Our New Home Reno Series: Hallway Decorating Ideas

Sep 10

As you probably know, I am rounding the corner with the finishing touches of my own projects. Phase I is almost complete!

Today, I’ll be sharing some creative ways to bring style to your hallway. In our new home, our hallway is a central junction to several rooms. Here’s the layout to give you the idea. The hallway can be seen from the guest bedroom, guest bath, office, laundry, and dining room. That’s why it’s become an important space to me. I want to be sure it’s elegant (but not too formal) and works with all the surrounding rooms.

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We live 4 miles from the coastline 🐳 and the exterior of our home is traditional (classic) in style. So, I’m going for a “Casually Elegant” look throughout.

For the hallway, I’m using a linen wallcovering. Linen is from the plant called Flax and this strong woven material is then backed with paper to make it usable as a wallcovering. Here’s a closeup. It’s a neutral color and has a beautiful sheen that helps to elevate the space. Woven wallcovering rolls are typically 36” wide and it is natural to see the seams from sheet to sheet. That’s part of the beauty if you ask me. =0)

Here are a couple of before shots. We had a long way to go at this point.

Those white patches in the photo on the left are where the old cabinet used to be. I had a new cabinet built and it is being installed now. It may take a few more days for the company to finish the crown moulding at the top though.

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Here’s Paul De San. He’s my favorite wallpaper hanger in Orange County! He’s been so conscientious about the way he’s placing the sheets. The blue tape you see in the photo on the right represents the full widths (36”) of the paper. The orange tape is for full cuts he needs to make.

At the top of the new cabinet is the air return for our HVAC system. There is also a doorbell. I painted those items to match the paper and Paul is installing around them.

There are all sorts of switches, outlets, and control panels he had to work around as well. Thanks Paul! ❤️

We needed to smooth coat the hallway walls with plaster and then have them painted before Paul could begin. A paper like this would show the old texture if we hadn’t taken those extra measures.

Can I just say? This paper is a bit of a splurge, so the extra cost to prepare the walls was worth it.

The cabinet door/drawer style I chose is traditional. Here are some drawings to show you the configuration and style.

The cabinet needs some finish work crown at top but for now, it’s installed so the wallcovering can go up.

There are two schools of thought about which should come first. The cabinet may need caulking if the walls are not perfectly straight. And this means the caulk could bleed onto the new paper. Or….the wallpaper would be easier to install without having to go around all the cabinetry. In the end, I chose to do the cabinet first.

Here’s the cabinet hardware (1-1/4” knob) I chose and the new door hardware. All the hardware is in a matte black finish.

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Door levers are nice to have, especially as we age. They are easier to operate than having to grasp and twist a knob. (Not that I’m saying I’m old or anything. 😂)

I chose not to use a decorative light fixture in this hallway because there are too many other (ugly) elements on the ceiling and a pretty fixture would only call attention to the ceiling. The other reason would be placement. The hallway is not a good shape that would lend itself for something more. So, I went for recessed cans instead.

And here are some after photos of the hallway now.