Features of the layout and design of narrow hallways

Not every modern, let alone old-style apartment boasts a wide, spacious entrance hall. A well-done redevelopment will save the day, but it cannot always be done for various reasons. How best to arrange the design of a narrow hallway, correctly adjust its shape, expand, arrange furniture, more details in the text of this article.

The less space in the hallway, the more rational the design approach should be.

Where to begin?

The design of an overly narrow hallway, a narrow corridor in an apartment or a country house begins with drawing up a project. Any room has several zones – it is not difficult to organize them in an oblong-shaped corridor. It is important to maintain maximum functionality without cluttering up the space..

First of all, you need to think about how you can adjust the space itself.

When developing a design project, some principles should be taken into account:

correct zoning – it is carried out using furniture, different colors of walls, ceiling heights;
finishing – not too bulky materials are preferred;
shape correction – the use of light, color techniques, mirrors;
furnishings – the presence of only the most necessary;
the style of the interior – it should match the rest of the rooms, without “cluttering up” a cramped room.

Before starting the repair, decide on the arrangement of all the necessary items

There are two main zones in the hallway: the entrance and the vestibule. They stylize the space as a “study”, “courtyard in France”, “winter garden”, “alley of fairy tales”, etc. Doors are given special attention – if they are located on both sides of the corridor, then they should not open towards each other, but in different sides. If possible, they are made sliding or completely removed, replacing with arches – this is how an open, combined space is formed.

Two rugs of different sizes – the easiest way to zon a hallway

Choice of finishing materials

The decoration of the corridor is selected depending on the style of the interior, the planned budget, and the personal preferences of the owners. Both classic and modern are suitable.

Ceramic tiles are the most durable floor covering

The floor covering is chosen to be wear-resistant, moisture-resistant, because there is a lot of walking in the hallway, preferably easy to clean. Most often used:

parquet board;
natural stone;
laminate;
dense linoleum;
ceramic tiles;
short pile carpet.

The walls are also made washable, especially if the apartment is inhabited by children, pets that need to be walked. Applicable:

various paints;
thick washable wallpaper or paintable;
PVC panels;
decorative plasters;
fake diamond.

For wall decoration, choose an easy-to-clean wallpaper or moisture-resistant paint.

The ceiling is made stretch, suspended, it can sometimes be multi-level, have a coating of decorative plaster, decorated with expanded polystyrene tiles, decorated with foam stucco or painted with water-based paint.

All doors are necessarily made in the same style, from the same materials. When buying them, the thickness of the walls is taken into account – the door frame should not protrude much. Skirting boards are usually matched to the tone of the doors, less often – to the color of the floor.

Tip: if the ceiling is low, you should avoid a large number of tiers, stucco elements. With a hall width of a meter and a half, volumetric details such as wooden panels, textured stone are completely unacceptable.

Glossy ceiling will appear higher

What shades to choose

With the help of color, it is easy to visually change the shape and size of the space. The smaller the room being decorated, the lighter, warmer colors are used for it. No more than three of them are used, and the main one accounts for up to 65% of the decorated space, the auxiliary one – up to 30%, the rest – bright accents.

White walls, black accents and natural wood are great choices for a small hallway

The most suitable combinations for a narrow hallway:

pearl with coffee;
sandy with terracotta;
sky blue with white;
violet with pink;
ocher with beige;
apricot with eggplant;
red-orange with gray-yellow;
khaki with olive;
golden green with brown;
lime with turquoise;
creamy with dark saffron.

Harmonious combination of white, light gray and brown shades

Advice. The floor is made darker than the walls, the ceiling – this creates a balance of design, stable support for legs and furniture.

Skillful use of black in the interior of a narrow hallway

We arrange furniture competently

When the hallway is very cramped, there are not many pieces of furniture placed here:

wardrobe – a narrow wardrobe or corner wardrobe is preferable;
hanger – needed when it is decided to place the cabinet in another place;
shoe rack – a vertical shelf for placing casual shoes;
corner or straight sofa – the most compact is chosen;
chest of drawers – for storing all sorts of little things, if they cannot be folded into a closet;
shelves – several corner or one under the mirror;
dressing table – if there is a need for it, if there is free space.

From the above-described pieces of furniture, two or three are chosen at the same time. Sometimes, instead of a sofa, they put a pair of ottomans, complementing them with an umbrella stand.

If the hallway is very small, you can get by with a hanging cabinet and simple hooks

Open shoe cabinet can be used as a bench

A built-in bench is a great solution not to clutter up a narrow hallway with unnecessary furniture.

The tighter the corridor, the narrower furniture is required for it. Objects should be preferred, no more than 40-55 cm deep. Furniture is placed in one row along a long wall, it is advisable not to allow a large number of protruding corners, catching on which it is easy to get injured.

When choosing furniture, try to stick to neutral colors.

A compromise option is a custom-made hallway. In this case, the owner of the apartment himself chooses the style of furniture, the filling of the cabinet, the shape, the number of shelves, the configuration of the couch, etc..

Design of a narrow long hallway: expanding the space

With the right finishing of a narrow hallway, it is possible to visually expand it. If laminate flooring, flooring, or tiles are laid across or diagonally rather than lengthwise, the room will appear wider. The same effect will be obtained if the skirting board matches the color of the flooring. Light walls will also visually “remove” the boundaries of the space, it is preferable to use different finishes for different zones – a combination of two types of wallpaper of similar colors, but with a pattern of different sizes. A large 3D sticker is placed on one of the long walls, in the form of a realistic open window with a beautiful view behind it.

Laying floorboards across a narrow corridor will visually expand the space

Mirrors are a reliable assistant in expanding space, filling it with light. With their help, the room of a narrow corridor visually expands. The mirror covers almost half of the long wall, decorates the cabinet doors, which can be completely mirrored. A partially or fully mirrored ceiling is also acceptable, especially if it is not too high. If sunlight falls from the doorways of other rooms onto mirrored surfaces, the narrow hallway will become bright and spacious. A mirror that occupies the entire narrow wall makes the front even longer.

Mirror tiles on the wall will make the corridor more spacious

Lighting in a long, narrow hallway can also reshape the hallway:

several light sources should be used – the main overhead lighting, lamps near the door itself and above the mirror, LED cabinet lighting;
if you highlight only long walls, the narrow hallway will become wider;
if necessary, make the ceiling higher, it is illuminated along the contour and two or three ceiling chandeliers located at the same distance from each other;
LED lighting of the floor perimeter will also make the room a little wider;
the mirror is illuminated brightly, for the convenience of combing, applying makeup, it reflects the incoming light, doubling its amount.

Try to avoid a lack of lighting in the hallway.

All attention to detail

Bright accents are irreplaceable in any interior. They will be:

contrasting photo wallpaper on one of the walls;
two or three plants in flowerpots on the shelves;
a motley carpet or several bright rugs in separate areas;
colored organizers on the walls;
framed paintings or color photos;
pillows on a compact sofa or poufs.

Even in a small hallway, a couple of bright accents are quite appropriate.

Too bright contrasts do not need much – they visually “break” the overall picture, the hallway will not look whole. It is desirable that all the details are in harmony with each other, making up a single ensemble – similar plant motifs on the carpet and upholstery of the sofa, geometric patterns on the mirror frame and flower pots, cross-stitching on pillows and wall panels.

Advice. Illumination of every significant decor element will make the interior unique.

The subtleties of arranging a corridor with a staircase

If there is a staircase to the second floor, it is made as compact and narrow as possible. Stairs here are acceptable marching, spiral, straight. The nuances of a narrow hallway with a staircase:

lighting – in order to avoid injury, it is made bright, including local;
the style of the ladder should match the overall design of the room;
glass steps are acceptable for high-tech and industrial interiors, but the strength of the materials is of paramount importance here;
the railings framing the stairs are made as safe as possible – they should not slip, have roughness;
LED lighting is recommended for the decoration of each step.

Wooden wardrobe matches the dark staircase railings

Advice: safety issues are of paramount importance here, especially if the house is inhabited by the elderly, small children, persons with musculoskeletal disorders.

Small entrance hall with a Scandinavian style staircase

Corridor in “Khrushchev”

In such apartments, the hallway is not only narrow, but also most often of an “inconvenient” shape – angular. An L-shaped corridor is usually decorated with corner furniture – a wardrobe, a small sofa, shelves. The wallpapers are chosen suitable for the general interior design – vinyl, bamboo, metallized, “liquid”. The narrow hallway here will become even more elongated. Do not clutter it with voluminous decorative elements..

In a small hallway, a mirror can be placed on the front door

The interior of the hallway of a complex configuration, made in a classic style

Interior style of a narrow hallway: 3 ideas, design features

The most popular styles today are:

Modern – built-in wardrobe with many shelves, hooks, hangers, full-length mirror, long narrow couch. The floor in the entrance area is decorated with laminate, the lobby – with a contrasting color carpet. Stretch ceiling, pastel colors.

Elegance and functionality are the main features of modern style
Loft – the walls are decorated “like white brick”, the floor is made of light wood, on the ceiling there are stylized false beams, shiny lamps on long cords. The cabinet is necessarily wooden, artificially aged, but narrow. Several poufs for seating, one or two mirror.

It is in the loft that a bicycle, a skateboard and other attributes of an active lifestyle will organically fit
Minimalism – a flat plain ceiling, decorated with foam tiles without a pattern, the walls are light, the floor is laminated, slightly darker than the walls. There is a simple coat rack near the entrance, above it there is a wide shelf with storage boxes in contrasting colors. A little further – a sofa covered in eco-leather, a large mirror without a frame.

Just a shoe rack and a hanger are enough to get as close to minimalism as possible.

Conclusion

The corridor is the place where those who entered the house take off their outer clothing, shoes, put various other objects on the shelf, evaluate their appearance in the mirror. There are a lot of design solutions for a narrow long corridor – from simple to elite. Everyone will choose a suitable idea for themselves, and if independent design causes difficulty, professionals will come to the rescue, who will successfully plan the interior, select suitable finishing materials, the best furniture.