A narrow hallway can be one of the hardest spaces to decorate. Take a look at my hallway redo and some easy ways to decorate a hallway.
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When we first moved into our homestead, my mind swirled with home improvement project ideas. Moving into a house that has all the opportunity to redo is like my Disneyland. My heart flutters at the thought of freshly painted walls and decor placed just right. I couldn’t wait to get started!
We started with the guest room; I have never had a guest room before so I was eager to put together that space. That and so my friends and family can visit and sleep in an actual bed. Every time I had to pull out an air mattress I would die a little bit inside. Now I welcome my guests with a comfortable bed and a guest room basket full of amenities.
Right after the guest room was done, we moved on to the hallway redo. I don’t waste time when it comes to decorating. Or more like I am like a giddy school girl when it comes to decorating and just can’t wait! I’ll be honest though, my excitement can sometimes cloud my judgement and I forget that home improvement projects can be timely. This project was no exception.
One failed stain job led to weeks of re-sanding (Oh all the sanding. I think I can still feel the dust) and a project that was meant to take a couple weekends took months. In the end, it was completely worth it and I learned so much. Including the biggest lesson, always stain a test spot before staining the entire project (oh the sanding!). Take a look at my hallway redo and some tips that I learned along the way to decorate a hallway.
Before
We started with a pretty bland hallway, the white railing blended in with the walls and the paint was faded but it had a ton of potential. My biggest mission was to not spend a ton of money and to upgrade what was already there.
The before and after still blows my mind and every time I walk through, I am so happy with the results. It took some time and a lot of elbow grease but you know what? Worth it!
If you have a bland hallway, I guarantee it has mega potential just like mine did. Take a look at what I learned from this project and some tips on how to decorate a hallway. Also, check out some more tips on how to make home improvements on a budget.
Upgrade what you’ve got
This goes for any space, but I love to say it. Upgrading what you already have is a great way to change the look without spending a ton of money. We chose to use a stripping gel to strip the paint off the stairs and handrail to expose the natural wood. We then sanded it down and stained it a light color that pops next to the freshly painted white walls.
There are so many easy things you can upgrade like updating the trim or painting the doors. Also think about decor that you can diy into something new. The skull on the wall was one that my godfather shot, I painted the antlers gold and hung it in place. Easy and inexpensive decor is the best!
Paint with neutral colors
Most hallways are windowless and dark. A coat of light or neutral paint can really brighten up a hallway. Stick with whites, grays, and light pastels. We used a stock matte white paint.
If you are going with white buy the basic paint that is stock rather than mixing a color. It is white for crying out loud, no one will no it’s not Cloud Nine from Benjamin Moore.
Bright Lighting
A fresh coat of paint can really brighten up your hallway, but it most likely will need a new light fixture to really brighten it up. A glass semi-flush ceiling light is great for hallways because it omits a good amount of light but is not hanging too low.
I also suggest finding a light that can take a 100 watt light bulb. The difference between a 60 watt and 100 watt doesn’t seem like much, but in a small dark hallway it can be a big difference.
Add a rug
With the walls being neutral and bright, you’ll want to add color with the decor. Runner rugs are perfect for long hallways and they also add texture.
We added this runner that has a beautiful pattern and is full of color that compliments the natural wood.
Simple Decor
Blank walls tend to make me anxious, not sure if it is the space but I tend to over clutter because of this. Since a hallway is smaller you don’t it too seem like the walls are coming in on you.
Adding larger pictures or art on the walls will take up more wall space, but make it seem less cluttered. Too many different pieces of decor will make it look disorienting and confusing. In addition to my ancestor portraits, we chose a deer skull and barometer to hang on the corner wall. Choose simple additions and it is okay to leave a wall blank!
Add some plants
Plants are another great way to add color and can easily be placed in a corner for easy decor. Also, I am a big believer in having plants in the home. There are crazy benefits like boosting mood and productivity and even reducing stress. If you are not the green thumb type, no worries! Faux plants bring the same natural look without the worry of forgetting to water the poor plant (guilty!)
We chose the classic fiddle leaf fig tree because I just love the big leaves and it does well in indirect low light. A few other great low light plants are Dracaena rikki plant, weeping fig tree and ZZ plant.
We still plan to replace the trim and the doors, but we will cross that bridge eventually. Honestly, I am in now rush because I am so happy with the outcome of this redo.
There are more redos coming up! Follow along with my redo adventures on my Instagram story.
Do you have any hallway decorating tips? I would love to hear your room redo stories, tell me below!
