The first thing a person sees when entering the apartment is a corridor. And this is not always a fairly spacious room. But even a narrow corridor can be designed in such a way that it will make the best impression on the incoming person and confirm the excellent taste of the homeowner. There is a set of techniques that make it possible to turn such an uncomfortable space into a stylish and functional one, however, before embarking on its formation, it is better to understand in advance how to do it correctly.
Basic design principles
Designing a narrow corridor in an apartment requires a thoughtful approach. It is impossible to physically increase this part of the total “apartment volume”, but there is a chance to visually expand it. For this, the interior needs to be made lighter both through the use of appropriate paints in the decoration, and due to the lighting capabilities.
The features of various building materials for decoration used on walls, ceilings and floors can also visually expand a very narrow corridor.
An important role in terms of creating a harmonious space is played by the choice of furniture. It should not just “fit in” into a small room, but also conceal its shortcomings. Not the least role is played by the choice of decorative trifles that can compensate for not the best features of the “tunnel” at the entrance to the house.
Color scheme
To make the corridor seem larger, make it out in bright colors. It will look good cream or beige, sometimes brown-beige tone, reminiscent of shades of light wood. Some prefer the design in gray tones, although here you need to carefully consider the chosen option so as not to go “into a gloomy gram”.
White is best avoided - this is impractical. In a narrow corridor, there is a high probability of slapping the surfaces, and with street shoes and other things that are left at the entrance, you can bring a lot of things into the house, which will force you to carry out a general cleaning later.
Thanks a combination of the main light shade with a darker (for example, if the floor is decorated in blue or a dark front door is placed against the background of light walls), you can avoid boredom in the design and visually change the "geometry" of the corridor. It will seem wider than it actually is.
Finish
The corridor is not the place in the house where special materials are required, for example, resistant to moisture or high temperature. Their selection is wide, which allows you to create an original design at the entrance to the housing and at the same time visually expand the narrow room.
Walls
For their decoration fit:
- Wallpaper - from paper, vinyl to fiberglass;
- decorative plaster.
When choosing a pattern on the walls, it is better to abandon the stripes. That horizontal, that vertical lines will make the corridor even longer and cramped. If you choose a large picture for the walls, the effect will be the same. But the chaotic abstract figure looks advantageous.
If the walls are curved, drywall should not be used to level them. He will grab precious centimeters from the corridor. Because of this, space will only become narrower.
It is advantageous to use wallpaper for painting. Given that the appearance of stains on the walls at the entrance to the house is an inevitable process, it is very practical. In addition, it is possible to update the interior without starting a grandiose repair.
Sometimes elements of brick or masonry are used to decorate the corridor. When creating a certain style, this produces a strong effect.
Floor
To design the floor, you can apply:
- ceramic tile;
- parquet;
- laminate;
- linoleum;
- board.
All these are quite practical materials that serve for a long time and are easily washed.
As for, for example, ceramic tiles, it is distinguished by a variety of colors. This allows you to dilute the uniformity of light wall coatings. Use not only monophonic, but also a motley tile with an elegant pattern that creates a visually expanding effect. And the same laminate is often laid across the corridor, due to which the narrow space is also “moved apart”.
Ceiling
The simplest thing that can be done in a narrow corridor is to paint the ceiling white. Although it is often easier to use a tension structure. Some allow the possibility of using a multi-level option, although in order to implement such an idea, one must act very carefully so that in the end it does not turn out to be an overhanging system that makes the corridor not only narrow, but also low.
When using suspended ceilings, experts recommend choosing a glossy option. The reflection effect provided by the gloss fills the space with air.
Furniture selection and placement
A narrow corridor requires the use of a small number of furniture. Anyway, they must be compact and functional. Instead of going to the store for a standard hallway, it is better to start with a detailed draft of the future layout. It will save you from wasted spending and will allow you to purchase only those items that really make the corridor convenient and do not clutter up the already limited space.
Perhaps, instead of buying finished furniture, it makes sense to purchase it on an individual order, taking into account the composition of the family and lifestyle. Then it will be possible to furnish a cramped space at the entrance in full accordance with the needs of each inhabitant of the house.
To equip the corridor, relying on the features of its layout, usually allows such a set of objects:
- cupboard;
- bench;
- hanger;
- mezzanine.
If there is a need and the area allows, you can use items such as whatnots, dressers, ottomans, although competent design allows you to do with a minimum of furniture.
Using a mezzanine makes it possible to remove wardrobe items from the eyes that are intended to be worn in a given season, as well as things that are simply rarely used. Shoes, jackets, scarves and scarves, which are now useless, will not take up extra space in the closet, which opens and closes constantly.
It makes sense to provide not only places for outerwear behind closed doors. If there is a niche with hooks at the level of your outstretched arm, this is very convenient, especially when people are constantly in a hurry somewhere and put a jacket on their shoulders each time, and then they don’t have time to put them in the closet. No need for a lot of hooks. Even 3 of these elements are quite capable of solving the problem of “operational” placement of outerwear.
The lower part of cabinet furniture for things in the corridor may be a cabinet, which is also used as a seat. Although in order to make it easier to shoe, many simply put a bench at the entrance, under which they also put shoes until they are needed.
It is undesirable to leave the corridor completely without seats where you can sit down, despite the fact that this approach saves valuable free space. Firstly, due to physical capabilities, not everyone can safely wear street shoes while standing. Secondly, even if all members of the family are in good physical shape, when they shoe shoes and shoes on their feet, people all the same, albeit by chance, lean on the walls. So, over time, the side surfaces of the corridor will lose their neatness.
Mandatory attribute of the corridor-hallway is a mirror. It can also be part of the furniture when it is built into the cabinet doors. In addition to the fact that this subject allows you to look at yourself, leaving the house, it also visually expands the corridor. On the other hand, if the entrance of the apartment is quite small, there is a risk of accidentally breaking it. Therefore, in some cases it is better install a mirror on the inside of the cabinet door or dispense with a narrow high structure on the wall, which allows you to examine yourself from head to toe.
Mirrors with a width of 30 centimeters at a height of a meter are usually enough to be able to cover your figure with a look almost completely.
Lighting
The peculiarity of the corridor is that there is no natural light. Bright artificial light visually increases the volume, but nevertheless, for example, fluorescent fluorescent lamps that illuminate well, it is better not to use it in a narrow corridor. They distort the color in which the entrance part of the apartment is framed, and this does not always benefit the overall impression of the corridor.
It is advised to replace such lamps with halogen ones, the light from which is perceived as closer to the natural daylight.
Using one central light source in a place like a corridor is an outdated solution. A chandelier will hang overhead and “steal” air from the entrance hall. The best alternative to him is spotlights on the ceiling and walls. Moreover, wall lights should be very compact so as not to interfere and not take away extra centimeters from the width of the corridor.
Due to the illumination of the ceiling and the mirror, the walls “move apart”. When using a glossy ceiling, light sources can even be installed at floor level. Lighting will become brighter due to reflection.
It should be borne in mind that the arrangement of lamps along the entire length of the corridor will attract too much attention to these bright stripes. Because of this, the corridor will visually narrow and extend. Instead of an “expanding" effect, the opposite will be created.
Decor Options
You can decorate the corridor in different ways. At its core, this is a gallery, which means that here is the place for paintings and photographs, especially if this part of the housing is very long.Works of professional artists, children's drawings, and archived family photos within the framework are suitable for decoration.
It is important to arrange all these things in a single style, for example, within the same color, and hang strictly on the line.
Also, lighting items, key holders, trinkets on open shelves and other small elements become decor items.
Designer Tips
To the entrance of the apartment looked solid, it should be issued in a certain style. The solution that comes first when it comes to this part of housing is minimalism. It involves the use of light tones of decoration and light, similar to natural. In such an environment, one important accent is enough.
If the hallway is being developed in a classic manneraccording to her canons, she should look expensive and aristocratic, although without too much pomp. Belonging to the style is emphasized by the use of natural materials - wood of light shades, allowing to visually expand the corridor, as well as marble, hinting at "palace motifs" in the setting.
Style provence suggests the presence of pastel colors and floral patterns. Furniture items can have an artificially aged look, and the whole environment can keep a touch of light romanticism.
Good for corridor Eastern style ideas. Curved furniture legs provide an impression of lightness. This is just what you need for a straight narrow corridor.
In addition to techniques with lighting and color, for the visual expansion of space, designers offer to remove the interior doors, replacing them with semicircular arches.
The mirror illuminated by a lamp located on the opposite wall also makes it possible to create the illusion of a wide room, as well as the diagonal arrangement of the floor covering.
When you design a room, you need to focus people on one accent wall. Using a stone or brick decor helps to create such an effect.
Beautiful examples
The corridor seems spacious thanks to the use of materials with a glossy surface, compact light sources and a contrasting dark door. The open shelves of cabinet furniture leave room for decoration, which gives the corridor a comfortable lived-in look.
The dark door and floor, contrasting with light, interestingly highlighted, compact and very functional furniture, make the narrow room noticeably wider. In such a hallway the walls are "not crushed." You can change clothes and change shoes with complete comfort.
Using a spacious cabinet with mirrored doors is a simple and natural solution for visually expanding the corridor. Additional accents in the form of dark stripes around the front door, on the open clothes hanger and on the floor emphasize the geometry of the corridor, making it look wider.
Hall repair workshop, see the video below.
