HELP!! What have we done??? Pic attached

[QuietThyme]

DH and I live in military housing and had the bright idea that painting our hallway would be a great idea!

There was some good logic behind it. We moved in when it was newly built in 2017 and the walls just had a matt white base coat on them. With two young kids, the walls have become, let’s just say, less white!

We bought some matt but wipeable sage green paint but it looks awful now it’s done. This pic doesn’t show the severity but it’s much darker than we hoped/expected. We have some things to put on the walls which might help but I’m really upset about it. I think it doesn’t help that every other wall in the house is plain white 😩

DH would definitely throttle me if I say I want to change the colour so that’s not an option.

Any ideas on how I can improve this?

I like it too. White pictures frames and a mirror would help.

A softer light would help, the glass one gives off too bright a light. Although is exactly what I am looking for in my hallway...

It's not really my colour but I've seen far worse!

I would change the lampshade to a drum shaped fabric one with a pattern/colours that matches the walls and carpet to bring it all together. Then put the pictures up and job done!

I like it. My guess is that you’ve lived with white walls for too long so any other colour would be shocking. Once you break away from white and magnolia, you can be far more adventurous.

The issue is the carpet it’s the wrong colour so a runner or something would help or new flooring but that may be expensive

Sorry, it looks like the old style institution green. Hospitals no longer have this colour for a reason. I would just repaint.

I'm in two minds OP. That colour does look suspiciously like the shade often used in police stations and hospitals but I'm pretty sure you can make it work with some strategically placed, colour coordinated ornaments and wall art. Go on pinterest, type in sage green walls room decoration ideas (or something to that effect) and get some ideas. You can also put the colour into a colour palette generator online to find some classy complementary colours to go with it. On a positive note, it looks beautifully done!

I like it, makes a change from grey

It's nice!

You just need pictures on the walls, it will look great.

I really like it! If you need more light then a strategically placed mirror and or a free standing lamp are good.

New lampshade
Runner
Pictures on the wall
A few framed pics to soften piano
Perhaps a candle in a lantern next to piano on the floor

It will soon grow on you.

Another one who likes it! Like other PP suggests, white framed pics, plants, mirror and runner and jobs a good’n

It looks lovely, what's the problem?

I like it as well.

Paint the piano white??

(Obs a joke-but that's a great lump of dark there!)

I think it looks lovely. I’d probably get a different ceiling light shade with an element of the wall colour in.

Better lighting ... maybe a spot light type arrangement along the length. Also, if the piano has to stay in the hall (talking sacrilege here!) could you paint it white? The runner suggested earlier would help too.

(Honestly .... I would re-paint it a brighter colour ..... )

I think the light isn't doing it any favours at all. I would at least change the shade to something a bit softer. Is there any room for a lamp?

Mirrors and reflective surfaces will help brighten it. I'd use some pictures and frames in a contrasting colour, too - maybe pink to add some warmth?

Don't be tempted to put anything white on the floor: it will show up every speck of dirt.

I love it

I would go with plush things like gold frames, red velvet door curtain and red runner. But that would be very ott probably. I think it looks ok though, just as good as plain.

You're allowed to paint military housing? We weren't when we lived there - or if we did we had to return it to original colour or be charged (OMQ) (financially, not court martialled!) I would have just painted it white again. And if you have kids a white rug/runner would be a disaster...

DH would definitely throttle me if I say I want to change the colour so that’s not an option

Just do it- if it is important to you then he should understand.

I wouldn't even ask my OH- just get some paint, wait until he is out and repaint.
Job done.
PS- silk emulsion is much better when you have kids- easier to clean.

I like it too, much better than white. Loads of good suggestions above too, it just needs dressing.

It’s lovely, nothing wrong with it at all and the carpet doesn’t need to “match”, what you’ve got is absolutely fine. As a previous poster says, I’d go for a runner in the same colour as the walls to tie it all together, don’t go for a white runner, will look awful and will forever be filthy!! If you’ve had stark white walls since you moved it, it’s probably just the shock of something darker. Once you get your mirror up and pictures/photos etc, it will look lovely:

Love it !

The colour is OK, but the room needs more diffuse light (not just a single light bulb with barely any lamp shade, you need lots of different softer light sources, including perhaps LED strings), so that the shadows become softer and less dark. And a mirror (or other reflective material) might also help.

The floor should typically be darker than the walls, so careful if you decide to add a mat on top of the carpet.

Once you've sorted the light and decided what to do about the floor, you can add some interesting objects to break the monotony of that corridor (pictures, hooks, wall shelves, etc.)