Asked on Jun 04, 2014
What color would look nice in my hallway?
by
Kim Lander
+48
The boyfriend will not let me paint the doors or trim. He likes the wood.
39 answers
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I think something to match the carpet would be great, I LOVE that color!!
Amy Toole
on Jun 04, 2014
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Or, paint the side walls a lighter shade of the door color and paint the end wall the carpet color.
TD
on Jun 04, 2014
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I think Sherwin Williams SW 6211 Rainwashed would look pretty in your hall. It would brighten it up and would go great with your carpeting too. This is lady used it in her home and I think it's such a pretty color and looks so fresh and clean. http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/2014/06/french-farmhouse-bedroom-transformation.html
Donna Byram
on Jun 05, 2014
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If you don't stay with the boyfriend- the doors are probably hollow and the house might be early to mid 60's . In our house replaced the doors with 6 panel doors and painted white. Our walls are a light beige. Light blue could be good.
Sue D
on Jun 05, 2014
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I think a soft gray with white base and door trim. Then paint the doors a satin black. Ideally it would look really great with a beefed up floor trim and new paneled doors.
Karen Shurette
on Jun 05, 2014
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We put up a chair rail, painted the top kaki and the bottom red. We also painted the doors and trim.
Tammy Shockley
on Jun 05, 2014
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Dump the boyfriend and paint it whatever color you want! Something light either something in the white or perhaps white with a tinge of the carpet color in it. Definitely the trim and doors painted white to lighten up this dark hallway.
Linda
on Jun 05, 2014
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I would deffinatly go with a cooler light color be cause your hallway looks so dark
Teresa
on Jun 05, 2014
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I have a hallway similar to yours and it's been a thorn in my side. I've painted it three times and still not satisfied. Whatever you decide, stay light because I did a deep red once and I felt like I was drowning. Good luck, I'd like to see what you come up with, maybe it would help me!
PattyV
on Jun 05, 2014
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In addition to the paint, it would be nice to make the walls into a pictue gallery. Look at this for ideas http://livingrichonless.com/tipsforhangingpictures.
Liliana Wells
on Jun 05, 2014
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My roommate just painted our livingroom with a very very pale green it is almost white with just a tint of green looks really nice and great for a dark area I like the tint rather than just going all white or off white
Bonnie Bassett
on Jun 05, 2014
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Get rid of the dark carpet and install wood flooring. Light color paint. Both will lighten the hallway. Paint color depends on the other room that goes off of hallway.
Roberta Eagleston
on Jun 05, 2014
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I nice light yellow would brighten it up but, if aren't going to replace the carpets I would do as someone suggested and go for a lighter color of the carpet. My hall is very similar right down to the doors and we replaced our doors and it brightened the hall way so much...good luck, please keep us informed.
Theresa
on Jun 05, 2014
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I would paint it a very light gray with slightly darker gray vertical stripes.
Debbie
on Jun 05, 2014
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If it were mine, I would NOT paint the end wall a dark color. It would make it look like a dark tunnel and even more short and closed in. If you want to paint it, do a winter white. I never like to paint pretty wood. Wood is beautiful. I would get different ceiling light fixtures to give it more light and look more up to date. I do love your carpet color. I have a Teal in my living room, master bedroom and down the stairs to the family room. I used to have a hallway like this and I put family pictures on it and it looked great. Gold & Creams are warm with greens. In my guest bathroom, I painted dark/bright green behind the gold framed mirror and it's gorgeous with the wood cupboards, etc. If you paint the end wall a color, I would match it to the carpet and keep the mirror if it has a gold frame. Glass makes things look bigger too. Too many colors in a small place will look cluttered. Hope this helps :-) Have fun with your project!
Linda B
on Jun 05, 2014
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I think a very, very pale peach.....really a warm white with just a hint of peach. Should work with the doors and carpet.
Dfinch
on Jun 05, 2014
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Along with color, mirrors could brighten up that hall, just something decorative or I've seen antique windows with panes turned into mirrors. Let the light in! :)
Kristina Cowan
on Jun 05, 2014
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You've got some good suggestions…well, all except the "lose the boyfriend" one! My hub's like your BF--hates painting wood--but I kinda wanna keep him. I like Donna's Rainwashed suggestion, except IMHO it needs more of a blue tint. SW 6756 Crystal Clear is a good one. Or 6750 Waterfall. According to the Color Visualizer, the latter works well with teal and white and taupe and red.
Nancy Gramm
on Jun 05, 2014
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I wall papered the far wall in my" tunnel" hallway. U could use fabric and liquid starch- -that way could change pattern and color!
Susan
on Jun 05, 2014
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See if he will go with whitewash paint. Whitewash allows the wood texures to show through,did that with my horrible pine kitchen cupboards, couldnt afford to redo in wood and hate fake woods and melamine. The whole kitchen is bright and light now. my husband was so sceptical at first but loves it now.
Cheryl Watters
on Jun 05, 2014
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Don't know about budget. Think you need to address the tunnel effect . I'd replace a couple of doors with French doors that have 12 panes. You can stain them to match the others. On the panes, you could use those sheets which don't stop light, but provide privacy. Or that glass spray that makes them look frosted. This would allow more light into the hall if closed. The glass panes would add visual interest and help expand the space.. ( I did this in my downstairs half-bath.) I like the colour of your carpet, but I think it closes in the space. I'd wainscot to add interest. I'd go light above, and darker below. And wallpaper is being revived - there are thousands of patterns. Maybe group some pictures above the wainscoting.
Marion Nesbitt
on Jun 05, 2014
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What color is the carpet? A nice light blue or gray would go with it, maybe a updated ceiling light too? Alot of men like the natural wood look :)
Shari Veater
on Jun 05, 2014
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I see what you mean, great insight! I just shared the sponge idea after my mom and I used it in a bathroom and it ended up really nice! I can imagine seeing your work, it would look awesome! :) thanks for the tips!
Kristina Cowan
on Jun 05, 2014
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I think you will have to paint the trim and replace the doors to bring it out of the 70's era. We painted ours (although it was a 90's house) and got 6-panel doors in white and it made a huge difference in the whole house.
Michele Eures
on Jun 05, 2014
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I think if you removed the mirror at the end of the hall, it would help you lose the tunnel effect. Make it a portrait wall instead. As for a wall colour, I think a light grey would work well to tone down the wood tone. Try Coventry grey or stonington grey by Benjamin Moore.
Jan
on Jun 05, 2014
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Several suggestions to help with the tunnel effect in your hallway. 1. Paint walls a warm white such as BM Grand Teton or White Dove. A warm white doesn't have a blue or grey undertone. 2. Paint the ceiling a soft, pale blue such as 25% BM Palladiam Blue. 3. Clean and wax your existing doors and baseboards. 4. Paint your doorbell cover white. 5. Clean your lightfixtures and replace bulbs with 60 watt Edison bulbs for added light and ceiling interest. 6. More $$ and time, but adding board and batten 3/4 up the walls would breakup up the dark tunnel effect. This would require painting the doors and woodwork, however. 7. Add a gallery wall of pictures on the left side of the hall with glass in the frames to bounce around the light. 8. Add a painted piece of furniture at the end of the hall. Your mirror is a goid idea, but the wrong shape. Try a round or sunburst mirror over the painted chest. Good luck and please let us know what you decide.
Pam Bolton
on Jun 05, 2014
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Going with the color of the carpet and the fact the hallway doesn't have much natural lighting, I would go with a very subtle grey color (Dove Grey) for the side walls, Arctic White for the ceiling and end wall. Add some black and white framed prints along the walls, and update the light fixtures. See my posts and you will see a very simple and inexpensive light cover alternative. Best of luck! (post pics when done)
Therese C
on Jun 05, 2014
- See 2 previous
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Taupe or a silver/gray
Veronica Fischer
on Jun 05, 2014
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i would put a mirror at end of hallway,after painting walls a pretty pastel.might even paint behind the mirror a tiny bit darker pastel then the walls. then add some art work or family photo gallery to one wall.
Reta Green
on Jun 05, 2014
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I like Reta's ides of the mirror at the end of the hall. As far as the paint goes, you should paint the doors out the same color as the walls when your boyfriend is at work....sorry oopsy
Yvonne
on Jun 06, 2014
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paint it a brighter color, add a mirror wall at the end. put up some sconces.add a brighter rug runner down the middle. paint the doors and jams to match the new wall color too.
Tuzwoo
on Jun 06, 2014
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I had the same hallway dilemma when we bought our house...long, dark, tunnel-like hall with awful U.G.L.Y. orange trim moldings and (5) doors. My problem was compounded by outdated wallpaper and chair rail molding that made the hall look even longer and more narrow than it already was. There was absolutely no question every inch of the moldings, doors and baseboards in the entire house would be painted a bright, clean, crisp white. My husband used to be a wood lover too but I cured him of that affliction by showing him how not all wood is created equal and worthy of keeping. Now he trusts my judgement when it comes to painting wood and doesn't bat an eye when he sees me with a can of paint and paint brush in hand. I whole-heartedly agree with @Pam Pam -- orangey "oak" is so outdated. I would keep working on your BF about painting the wood. Nothing will really update and freshen the hall until the orange is gone.
Shari
on Jun 06, 2014
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Shari, I believe you are right. The woodwork and doors are in need of a drastic change. It's time for a fresh new look. Kim, I hope your boyfriend will trust you and agree to change the woodwork and doors. If it's your house do what you like. When he becomes more than a boyfriend, he gets more say...maybe ? :)
Carol Tomlin
on Jun 06, 2014
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Blue with grey undertone'
Lorraine Alesia
on Jun 07, 2014
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Get rid of the boyfriend and paint the walls yellow
MaryAnn Winkelwoman
on Jun 08, 2014
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I wanted to come back and share another picture I found of my hallway in "transition" between the two photos I posted above. This was after the wallpaper came down and the walls, trim and doors had been painted. In this picture the carpet had not been replaced yet but even with the dark hunter green carpet still on the floor, I think it is really obvious the hallway looks much lighter and brighter without the old orange oak trim and doors. Maybe (hopefully) this photo will convince your BF the hallway would look fresher if all the wood trim and doors were painted. Good luck! :)
Shari
on Jun 08, 2014
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Thank you everyone for all of the great ideas. So I'm leaning to a light grey on walls, white on ceilings and removing the mirror.
Kim Lander
on Jun 08, 2014
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I'm getting the impression it's the boyfriend's home, so painting the doors/trim would be incredibly inconsiderate. I personally like the wood look, and with a boldly colored carpet like you have, you could use some warm colors on the walls and even a printed wallpaper that would tie the color of the carpet in together. You could also do a wiiiide striping technique using the same color paint but one set of stripes would be semi-gloss, the other stripes do in either flat paint or glossy as a tone on tone contrast. It makes a very classy looking wall treatment.
Bonnie
on Oct 14, 2014
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Yup..any guy who stands in the way of the design deva has to go...make your nest, just like you would want....it to be..PS...guys will adjust to change, just do it..
Kam D
on Aug 13, 2015
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