How to brighten the hallway?

[Skate12008]

We have recently moved house and loved the long hallway, but we are finding it quite 'dark' 1 half is currently grey, and the rest is white

It opens into the kitchen

We have a mirror at the end of the hallway by front door (this end is not dark) and we also have a large mirror the other end

Would love some suggestions for colours to brighten other than just white

I have added some pics to help get an idea

It doesn't look as dark in the picture, but come winter I feel it will look even darker

I'd paint the walls a lighter, brighter colour. A light lemony or primrose colour.

I can’t visualise it properly. Could you add a diagram so we can visualise where the photos are in relation to the total hall? Where does the light come from? Does it have any natural light? Is there glass in the front door, or is it just lit from the kitchen? Is the door on the far left of the lefthand photo the kitchen door?

And is that a potty as accessory? 😀

I think the colour of the floor has a big impact on the brightness of the hall. When you get to know the neighbours, perhaps you could see how their halls look?

I’d just paint it white for now

Me too. You can always paint over it if you find it too stark.

Thank you all for your suggestions, I am adding a floor plan to hell give a better idea of the layton

There is a lot of light in the kitchen, and although there isn't a door it doesn't really come through to the hallway

We have a porch (the 2nd door into the house is all glass) but there is also not much light coming through the main front door

I hope this helps understand the layout! Not even good at explaining things 🤣

I wouldn’t paint it white, it will look stark and cold.

A nice light sage green or dusky pink maybe.

I get a lot of paint colour inspiration from the group 'farrow and ball lovers' on FB. Even if you aren't planning on using farrow and ball paint you can search the group for colours you're interested in and so much comes up.

I'd think about the lighting. Cracking layout. I have no hall

Wallpaper it. It will add tons of interest and make it more cohesive. I'd also add a row / series of similar pictures along one side, it will look stylish and thought-out.

Runner/floor rug in something brighter than the brown floor

1. lighter shade than the current grey
2. i'd paint the doors as well
3. lighting i think you could increase the wattage, change the color from warm white to cool white (the box should tell you if they are warm white or cool white) and then see about adding extra light fixtures.

What is above the hall? Could you have a sun tunnel installed in the hall, perhaps going through a fitted wardrobe, storage cupboard or the corner of a bedroom (which could the be boxed off) above and through the attic to the roof? They then send lots of natural light down the mirrored tube of the sun tunnel and into your hall, brightening it considerably.

If you change the lightbulbs, aim for a rating of 4000 Kelvins. It is a daylight bulb, brighter than warm white (2700 Kelvins) but not cool white like the 6000K rating. You may need to buy online.

A light colour, I'd go white personally but appreciate it's not to a lot of people's taste. My friend has a tight hallway and painted it sage green and it looks amazing.

I'd put a narrow unit under that plug with a lamp on.

I agree that wallpaper would look good.

We took up the flooring, had karndean laid in washed skandi pine, then opaque glass doors in the bedrooms, bathroom. Clear glass elsewhere. Painted the walls a pale blue/grey. So much brighter. I love it now whereas it was so gloomy before.

"Washed Scandi Pine SM-KP132" https://www.karndean.com/en-gb/floors/products/washed-scandi-pine-sm-kp132

With that warm wood floor I'd go for a pale sage green or eau de nil, some big white sculptural lampshades and a big floor-standing potted plant near the mirror

Also worth looking at Paint and Paper Library - similar colours to F&B but much nicer paint.
Dulux heritage is nice too but ime the pigments fade so the colour changes after a couple or years.

I agree with the pp who suggested wallpaper.

It's an internal hall so you have a choice of trying to create the illusion of it being lighter than it is (which will always be apparent) or you can embrace it being a darker but interesting space in your home.

Personally I'd go for the latter with some flattering lighting and some (probably expensive given it's not a huge area) beautiful wallpaper that makes the space a really impactful.

Hard to judge the dimensions but if space allows I'd put a lovely reading chair or display table where the yellow blob is aa d bookshelves where the purple line is.

Generally I think it's best to embrace the space as it is rather than trying to make it something it isn't.

Opps - picture of blobs :-)