Ten Effective Decorating Ideas For Small, Narrow Hallways

Entrance halls and hallways in Edwardian and Victorian homes are a notorious nightmare. Usually narrow, often dark and always high-traffic, many a heartache has been had over decorating dilemmas. 

But no longer! Here are ten solutions for small, narrow halls. These are from Victorian hallways but could easily be applied to homes of any age.

1. Architectural Features

If you're lucky enough to live in a house that has a deluge of architectural features, use them! Decorate in such a way that the eye focuses on the bones of the house, rather than its weaker points. If your narrow hall is devoid of such loveliness then do not fear! It's not hard to add appropriate features in. Dado rails, cornices, and higher skirting boards will all give that longed-for period wow-factor.

Long, thin Victorian hallway with architectural features in abundance.

2. Quality

Small hallways needn't be shabby. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Narrow hallways mean that you can really go to town on materials that might otherwise be beyond your budget. Buy the best you can and the whole diminutive space will daintily whisper luxury.

Very narrow  hallway with high-end fittings.

3. Mirrors

Add mirrors. Huge ones. Make a mirror-statement that swirls the mind away from that small space of yours. Big mirrors can bring an astonishing amount of extra light into small hallways.

Glamorous small, narrow Victorian hallway! 

4. Quirky Accessories

You want your first thought when you walk through the door of your home to be happy and uplifting. It should be a space where you are reassured that you are home and dry, away from the cares of the world. A great way to do that is to introduce pieces into your hallways that wholly reflect you, and your family.

Quirky, pale grey entrance hall and living room in Victorian house

5. Open Up

If it's possible, enlarge the doorway between the narrow hallway and the first room of the house (usually the living room), thereby deceiving the eye into the notion that the hall is larger than it is by borrowing space form the adjoining room.

6. Lighting

Drawing gazes upwards with the use of great lighting adds an extra dimension of space. This is particularly effective with higher ceilings, typical of Victorian and Edwardian properties.

Long, narrow hallway with chandeliers

7. Flooring

Here's an area where a little budget can go a long way. If you have no original flooring, consider splashing out on classic-style encasutic tiles, or a beautiful wooden floor. High priorities here should be good looks and hard-wearing qualities.

8. Flow Into Other Rooms

If you keep in mind the decor of the rooms leading off your narrow hall, it's easy to trick the eye into believing that the hallway extends further than its boundaries. Choose harmonising colours and textures for a deceptively seamless link.

Beautiful decor in grey and white, and pale oak flooring

9. Pictures

Careful use of pictures can serve to break the space up so there is less of a feeling of a long, dark corridor. Keep it simple, with a collection of themed pictures, using one type of frame.

Narrow hallway with feature picture wall

10. Paint Colours

With right paint colour, you can lift your hallway from drab to fab...but which to choose from the thousands of paint colours out there for your hall? 

What you need is someone to present you with some kind of Modern Country Best Of....

Don't you?

;-)

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