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How to make a long hallway appear 'smaller'

gardenbug
12 years ago

Hi Everyone,

I purchased a new single-wide manufactured home. It has a long narrow hallway. Does anyone have any professional ideas on how I can make this hallway not look so much like a bowling alley?

My bedroom is at the end of the hall way. I was thinking of putting in etched glass doors on the bedroom, instead of the plain solid door it currently has. The walls are an off white, a very light pattern that looks watermarked, so you really don't notice the pattern. The flooring is linoleum and is beige, cream and brown marble look. I am planning to add a runner in the hallway but I'm wondering if 2 runners would break it up making it less long than one long runner? I am also going to put a large mirror on the wall opposite the window. I'm thinking of one with a espresso colored frame. What kind of a pattern should I be looking for in the way of a runner? I was thinking of a (burlap color) runner with a black border. What do y'all think? Thanks soooo much.

Comments (6)

  • User
    12 years ago

    Hi, Cadence. I was up last night but did not see your post then. Congratulations on your new home.

    How long is long? Is the hall down the middle, or is it off to one side? Is there only one entry door on that side of your home, with a second entry on the opposite side?
    How many doorways are along your hallway? And, is the doorway to your bedroom at the far end of the hall away from the living room?

    I'm all for the etched glass to let more light into your bedroom. Good idea.

    If the hallway is really long, think about having perhaps three rugs, which can be washed easily, maybe buy a fourth rug so you can allow for one being in the laundry. If you have no animals, it should be an easy choice. And if no kids either, then they won't be scooted crooked as often either. I think two LONG rugs would point up the length of the hallway, where several rugs would make a person focus on the design or the color. I'm a great believer in the solid colors, easy to care for, and washable white (my choice) but also various colors. If nothing else, you might find a long narrow strip of carpeting that can be hemmed by the store for your hallway. Nothing like a plush carpet for bare feet in the wintertime. This would be laid loose, of course, and might not work if your heat/ac registers are in the floor there. Don't get something so expensive that you spend more time cleaning it when it gets stained beyond service, just take it outside to your carport or into your garage if the car leaks oil.

    At Lowes and Home Depot, I've also found some long runners like door mats, and they are quite pretty, and not super expensive. Also, many online sources of carpet or rugs have runners which are 29 inches or so wide, and either 9 or 12 feet long, with all sorts of designs. The runners are hemmed on the sides, mostly have fringe on the ends. Or, check out some sisal natural rugs with a colored binding which matches your floor and wall. I think you could get something like Pottery Barn sells, bound with black borders, less costly from other places. Getting a plain one with just a colored border is the easiest thing I believe.

  • User
    12 years ago

    What I forgot to mention has nothing to do with the floor.

    It is an idea I got from a technical article, a way to get folks to focus on something besides what you perceive as the problem.

    I suggest that you place a series of framed images, along one or both walls. Do the frames flat, so they do not stick out and get knocked crooked by shoulders as folks walk down the hallway. If the photos are all of a kind, framed alike, it will unify the series and look like an art gallery collection on display.

    If you are a fan of NASCAR, say, or maybe you like BOATS, or DOGS, or whatever your fancy chooses, frame them. BUT, make sure there is a nice MAT around each picture, and the frame is narrow and flat, and they are all in color or all in black/white. This way, the hallway becomes living space and not just a way to go from point A to point B.

  • Shades_of_idaho
    12 years ago

    Cadence I have the same problem as you do with an 18 foot long hall. Four doors in it and open end at living room. Master bedroom at the end of the hall.

    Today I opened the pass through guest bath doors and it let in a lot more light to the hall and it really did help lighten and send my eye to the light spot on the wall rather into the long dark hole.

    With the animals I need to stop the round de go round up hall through bath and kitchen dinning room living room and shoot back down the hall. OK it is all good fun for the cats and dogs but after a few hours of it it becomes a bit annoying as they never quit.

    I added the baby gate ,we use in the master door way at night to keep the dogs in there with us, to the guest bath door we do not use because it was kept closed to stop the animal race. This made it possible to leave that door open letting in lots of light to bath and hall. I was testing to see if it would work and it does. So I considered getting a second one but I am going to try just switching the one from bedroom to bath in the morning and back again at night and see if that is too much trouble to do rather then bring yet another thing into the house.

    I am also going to really save up and buy doors with glass inserts, for two of the bedrooms to let more light into the hallway.

    I have already done the picture thing as ML suggested and some day I hope to paint the lower part of the wall white and the top a very light green, same as living room, with some molding at the color change. Hoping that shortens the look of the long hall walls.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Our long hall

  • gardenbug
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    moccasinlanding and shades_of_idaho..
    Thank you so much for your wonderful suggestions. It is really helping me a lot. Last night when I posted this, I put my post in both categories (Small Homes) and (Interior Decorating) I think I should have placed it under Int. Dec. Anyway, I also have some other replies in the Interior Decoratig category if you want to check them out too. Today, I posted pics of my hallway if you want a better idea. I'm really sorry about the double post. Please forgive??
    shades...thanks for showing me your hallway. Good job!

  • desertsteph
    12 years ago

    being it's a single wide I'd think the hall would be on the side opposite the front door. It should also have an exterior door on it. You might replace that with one with glass in it.

    also, doesn't the color of the wall/door at the end matter? i'm thinking that if you paint it lighter than the walls it'll look more prominent and not fade farther away.

    The pics on the wall does help - my sister just did that in her long hall. after about 3 yrs there!

  • Shades_of_idaho
    12 years ago

    LOL Cadence we have the same flooring I love it. Yours might be a shade darker or it could just be my monitor. We have it in the kitchen and also had the same installed in our living room and wish we had done the hallway too.

    I REALLY think if you could switch out your outside door for a nine light top it would make a big difference in your hall. I bought one for my garden shed a few years ago and it was only $189.00. I really cheep fix and it will make a huge difference.Maybe the manufacture home place will switch it out for you. Ask them first.

    I agree with the decoration board peeps to add another rug at living room end and matching at the doorway. And also to either change or paint the picture frames to match the trim unless it really clashes with the pictures in the frames.

    Here is a link that might be useful: New Living room flooring

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