Dark hall - colour recommendations?

[Cuppatea14]

Need to reprint our very dark hall/stairs/landing, it's currently grey and is horribly gloomy. The stairs and landing are carpeted with oatmeal colour but I want to re-carpet them charcoal grey hopefully next year. The hall has floorboards, not very dark coloured. Front door is black. Dh is tempted to go stark white but I think this may be a disaster with small children?? We definitely need something brighter though, it's like walking into a cave at the moment.

Hmm, stark white in a dark hallway may look very cold and gloomy.

One tactic would be to go with the dark and make it really dark - perhaps a petrol blue, or what about Farrow & Ball Pelt - and put bright things against it, like mirrors and illuminated signs. This would work best if you have light, bright rooms leading off it.

That's a thought, we do have bright rooms leading off. Not sure I'll sell it to DH but you never know, might do a bit of pinteresting...

Have a look at little Greene- they do some gorgeous warm colours. I've done my hallways in Aged Ivory (well the Johnstone's very good copy) and it's a lovely warm deep colour which goes with everything.

I have a room in Habitat Olive, which is a rich strong colour but also mellow and buttery...

We have a very similar sounding hallway to you and we're about to paint it f & b strong white.

One of those toned down whites but with a satin finish, so you can wipe clean.

Yes that F&b strong white is what we were thinking, but will need a sturdier brand that will withstand the offspring. Needs to be wipeable. I also do love that habitat olive, but think we will have the same issue as we do with the grey. I think we need to go either white or else very bold dark, Abigail Aherne style, which I'm not sure the rest of our house is trendy enough to carry off!!

I think the white is your best bet, because you can add pictures etc for interest.