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Room Tour: A Dated Hallway Becomes a Bright, Inviting Space
Removing the 1970s faux-Tudor panelling was the key to freshening and visually expanding this dark entrance
The owners of this 1930s property hired interior designer Yoko Kloeden to carry out a full-house renovation, and part of the brief was to update the dark, panelled hallway and rundown cloakroom. The redesign of this slightly oppressive space has resulted in a hallway and WC that feel light, airy and welcoming.
Yoko removed the panelling and lightened the whole space. As the junctions between the walls and ceiling are curved, it made sense to paint them all in a single colour.
“The lime-based paint gives a mottled and chalky texture,” Yoko says. “It creates depth and adds a shadowy effect.”
Beneath the carpet was unattractive and draughty timber. “The client wanted to insulate under the floor, so we changed to [brushed and oiled] engineered oak flooring throughout the ground floor,” Yoko says. “We chose a herringbone pattern to draw the eye into the rooms beyond.”
Walls painted in Palladio, Kalklitir.
“The lime-based paint gives a mottled and chalky texture,” Yoko says. “It creates depth and adds a shadowy effect.”
Beneath the carpet was unattractive and draughty timber. “The client wanted to insulate under the floor, so we changed to [brushed and oiled] engineered oak flooring throughout the ground floor,” Yoko says. “We chose a herringbone pattern to draw the eye into the rooms beyond.”
Walls painted in Palladio, Kalklitir.
The existing downlights were replaced with a lantern and a pair of wall lights to create a welcoming atmosphere.
“As the colour palette was monochrome, we needed lots of texture,” Yoko says. “The console is stained mango wood with a marble top and powder-coated steel legs. The bench is for the children to put on their shoes.”
“As the colour palette was monochrome, we needed lots of texture,” Yoko says. “The console is stained mango wood with a marble top and powder-coated steel legs. The bench is for the children to put on their shoes.”
Here’s the old view of the hallway from the front door. The stair balustrades were also panelled. “We simply filled in the panelling, so they’re now solid, flat balustrades, and had them painted,” Yoko says.
The internal doors, which were stained MDF stuck to flat MDF, were replaced with fire doors. Curves feature frequently around the house on ceilings, openings and windows. Here, for instance, the coat cupboard has an arched opening.
Yoko emphasised the curved theme by designing an arched door for the cloakroom, too.
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“The WC was carpeted and smelled of ammonia,” Yoko says. “Some of the panels and tiles were coming off and it needed proper refurbishment.”
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The single-glazed leaded window wasn’t needed anymore, as the cloakroom now has a kitchen extension behind it, but the owners decided to keep it.
“As the client was replacing all the leaded windows in the house to upgrade to double-glazing, we suggested keeping this one,” Yoko says. “It’s nice to have something in the house that reminds you of what it used to be like.”
Walls painted in Antique Rose, Kalklitir. Pendant light, Pooky.
“As the client was replacing all the leaded windows in the house to upgrade to double-glazing, we suggested keeping this one,” Yoko says. “It’s nice to have something in the house that reminds you of what it used to be like.”
Walls painted in Antique Rose, Kalklitir. Pendant light, Pooky.
The soft rose walls are complemented by hand-glazed Moroccan zellige tiles. “I love layering texture and no two tiles are the same, because they’re handmade,” Yoko says.
“We started and finished the project between the first and second lockdowns,” she adds. “The clients spent Christmas 2020 in their newly refurbished house and were very happy.”
Zellige tiles, Emery & Cie. Sanitaryware, Perrin & Rowe.
Tell us…
What do you like about this updated hallway and cloakroom? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
“We started and finished the project between the first and second lockdowns,” she adds. “The clients spent Christmas 2020 in their newly refurbished house and were very happy.”
Zellige tiles, Emery & Cie. Sanitaryware, Perrin & Rowe.
Tell us…
What do you like about this updated hallway and cloakroom? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A family with two young boys
Location Richmond, south-west London
Property A 1930s house with five bedrooms and three bathrooms
Room dimensions Hallway, 2.5m x 6m; cloakroom, 1m x 1.9m
Designer Yoko Kloeden of Yoko Kloeden Design
Photos by Brent Darby
The original hallway in this 1930s house felt dark and heavy. “The client didn’t like the 1970s mock-Tudor wall panelling or the carpets, but didn’t know what to do,” Yoko says. “It was a fairly open brief and we were asked to suggest anything we felt was right for them.”