Maybe add some interest with molding? See the blog linked below with a foyer makeover. I know that foyer is probably wider/bigger than yours, but I think you can still do something similar. Or, if that is out of the budget, you can get the same feel with a chair rail and picture frame molding in squares/rectangles below chair rail.

Could you fit a very skinny table like in this makeover? Or maybe just a skinny shelf on the wall (above the chair rail if you add the molding).

Is painting the trim and doors white an option? Might lighten things up a bit.

Perhaps a runner to add some color?

Here is a link that might be useful: Foyer Makeover

I absolutely LOVE that foyer, and every other room she made over!!! I had just thought about wainscoting but I definitely like her design better. I even like the idea of going all the way up the stairs too. I even think the color she used on the top would blend well with my colors.

I'm trying to talk my DH into painting trim white in our whole house because I think the wood is dating it. He likes the natural wood stain look. So not so sure I am going to win that battle...lol

I like the skinny shelf idea. I have a 3yo and 1yo so a small table like that would be knocked over more times than I can image. :)

I think a lovely runner down the hallway, to bring in some color and softness, would be great. A complimentary or matching rug in the entry area by the door would work nicely.

The only real wall space is just that one section opposite the stairway, and no one can really stand there and look at anything. I would hang one larger framed art piece there, something that doesnâÂÂt need to be studied to be appreciated, or a wall mirror with an interesting frame, and leave it at that.

With all the doorways, staircase, etc and a narrow hall, I wouldnâÂÂt want to make it any busier by adding wainscot.

For sure I would change out the ceiling boobs. A pretty close-to-ceiling fixture in the entry with some charm, and perhaps a multi-fixture track lighting piece to replace the one in the hallway. It would allow you to direct light to wash down the walls and open up the dark hall.

Thanks les917, I see your point. I'd basically have wainscot on one side and a little under the stair case. I should probably use it in a bigger area to appreciate the beauty in it.

Question to all: So, should I leave the walls the linen color to keep it as light as possible? I was considering a buttery yellow color but I definitely don't want it to be any smaller than it is.

pale buttery yellow is what I first did with dark wainscoting for the same reason you stated. Then for this update, I painted the wainscoting white and got a little darker on top.

Here is my entry/hallway update album. Not nearly as gorgeous as previous blog makeover, but it relates a bit more to your setting. Painting the wood is critical though. I've been doing it room by room for years in my 80's house. After each room, I am positive it was the right thing to do.

Wendy B--I wonder if we live in the same neighborhood, our layouts and style are so similar..lol

The yellow w/ black accents is exactly what I wanted to do..I love that look in your pics!! I think it gives more pop/wow take notice factor than the brown.

I can't believe how much of a change the doors and trim changed the whole look. I showed DH and I think he is on the bandwagon for everything all white. He just said we'll have to paint all the doors upstairs too. Guess we'll be painting for months.

I notice that you didn't do the wainscoting behind your coat rack or on the wall of the entry door. Would you not consider that part of the room? I'm new to this so I have a lot of questions because I want to make sure I'm doing it right.

Sounds like your foyer is a high traffic area, so durability is important too.

I had a neighbor who had the same dark woodwork, skimpy trim, & dirty linen white walls in her home. She had some money to work with, so I was sure she'd redo the home top to bottom. Instead, she left the woodwork as is, painted every room a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore Linen White, changed out the bland floor tile to rustic terra cotta pavers, and brought in color through French Country fabrics (sunny golds, burgundy & bright blues). She then filled the house with a few choice French antiques, and it was stunning. I couldn't believe how she made dark woodwork, skimpy molding & plain Linen White walls look so beautiful.

So taking a cue from my genius ex-neighbor:
1. Your wood doors are actually pretty & should stay. Better quality doorknobs will make them special.
2. Keep the trim. If you change it, it won't be consistent with the rest of the house and you'll have to make changes elsewhere or else the foyer trim will look out of place. Don't paint it white. It will still look like skimpy trim.

Command attention elsewhere:

3. Replace the tile. The bland tile in the foyer grabs most of the visual attention. You don't really see the walls so much. Put your money into replacing the flooring with a rustic paver or stone that has a beautiful texture. That will add instant character to the space & will fit in with whatever decor is in the adjoining rooms.
4. Interesting lights will also attract your eye & add character. Here are some great semi-flush mount lights in a variety of prices: semi-flush mount lights. That fabulous light in the foyer makeover blog sells for $689, but there are similar styles for less.
5. Bring color in with some nicely framed art or even some extra sparkle with a beautiful mirror.

I've done a mock-up. My software isn't very sophisticated, so it's a bit crude. But you get the idea at least. I painted the door French blue on a whim so you can see how well that color works with the brown wood. And I added a glitzy light because I'm a sucker for glitzy things :) If you like the light too, I've added a link for it.

Here is a link that might be useful: glitzy hall light

I still think that painting the dark wood is the thing to do. I had/have the same situation in my house. I've been here for 13 years and slowly, very slowly, I've been painting all the trim. I started with the foyer too. It made a big, BIG, difference. After the foyer, I've done it a room at a time when I painted the room. It did not look strange that some rooms were not painted yet. All my upstairs doors and trim are still dark. I will get to it. I also still want to add the wainscoting in the foyer to match the dining room. Someday I'll get my DH to do that for me.

If a new floor is in the budget, well, then, yes, that would make a huge difference. But, I suspect that tile goes into your kitchen and that is a big job. We also did that after the trim was painted in foyer and kitchen and laundry room and hallway. Also made a big difference of course but was a LOT more expensive than paint and my time.

I definitely agree with changing the light fixtures. An easy and relatively inexpensive upgrade.

legacy, I only did the bboard on one side because the other side was mostly doors. I also didn't continue it in the little triangle that forms under the stairs. I just painted in there the same color white.

You could also just put up a chair rail and paint white underneath it. Perhaps adding a little picture molding, which is a pretty easy tweak .

Paint durability is very important. I used BM Aura paint (Sparkling Wine) over a good coat of BM All Purpose primer. Aura is really durable and said to be a modern latex replacement for durability of oil. (more discussion on that in the paint forum). It is essential to caulk and fill gaps in advance. They don't look obvious when it is stained, but after it is painted, any gaps will be very obvious. I keep a small container of the paint handy for touchups, but after it really cured well, the paint has been fine. Multiple thin coats are key.

I've done 90% of my upstairs stained woodwork too. Maybe this winter I will work on the remainder.

Theres a DR before and after album too.

Dining Room molding and paint

and a guest room

True, jillinnj, about the flooring extending into the kitchen & that it ain't cheap. But still, a new floor will have real impact and truly elevate the decor. Painting the doors & trim -- not so much. But of course it all depends on how much you're willing to invest in the home.

I've done all those things: painted doors & skimpy trim, replaced flooring, ripped out the ugly trim & replaced with better. Replacing the flooring in my foyer & kitchen was half the price of replacing the baseboards & trim. People notice the floor; I have to point out the new trim & baseboards, lol!

Then there's still my ex-neighbor who made her dark, skimpy woodwork & linen white walls "work" by replacing her foyer & kitchen flooring. It was surprisingly pretty.

awm--I'm a glizty girl myself and the light fixture is lovely. Unfortunately, I only have 16 in to work with and the fixture height is 18.5 in. Now that I'm thinking about, I wondering if I could shorten the crystals? I definitely want to incorporate something more sophisticated in the lighting. I love the little pic you did really helps visual people like me.

I wish floors were in my budget. I hate the white and it is in the kitchen and looks gray half. yuk! That mix of terracotta was nice.

Wendy--Your transformed rooms look great!! The bedroom was awesome. I love the blue and chocolate. I wanted to ask since we have the same layout, have you done anything in the laundry area to spruce it up (painting, shelving, etc.)? I was thinking of doing the yellow in there too.

I think I'm still sold on the white trim. When we had our home on the market last year we got a lot of viewings that people liked our house. The only negative we got from a few was that it seemed too dark. Since most of our walls are white, like the hall, or light neutrals, I'm assuming it was the wood trim that made it dark.

You could consider painting the laundry room double doors and the powder room doors in a satin version of whatever wall color you choose, even if you keep the casing dark (or not, on those doors). They tend to "close-in" on the space a bit, and there is no reason not to deemphasize these doors, since they are not entry points in to major rooms. This would lengthen and widen the hall a bit visually.

I would consider changing the foyer area light to something fancier as suggested but I would get something very plain and unobtrusive for the one in the hall. The paired but unaligned fixtures emphasize the asymmetry. I would paint the ceiling in flat paint.

My laundry room is also mud room & hallway from garage. It is 95% doors so I actually went with a dark oops color that I had leftover for the walls.

mudroom makeover

I think you will love your new entryway if you go this route. But don't be too cautious (pale) about the wall colors. The color needs a little oomph to create the contrast which creates the updated fresh look.

I've been working on my house a bit for 15 years, but more so the past few years when selling it is in the foreseeable future. I am working hard to get that "dated" look out of it for future viewings. And for me too.

Its been a lot of work, but its work that is somewhat enjoyable to me. I am really happy with the results. I hope the real estate economy picks up soon, so I might sell it before it becomes dated again!! LOL

Wendy thanks for sharing your mudroom. I thought your laundry was behind the double doors in your entry hallway. I have NO room for anything extra. I can barely put detergent on the half shelf.

I'll definitely post my before and after photos. My DH gave me a budget and said go for it!!

I'm leaning toward this color (Pollen Grains)by Behr.

The main entry hallway has a big double coat closet. The mudroom/laundry/hallway has the same double closet for the W/D and another double closet for more stuff and a smaller broom closet. Tons of great storage in this house!

I couldn't use the Behr website to see your color. too much flash and junk that I probably have filtered, or it just isn't FF-friendly. I went to the Benj Moore website and they show Pollen Grains and it looks very close to my Aura Honeymoon color. But P.G. looks maybe a little orangey??? Can you get a sample to try out? Picking the white can be challenging too.

MyPerfectColor.com pollen grains

But in any case, I do not recommend Behr paint for a high-traffic hallway. Painting stained woodwork is serious business and needs a serious paint. I would suggest you post in the Paint Forum to get some expert opinions.

It does look orangey on that site...yikes...def will have to get a sample.

Thanks for your input I will post something on that forum too.