A Little Help Please *edited
In my home we have a long dark hallway, really dark, so dark in fact that I had to turn on all the bedroom and bathroom lights just to take this blurry picture.
At the end of the hallway is a little square space about 6ft x5ft, we have the dresser back there to hold all our linens but other than that the area feels bare. The walls are currently white but only because we haven’t gotten around to painting yet, we have the paint though.
The hallway comes off the living room which is painted in Ancient Scroll, which I swear is much more yellow than the color sample above. So eventually the hallway will be painted in the ancient scroll.
I’m thinking that a small area rug will add some warmth and color to the opening at the back of the hallway. I’ve been looking at FLOR tiles thinking about a square rug for the end of the hallway, but them maybe I should do a runner down the narrow part? If I do the FLOR tiles will it look dorky if I hook the runner to the area rug? My kids walk through there with their wet little feet after baths so I love the idea of being able to WASH the FLOR tiles as they get dirty, which they certainly will.
I’m asking for some design help, what can I do to cover the floors (which desperately need to be refinished when we find and extra $15 hundred) while lightening up the space? Have any of your used the FLOR tiles? Do you like them? Have you found something better? If I do an area rug at the end of the hallway do I have to do a runner as well? I think I really want to home-y up the space at the end of the hallway more than I want to add a runner…?
February 16th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
I wish I had some great advice. I might have better advice if I was actually in your house but I would probably go with a runner.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Hi Heather,
If you want additional light in the hallway, a mirror in the hallway on the bathroom side could reflect light from the kids’ room and if wide enough might also reflect some light from the LR french doors. I’d hang it somewhere between the lightswitch and the ceiling. A thick framed rectangle on an oval would look nice.
I like the look of the FLOR tiles, how do they stick to the floor? Will it damage the wood? I like the idea of a runner, but I wonder if it will look to blocky to have a runner out of the flor tiles end in a rug of the same tiles at the end? What about a nice neutral runner down the hallway ending at the tiles? Or even a round area rug that fits most of the square space at the end of the hallway with a runner that goes down the narrow hallway. One last thing, if you go to Home Depot and pick out a rug you like, you can have it cut and bound like an area rug to your measurements- it can be a good deal depending on size.
February 18th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Wax/buff the wood, put down a runner and maybe paint some bright scrolly artwork down the hall. And I agree with Des about the mirror.
February 18th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
[...] Thanks for the hallway tips…I looked and some rugs today and am still unsure. I think I’ll get the paint on the [...]
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:11 am
Hi Heather!
We had the same problem with our “L” shaped hallway. One part of the “L” had great lighting, and the other portion was dark and cave-like. We had someone install recessed lighting in the entire hall, and now it’s so pretty and bright! It made a world of difference!
And the mirror idea is a great one! I might have to add one to our hallway too!