Wasted Hallway Space

I’ve never had the need to decorate a hallway before, but I’ve heard from so many people that it can be a pain in the butt. Some home’s passages are too narrow for proper furniture, others are too long to ever be interesting, and then you have the houses with an odd mix of twists, turns, and big empty walls. I’m pretty sure that that’s how you would classify ours. We have, essentially, three portions of hallway, all which bring different design challenges to the table.

Take the pass through from the foyer to the kitchen

Pretty boring, right? Not quite the foyer anymore because of the two door frames, but also not wide enough (perhaps?) for a console table. That wall definitely needs some pop. By the same token, I keep daydreaming about bold entryways like this with the console from this CB2.

How in the world could I make the second half of the hallway pop if the foyer is green? I’m going to have to step out of my comfort level and go a little design crazy with some (dare I say it) patterns and shapes. Right now, I’m envisioning a large piece of art or even wallpaper or stencils. Hell, I might continue the chair rail from the kitchen down through the hall to add dimension without impeding people’s ability to walk through. And of course that light is getting changed out with the cheapo pendant from Lowes that I love (got the last two on clearance a few days ago!) I like the idea of having all of our hallway lighting fixtures match, though they’ll probably unintentionally be hung at different lengths due to my lack of foresight in measuring how much cord I cut off the first light. Adds character.

The second portion of hallway is that which leads up the steps, past the bathroom and ends at the master bedroom

It’s definitely the most traditional so I’m leaning toward a picture frame collection on the wall with the handrail (which also needs to be stained or painted). I might add some interest by painting that trim on the sides of the stairs a bright color like the kitchen’s bright blue or green to match the hopefully-soon-to-be-painted foyer. Black would also be an interesting choice since I love black furniture and damask and fully intend to subtly incorporate that design into more places than the master bedroom. I think these walls will be a crisp white since I don’t want them competing with frames and other knick-knacks.

Finally, there’s the awkward nook for the two bedrooms to the right of the master bedroom

It’s impossible to get a decent shot of this space because the door frame blocks a wide view, but basically to the left of the frame is the linen closet, the shot was taken from the empty bedroom, and to the right of the frame is the guest bedroom we sleep in for now. The corner is rather shallow, but this wall just begs for a little table or shelves up the wall.

How has anyone else dealt with their awkward wall spaces? I love YoungHouseLove‘s designed hallway with console and gallery wall. Unfortunately we don’t have anywhere close to their hallway depth.

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