tunnel-like. In this case there are doors at either end so not sure it will make too much difference, but I may try it.

I wish I had a more interesting space to work with, but hopefully I'll get this right and enjoy walking through this hallway. Since I do it several times a day, it seems like a good idea to at least try to make it better than what it is:)
Olychick
10 years ago
I think your hallway is nice the way it is, but why don't you just try a deeper color and see how you like it? As they say, it's only paint, which is easy to say for those of us not doing the painting! I especially like the art at the top of the stairs. It's nice to have a statement piece large enough that you can actually see without having to be right upon it.