Thanks to Jenny Wilson for the request for today’s blog post.
Her narrow, difficult hallway is killing her inspiration…so I’m hoping I can give her some cool solutions!
Let’s start from the ground up….
Rugs are your first port of call when dressing your hallway. The continuing pattern of a runner will extend the visual length of the hallway.
And, by virtue of the border the exposed floor underneath provides,…they increase the visual width too.
The next thing to look at …is what you’re looking at. Make sure there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. So cast your eye op the the hallway and make sure you have a focal point at the end of it.
So now to narrow hallway furniture options. I’m a very big fan of benches and hooks. Taking up minimal space, they give you more practical solutions than most larger pieces.
You can also affix a piece of furniture to the wall…making it both thinner…and more stable for use in a small thoroughfare…. love the piece below!
Wall panelling is enormously effective in adding character to a tiny hallway without taking up space. Not only does it give you texture, it also allows you to add colour and contrast by dividing the wall. Paneling is a great option if your hallway is simply too small for anything.
Next …shelving…. Love it to bits, but be very careful with your placement. If it’s not safe to have it at the right height visually, then don’t have it.
Too high shelving is a terrible look.
Shelving is also a great way of displaying loads of prints. It automatically gives you the flush line for the bottom and depending on it’s width you can overlap artwork as well.
Artwork presented with symmetry, as below, will always lengthen your visual space, so prints and photos are great tools in small hallways.
And who’s to say that a small hallway can’t be beautifully, perfectly overcrowded as well??
If you love the idea of loads of photos or prints, but want to minimize the business…then theme out your frames in white. What I also love about this approach is the white frames give depth to whatever wall colour you’ve chosen as well as ensuring the images are what is drawing your attention, rather than individual frames.
Wallpaper is another fab tool for small spaces. Choosing geometric patterns for space illusion, or sweet florals to soften but not crowd. There’ s no end to wallpaper choices. Or…you can use wallpaper above paneling to add yet another dimension.
And a little bit of wallpaper…cleverly placed, can add both interest and depth…
Or…you can remove all distracting factors and go the eternal favourite of white on white… (love the panelling!!!!)
Having something particularly quirky or cool allows you to rest aesthetically on the one piece…just choose well! It’s coolest when it has a reason …
And lastly…look up! If your hallway is poorly lit of course it’s only going to look smaller. Get the right number of lights…and the right wattage. And remember, the lighting source is almost as important as the light.
So I hope that helped Jenny, let us know how you go!
If anyone else has a request feel free to ask!
Visit our online shop http://www.iwanthomewares.com.au/
For an at home or online consultation email me at mailto:ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au
Images from:
www.apartmenttherapy.com
www.remodelista.com
www.rooms-colours.net
www.sfgirlbybay.com
www.dotdot-dash.com
www.thebrickhouse.tumblr
www.housetohome.co.uk
www.bhg.com
www.houzz.com
www.pinterest.com
www.desiretoinspire.com
www.theshootfactory.co.uk
www.moredesignplease.com
I want I want I want! on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/iwantiwantiwant
Image from www.thirddrawerdown.com
Yippee!!! I’ve finally got my facebook page properly up and running!
Image from www.tomkelleystudio.com
Which means you can access all the videos I’ve been making ( …yes, the making of them look just like this ) that I can’t upload on the blog. Finally! The videos are a fun mix of gorgeous images and tips…and so far we have…
Chalkboard walls
Multiple mirrors in bathrooms
Trunks and old suitcases
Stencilled floorboards
Decorative ladders
Quirky bedside tables
Pendants in bedrooms
Organised hallways
Hanging a wall gallery (very handy tips!!!)
Not hanging prints
White painted floorboards
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So… to follow me on facebook all you need to do is click on this link
http://www.facebook.com/iwantiwantiwant
Click on the “Like” tab underneath the main photo. Then click on the “Mailing List Sign-up” and enter your details.
Easy peasy!
Don’t forget to click on the “like” tab!
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This means not only can you see all existing videos, but I can also let you know when there are new ones to see, and even when I’ve posted a blog and what it’s about (to save you from going to the blog when I’ve been lazy and not posted!).
I’ve also been able to load up on Facebook lots of photo albums I’ve compiled…
21 so far and counting! …including room makeovers.
So yay! I’m looking forward to having you all join me on FB x
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That link once more….!!!
http://www.facebook.com/iwantiwantiwant
Image from www.desiretoinspire.net
One of the biggest aesthetic issues in residential homes is art. Either there is a complete absence of it, which leaves the house visually dull at eye level (kinda important). Then there’s bad art, and finally, art hung badly. If you find your art is just not doing the job, it’s probably because you didn’t do yours.
When you’re hanging art, don’t just look at the size of the wall. Consider the colours, the sizes and the shapes of what it will be hanging above and what else is hanging near it.
The hallway above is a great example of how to hang a diversity of art. Each item at eye level, including the lamp shade, has its own dramatic pull. The play from small to large and back again gives great balance to the collection, and by not having the bottoms of the frames flush with each other it gives the ensemble an air of informality. This works because the base line of the room (the two ottomans and the wall panelling) has a solid symmetry to it.
Image from www.theshootfactory.co.uk
This hallway, being much narrower, really benefits from exact symmetry and repetition. The best trick with repetitive framing is to make sure your mounts are a decent size. You want a good amount of negative space between the frame and the image.
Image from www.everythingleb.blogspot.com
Sometimes very dramatic art actually needs a bit of asymmetry. This zebra would have been too imposing as the only central focus. Off centre and flanked (a necessary pun) by the negative space of the other canvas and it looks amazing.
Image from www.goldandgray.blogspot.com
If you have a lot of symmetry with an oversized artwork and it’s not working, try hanging it low and overlap it with items in the foreground. This helps integrate the art into the room. You want your art to play a part of the room not to take it over.
Image from www.livingetc.com
The lower you hang something, the greater the sense of intimacy, the higher you hang it the more formal it will look. With this bedroom the photo placement is beautifully personal.
Image www.kerrisdaledesign..com
If you have a great bedhead, it’s often better to hang your art over the bedside. Then it can work with the bedhead rather than trying to dominate from above.
Top Tip!
DON’T just shove your art on pre-existing hooks!
Image from www.pinterest.com
For those of you with holiday homes, now is the time to get yourself organised for the next break away. With a constant stream of towels, hats, jackets and beach paraphernalia, the beach house hallway is more in need of an effective transfer station than most rooms.
Image from www.themarionhosuebook.com
At the risk of repeating myself…hooks and baskets are always the answer!
Image from www.anthropologie.com
For groovy hooks with character scour your local antique shops or check out Anthropologie for these sweet vintage style ones. If you don’t have any wall space then Pottery barn have a gorgeous over the door hook option…see below.
Image from www.potterybarn.com
The other essential item for orgainsing is a good looking, sturdy basket or bag. If your carry bags are beautiful, then wherever they end up (hallway, kitchen table, lounge room floor…) will continue to look nice.
Image from www.potterybarn.com
Pottery barn have these great hessians bags…really multipurpose pieces that will hold your beach stuff or your firewood!
Image from www.iwanthmewares.com.au
Equally multifunctional, market baskets can do anything you need. www.iwanthomewares.com.au has a variety of sizes and leather colours.
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
So get motivated and get yourself a system. If the answer is always the same to “Muuum, where’s the…?” then maybe you’ll stop hearing it quite so often!
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
Your hallway is the first and last impression of the inside of your home…so don’t ignore it.
Image from www.pinterest.com
The right piece of furniture can bring your hallway to life and set the tone for the rest of your home.
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
If you don’t have a lot of space, (like the above…that overlap would drive me crazy, but the day bed is gorgeous) benches are a terrific addition to a hallway.
Image from www.thebrickhouse.tumblr.com
They hold transient things on top, shoes underneath, are purpose built for sitting on to put those shoes on, and team perfectly with a rack of hooks above.
Image from www.livingetc.com
For a softer look an upholstered ottoman is almost as practical and gives you the opportunity to inject some colour into the space.
Image from www.pinterest.com
Stools, hooks and a bit of customising and you can have an epicentre of organisation just down the hall.
Image from www.tani-sweethome.blogspot.com
In whatever style suits your home and lifestyle.
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
Hallways are a great solution to the extra chair dilemma. We need them when we have a dinner party…but for the rest of the time they float around getting in the way. Flanking a console with two chairs breaks down a long hallway really effectively.
Image from www.google.com
Or a similar combo can serve as a baseline for a fun galleria in a wide hallway.
Image from www.remodelista.com
Even if you’re a total minimalist…you need some form of surface area in the hallway.
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
And there are loads of ways to get around a space issue…
Image from www.miasinterior.blogspot.com
We’ve spent the last couple of decades or so ripping out ugly 70′s style tiles. They were everywhere. Hideous patterns in unflattering colours. We were right to do it! So… then we focused for years on various shades of unpatterned brown or beige on the floor with white tiles on the walls. And for quite some time now, we’ve been ripping them out and a variety of greys have graced our floors (again with the white walls). Is anyone bored yet??
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
It seems we were so burnt by the bad 70′s that even a hint of pattern sends us scurrying back to Tile Mart begging for their latest version of charcoal floor tiles. The enormous variety available should be your first red flag!
Image from www.4living.ru.com
For a while there, a strip of mosaics or pebbles was about the most adventurous tiling you would see in the average home. So…here are some images to get you thinking…and hopefully looking beyond the pedestrian greys, browns and whites.
Image from www.style-files.com
Although…with a bit of flair and a cool pattern…brown can still look fab.
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
Hallways are a great place to use decorative tiles if you’re not confident with styling around a bold pattern.
Image from www.slowlanenotes.blogspot.com
Because you can pretty much let the tiles be the main statement.
Image from www.desiretoinspire.com.au
Not really sure what this area is…foyer??? And I don’t love the borders of black and white and then flat charcoal …but the patterened tiles are great.
Image from www.puregreendesign.blogspot.com
The size of this fireplace could make it visually quite dark and oppressive, but the sweet patchwork approach with the pretty individual tiles changes the look completely.
Image from www.fieldandsea.tumblr.com
Even if you simply can’t commit to a pattern…you can still think outside the square a little. Don’t satisfy yourself with the same bathroom every other Tom Dick and Harry has…inject some personality into your home from the ground up!
Image from www.housetohome.co.uk
If you’re thinking about using concrete flooring in the future here are some great images to help you narrow down the look you want. Concrete floors in rooms without fabric can seem pretty cold, but the space above counteracts that with multiple points of interest like the bright spots of colour and varied ornate details scattered throughout.
Image from www.designspongeonline.com
If you have exposed brick, concrete floors are a natural companion.
Image from www.bodieandfou.blogspot.com
Add wooden furniture to the mix and you have great base of varied textures.
Image from www.cotedetexas.blogspot.com
Lots of wood, in both the architecture and the furniture will soften the look.
Image from www.desiretoinspire.com
Concrete is a great base for an urban or industrial look. Your metal numbers and over sized accessories work really well with a concrete floor.
Image from www.smgphotobucket.com
And particularly well with industrial windows. I also love the visible square outlines and nail marks in this dining room.
Image from www.desiretoinspire.net
The mat, unlined floor surface in this very contemporary living area is a perfect choice with such an amazing piece of artwork on the wall.
Image from www.amerrymishapblog.com
This highly polished section of floor picks up the natural light, and, combined with the sea grass matting in the background, the look is far from cold.
Image from www.olofjakobina.blogspot
A rougher look, with a more marbled appearance is great for a room with a lot of practical purposes. Just be sure to add some colour and a great piece of art.
Image from www.houzz.com
I prefer concrete when there’s a rug involved. Fabric is crucial for comfort.
Image from www.dwell.com
And concrete can come in many colours. It’s not always grey. You can get some beautiful, natural browns.
Image from www.cement.org
And…you can paint it!
Image from www.janecoslick.blogspot.com
I think this is the coolest floor for kids. Completely un-wreckable, looks fabulous and you can change it whenever you feel inspired.
Image from www.annaleenashem.blogspot.com
And the old favorite white is also an option.
Image from www.freshome.com
But I think the best concrete floors out there have a bespoke pattern. The contrast between the utilitarian concrete and a gorgeous decorative pattern is fab.
Image from www.hgtv.com
You can stencil, or you can have a pattern “milled” or etched into the concrete. If anyone knows where to go to get this done I’d love to hear from you. Transparent house did these ones…but they’re in the States.
So good luck with your concrete floor. Be wary of heating. If you go for under the floor heating that’s a big slab of concrete that’s got to warm up and then down again. In a place like Melbourne our temperature fluctuates too much for it to really work.
Image from www.myfarmhousetumblr.com
Thanks to all those who left great feedback on the dado walls post.
Really appreciated. You asked for more images and inspiration on the panelling … enjoy x
Image from www.nameisgrace.blogspot.com
Bathrooms are probably my favorite room for dado walls. Such a nice change / contrast to the coldness of tiles.
Image from www.houseandhome.com
Also, as bathrooms are generally smaller than we would like them to be, the dado panelling allows you to introduce a real colour whilst leaving a large section white.
This always makes a room look bigger and brighter.
Image from www.houzz.com
The dado wall generally intersects your windows below the half way mark.
This also draws more attention to the windows …always a good thing.
Image from www.justinetaylor.tumblr
Older style panelling is my favorite. A little less beachy, with a little more character, and the older panelling often has a cool, usable ledge.
Image from www.pinterest.com
Which is not to say you can’t get that with normal wall panelling lengths.
You just use a wider beading at the top as they have here.
Image from www.flickr.com
Dado walls in bedrooms can turn a very boring square into a gorgeous place to sleep. And it doesn’t cost that much to do. Given that you’re painting it, you can use normal thin pine planks which are not expensive. Nor is it a hard carpentry job…so you can give it go or get a quote from a carpenter (which again shouldn’t be much).
Image from www.google.com
In a larger room like a lounge room, they add great character as a backdrop to your freestanding furniture. Floor lamps, lounge suites, occasional tables, chairs…they all look better framed by panelling than against flat plaster.
Image from www.niceroom.tumblr.com
Love this!! With such high ceilings the choice of wallpaper is fantastic…
but largely because it’s interrupted by the white panelling well before it hits the floor.
Image from www.paintquality.co.za
This is a little too pastel for me… but it is pretty, and it shows that a dado wall can successfully bring three colour elements into a room without looking busy as each colour follows its own architectural line.
Image from www.verhext.tumblr.com
Lastly…dado walls, on a very practical level, are great in hallways. Wood panelling can put up with a lot more rough treatment than plaster can.
Image from www.pinterest.com
Love the walls, the tiles, the doors, the clock, the chair, the gumboots…
Ria FitzGerald has worked as an interior stylist in Melbournes inner east for the past twelve years.
Now based on the Bellarine Peninsula, Ria continues to offer in-home styling consultations for both the visual and the practical elements of your home, renovation and colour consulting and event styling.
Rias work can be seen featured regularly in Home Beautiful Magazine.
\"The I want I want I want! blog is a weekday (ish!) update with reviews of the best online homewares shopping, styling tips, peeks into my favorite homes and commentary on design, interiors and art.
Hopefully you will find new products, designs and ideas to inspire you to make your home the most fabulous place it can be!\" Ria x
