Practical Tips For a Small Hallway
The hallway provides the first impression of an apartment and its owner. What should you do if you’ve got little space in yours? How should you decorate it so as to make it seem more spacious and cozy at the same time? Here are a few tips on how to decorate a stunning hallway to impress your guests while creating a functional and practical entrance regardless of square footage. We’re going to look at which materials to pick so as not to worry about stains and footprints, and how to make your entrance visually more spacious, yet welcoming.
CHOOSING THE MATERIAL
The materials chosen for your entrance must definitely be scratch-resistant, waterproof, durable, and low maintenance. The ideal finishing material for your hallway’s floor is porcelain stoneware: you won’t have to worry about dirt, stains, or moisture, and cleaning will be quick and easy. Plus, porcelain being an incredibly durable and reliable material, renovating will be out of the picture for a very long time, and you can use it for both floors and walls. Otherwise, if you want to include different accents and styles, you can also consider the addition of different materials for your walls.
Choose paint if you’re looking for a quick fix of your hallway.
You can paint the walls yourself, just remember that the coating will last longer on a carefully prepared flat surface.
Choose decorative plaster if plain walls seem too ordinary to you. Plaster helps you achieve different looks, imitating concrete, sand, silk, and even brickwork.
In addition to looking good, decorative plaster is a rather wear-resistant and durable material.
Another great option for walls is thick, non-woven wallpaper.
It can save you time, since you won’t need to scrupulously level the walls, plus, non-woven wallpaper is safe, easy to clean, and resistant to most scratches and accidental damages.
Just make sure you’re using special glue and following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
HOW TO ORGANIZE STORAGE SYSTEMS CORRECTLY
A tiny entrance hall is a common problem for all apartments with a standard layout. Use different storage systems to fit more things in a limited space. Experiment! Combine hooks, coat hangers, open cabinets, benches, and decorative shelves for small items, and install a miniature drawer if you have enough room. Find a spot for a key holder, which will prove its worth by helping you never lose your precious keys.; plus, it’s a nice touch to decorate your hallway and keep it tidy.
If you want to remove all unnecessary objects, only leaving out a minimum amount of things, a built-in wardrobe is the ideal solution. A well fitted model allows for a rational use of the space, hiding wall imperfections, and blending in with the wall as if it was never even there!
Consider using containers, boxes and wicker baskets, which will provide extra storage options in, but keep in mind they have to fit with the design style of your choice without cluttering the space.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR HALLWAY FEEL MORE SPACIOUS
Even the smallest hallway can be transformed into a stylish setting. For your floor, choose diagonal, multi-format or staggered tiles to add dynamism and visually broaden the space. Please note that the laying of multi-format tiles requires the installation of rectified tiles with the same thickness.
Patterned tiles are another great trick to make the room feel larger and brighter. You can decorate your floor using geometric patterns such as Charme Loop or Frame, 59×59, with lux finishing, adding elegance to a mesmerizing design.
This is also a very convenient and cost-effective choice, so you might want to consider it for the entire apartment.
The color scheme also plays an important role in the organization of the entrance area.
Living in a modern apartment complex with underground parking, a neat entrance and elegant elevator means you don’t have to settle for unimpressive hallways anymore. You may want to look into refined options such as white, marble effect porcelain tiles from Charme Deluxe, Charme Extra, Charme Evo, or Charme.
This will provide your settings with a soothing feeling of harmony and tranquility while visually making it feel more spacious. Plus, the highly performing technical traits of such surfaces are ideal for an entrance area.
To add depth and contrast to your light floor, you can paint the walls a bright color or choose wallpaper with a deeply saturated shade. This will provide your hallway with personality and warmth to welcome you anytime you come home.
Experts recommend avoiding too much yellow and green in the hallway, as these shades tend to negatively affect the mood if used in small spaces: the ideal solution is the use of mild pastel colors such as white, beige, or coffee. Using light shades will also help you make the room feel wider, and you can use bright accessories to make it lively.
TIPS FOR THE RIGHT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS
Scattered ambient lights are a real must-have in your hallway. After all, a well-lit space looks much more roomy and comfortable. Lights should not be too bright, or their reflection in the mirrors will be harsh on your eyes.
If your hallway is particularly tiny, you can always try to make it feel cozy rather than small, adding unusual lighting solutions: use a floor lamp, wall sconces, alcoves and shelf lights; they will help create a welcoming and pleasant atmosphere. If you have a long, narrow hallway you can create several lighting areas with different sources to avoid a “tunnel” effect.
MIRRORS IN THE HALLWAY
As you know, hallways should have a mirror: not only will you need it to look at yourself before you leave, it will also visually open up the space. This easy trick pretty much doubles the perceived entrance area; the larger the mirror, the larger the hallway will feel.
If the hallway is extremely small, consider installing a mirrored sliding door for your wardrobe, or even a mirrored entrance door: they will help save space and visually widen the area. Don’t be afraid of decorating the entire wall with a mirror: the result will be impressive. Just remember to use shock resistant materials for your safety, especially when dealing with large formats.
A hallway should always be stylish and comfortable, as it is the hallmark of your house. It’s a multifunctional space leading you outside, and welcoming home your guests, other than being a convenient storage area for smaller objects and shoes. Don’t put limits to your imagination and create a design that will make you feel happy and comfortable anytime you come home.
Read our article “Creare un bagno in finitura lux: sogno o realtà?”, to discover tips from Maria Kalina, a designer from Nizhny Novgorod, about whether or not tiles with lux finishing can be used for your hallway.
