5 reasons to go dark in the hallway

Dark Hallways

Hallways are not the easiest spaces to make homely or stylish. They’re often narrow, with long stretches of uninterrupted wall, so colour is super important. Go bold with your colour choice and it’s an instant game changer. Now colour is personal of course, but obviously I’m going to try and continue on my crusade to convert you to the dark side. So here are 5 reasons to pick up a paintbrush and go dark in the hallway. Don’t be surprised if the dark hues spread to the rest of your pad too though. It gets a little addictive, just to warn!

1. DON’T FIGHT THE LACK OF LIGHT

There’s a lot of mumbo jumbo out there about colours. The thing is, if you have a small dark room (which most of our hallways tend to be without a lot of natural light), if you paint it white you will just end up with a small dark and  depressing room. I don’t know about you but dull and dingy is the total opposite of what I want to come home to. White walls just makes the lack of light even more obvious. Instead embrace it, go with dark, strong colours and you’ll immediately have oodles of intrigue, drama and glamour.

2. CREATE INFINITY

Another colour theory myth I'd like to quash, if I may. It'€™s a myth that dark colours are unfit for small spaces. Forget about bland beige or blah pastels for tiny hallways, it's not fooling anyone or making the space seem larger. Instead I'd say paint it all dark - walls, floors, ceiling, woodwork, shelving, the lot. All the boundaries that usually chop up a room like skirting boards, radiators etc just stumpify it and distract the eye, which can make a space seem even smaller. But we all know that black on black disappears. So painting everything out in the same dark hue blurs all the boundaries and softens the edges of your room. That's all it takes to get a room from cramped to feeling snug, cosy, intimate and sophisticated even. My one caveat is that if you use dark colours in a small space, you really need to up the number of lights. In my small hallway alone I have 5!

3. HARDY WALLS TO TAKE WEAR AND TEAR

Hallways or entryways tend to be one of the most battered spaces in our homes. They are such transitional areas, we are forever whizzing in and zooming out of them, tramping in with bags, muddy boots, muddier dogs, or a hundred giant faux cacti (or is that just my house?). I for one don't want to worry about every mud splash or scuff showing up on the walls... going dark means no problem!

4. THE COOLEST BACKDROP

I've said this before but I'll say it again (and probably a gazillion times more!) - bold colours make everything look cooler. Fact. If you want proof, check out the hallway in this why this works blog post. In most hallways the only space you've got to make a statement is the walls. Going dark will elevate all the art, lighting or accessories you have already, so your hallway will instantly seem a way cooler space. Promise!

5. PERFECT PLACE TO EXPERIMENT

If you're scared of dipping a toe into the dark side, hallways are the perfect space to have a go at being more daring. The great thing about entryways is that they are generally the smallest area to revamp, and are only used as walkthroughs. So they're low-commitment and easy to transform quickly! Take risks, and even if you really do hate it, it will not be such a chore to start again.
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