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7 Inspiring Before and After Hallway Transformations
From a genius reuse of space to a clever way to boost light, get ideas on how to revamp your hall from these schemes
Often darker than we’d like and messier than we intend, our hallways can be tricky rooms to get right, but there are numerous ways to create an impressive entrance. If yours is in need of more light, improved heat retention, a better connection to the rest of the home, or simply a smarter look, browse these ideas by designers on Houzz and see whether any would work in your home.
The key to transforming the sense of connection right from the threshold lay in aligning the doorways. James moved the door into the middle room a few feet to the left, so it lined up with the front door, then widened the middle room’s opening into the kitchen for a view of the garden through the glazed rear wall.
The V pattern of the herringbone flooring subtly leads the eye through the space, inviting people in, while leafy green on the front door and runner reinforce the nature connection.
The improvement to the natural light and sense of space has made this hallway far more welcoming.
See more of this home connected to nature, as well as before and after floor plans.
The V pattern of the herringbone flooring subtly leads the eye through the space, inviting people in, while leafy green on the front door and runner reinforce the nature connection.
The improvement to the natural light and sense of space has made this hallway far more welcoming.
See more of this home connected to nature, as well as before and after floor plans.
2. Refreshing a staircase for a whole new look
If you’re not in the market for a major renovation right now, be inspired by this project by Gemma Fabbri of Studio Fabbri. The colours and patterns in the original hallway were quite dated, but the banisters were lovely 1930s originals.
Find and hire the professionals you need on Houzz.
If you’re not in the market for a major renovation right now, be inspired by this project by Gemma Fabbri of Studio Fabbri. The colours and patterns in the original hallway were quite dated, but the banisters were lovely 1930s originals.
Find and hire the professionals you need on Houzz.
Gemma painted the woodwork in soft Off-Black by Farrow & Ball, then simplified the walls, removing the dado rail and painting them in a crisp off-white – Ammonite by Farrow & Ball – which highlights the turned spindles beautifully. The carpet was replaced with a neat runner.
As a result of this relatively simple change, the whole room feels calmer and more elegant.
Glazed doors pull in maximum light from the newly opened-up back room, while simple oak plank flooring brings in warmth and makes a more practical choice than carpet for the busy family.
Explore the whole of this cleverly transformed house.
As a result of this relatively simple change, the whole room feels calmer and more elegant.
Glazed doors pull in maximum light from the newly opened-up back room, while simple oak plank flooring brings in warmth and makes a more practical choice than carpet for the busy family.
Explore the whole of this cleverly transformed house.
3. Ingeniously adding more natural light
Many a hallway, especially in period homes, lacks light, and this one in a Victorian house in Cornwall was no exception.
Designer Tanya Bentley, who was tasked with incorporating contemporary touches while staying sensitive to the property’s period architecture, wanted to find a way to bring more daylight into this gloomy entrance.
Many a hallway, especially in period homes, lacks light, and this one in a Victorian house in Cornwall was no exception.
Designer Tanya Bentley, who was tasked with incorporating contemporary touches while staying sensitive to the property’s period architecture, wanted to find a way to bring more daylight into this gloomy entrance.
Tanya’s solution was to replace the solid wall between the hall and kitchen-diner (the wall seen in the last photo, opposite the staircase) with a glazed panel to bring an airy, open feel to the space. The panel is 2.4m wide x 2.7m high, which is the largest size available in fire-rated glass.
She also fitted a roof window above the kitchen-diner, which pulls in even more light, now shared with the hallway.
She also fitted a roof window above the kitchen-diner, which pulls in even more light, now shared with the hallway.
Here’s the Crittall panel from inside the kitchen-diner. The frame is dark blue, linking it to the skirting boards in the hallway – and other deep blue features throughout the house.
Look around the whole of this ambitious renovation.
Look around the whole of this ambitious renovation.
4. Making the most of every inch
If you have a hallway that’s partially open to another room, this renovation of a 1970s flat may offer some inspiration.
The hall, seen at the far end in this photo (running between the window in the left-hand corner and the front door, out of sight to the right), felt like wasted space. Part of the problem was the fact that half of it was open to the living area, making it difficult to utilise.
If you have a hallway that’s partially open to another room, this renovation of a 1970s flat may offer some inspiration.
The hall, seen at the far end in this photo (running between the window in the left-hand corner and the front door, out of sight to the right), felt like wasted space. Part of the problem was the fact that half of it was open to the living area, making it difficult to utilise.
Looking at the area now, it’s hard to believe it’s the same space. Architect Maurizio Giovannoni came up with an ingenious solution that not only made the most of the wasted area, it gave the owners two extra ‘rooms’.
Sectioning off the window end, he created a useful home office. In the remaining hallway, a tapered bench leaves room for people entering the flat to manoeuvre while offering an additional seating spot away from the hubbub and TV in the small living room.
A clever final flourish was including a porthole window (not seen) in the wall between the office and hallway to share the light from the window.
Sectioning off the window end, he created a useful home office. In the remaining hallway, a tapered bench leaves room for people entering the flat to manoeuvre while offering an additional seating spot away from the hubbub and TV in the small living room.
A clever final flourish was including a porthole window (not seen) in the wall between the office and hallway to share the light from the window.
Here’s the new hallway, on the right of the plan, showing how the little home office makes use of the previously wasted space and the bench tapers neatly.
Maurizio also stole a little space from the kitchen to create a cupboard to the left of the front door, accessed from the hall, to corral coats and shoes.
Take a look at all the before and after photos of this cleverly renovated flat.
Maurizio also stole a little space from the kitchen to create a cupboard to the left of the front door, accessed from the hall, to corral coats and shoes.
Take a look at all the before and after photos of this cleverly renovated flat.
5. Adding a vestibule to retain heat
This Georgian house was the proverbial blank canvas, needing, as it did, a full renovation. The hallway was dark and damp, but the bones of the property were beautiful, and designer Mark Barratt of CATO Creative was keen to update it without erasing the past.
This Georgian house was the proverbial blank canvas, needing, as it did, a full renovation. The hallway was dark and damp, but the bones of the property were beautiful, and designer Mark Barratt of CATO Creative was keen to update it without erasing the past.
Mark’s deceptively simple solution for updating the entrance was to fit glazed steel doors to create a vestibule without blocking light. “The Georgian style tended to have lots of panes, so this is a modern twist on what you might have found originally,” he says. “The metal profile is a lot slimmer than a timber one would have been, so it feels light.”
Although this doorway is quite wide, narrower hallways could also benefit from having a vestibule added. The addition helps to retain heat and contain dirt and debris from outside, thanks to a large, fitted mat. On the right as you walk in, there’s roomy storage for outerwear, which means the hallway itself can remain clear of clutter.
Watch a video tour of this transformed home.
Although this doorway is quite wide, narrower hallways could also benefit from having a vestibule added. The addition helps to retain heat and contain dirt and debris from outside, thanks to a large, fitted mat. On the right as you walk in, there’s roomy storage for outerwear, which means the hallway itself can remain clear of clutter.
Watch a video tour of this transformed home.
6. Maximising glazing
Replacing these solid doors with glass ones might seem like a fairly obvious solution for lightening up this gloomy hallway, but interior architect Kate Whitfield of An Artful Life went a clever step further.
Replacing these solid doors with glass ones might seem like a fairly obvious solution for lightening up this gloomy hallway, but interior architect Kate Whitfield of An Artful Life went a clever step further.
As well as fitting slim-framed, fully glazed doors, Kate added a huge window above and a tall one to the side, both of which open into the same large space with windows at either end.
While in many homes such a solution might not be possible, inserting a fanlight above an internal door could be a good way to pull in a surprising amount of extra light, and there are numerous door frames that include a built-in fanlight on the market.
Discover how Kate brought light into the whole of this dark mews house.
While in many homes such a solution might not be possible, inserting a fanlight above an internal door could be a good way to pull in a surprising amount of extra light, and there are numerous door frames that include a built-in fanlight on the market.
Discover how Kate brought light into the whole of this dark mews house.
7. Restoring an open-plan hallway’s identity
If your hallway is open to your living room, take some ideas from this renovation for giving it some separation. The hall here has no identity of its own and the stairs intrude on the seating area, making it feel less cosy.
There was also a lot going on in the hall area, with crosses, curves, squares, rectangles and globes, which was visually tiring.
If your hallway is open to your living room, take some ideas from this renovation for giving it some separation. The hall here has no identity of its own and the stairs intrude on the seating area, making it feel less cosy.
There was also a lot going on in the hall area, with crosses, curves, squares, rectangles and globes, which was visually tiring.
Interior designer Rebekah Zaveloff of KitchenLab Interiors made several smart changes, many of which could be applied to a smaller space, too. Firstly, she sectioned off the hallway with a wide but definite cased opening and zoned it with a change in flooring to signal it’s a separate room without closing up the space too much.
She then simplified the staircase with oak steps and rails and elegant slim balusters. She painted the walls in a grey that tones with the adjoining living room, but is a darker shade to differentiate, and finished by adding furniture to give the hallway its own identity.
See all the before and after photos of this total transformation of a 1900s house.
Tell us…
Could any of these ideas work in your home? Or have you already made some beneficial changes to your hall? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
She then simplified the staircase with oak steps and rails and elegant slim balusters. She painted the walls in a grey that tones with the adjoining living room, but is a darker shade to differentiate, and finished by adding furniture to give the hallway its own identity.
See all the before and after photos of this total transformation of a 1900s house.
Tell us…
Could any of these ideas work in your home? Or have you already made some beneficial changes to your hall? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
The middle room in this Victorian semi – behind the wall straight ahead – blocked the sense of flow and any view of the garden from the entrance, not to mention it being an isolated, fairly dark space in itself.
Connecting all areas of the home to the abundant surrounding nature was an important part of the brief for James Hood of MODEL Projects, and the hallway was no exception.