Please help me redecorate my dingy hallway

[DingyHall2026]

I've been putting off decorating the hall since i moved in 9 1/2 years ago, but it's time. The reason for the delay is I've got no idea what to do.

Attached are some pics of the hall. Excuse the clutter, but hopefully you can get a sense of it.

For idea generation let's pretend there are no budget restrictions and anything is in scope. We like mid century styling generally, and a lot of the house is painted blue, from a navy downstairs cloakroom (off the hall) to dusky mid blue bedroom, pale turquoise living room, and teal spare room.

DH would like a green in the hall, so that might be a good starting point for colours. Otherwise putty/clay type neutrals are prob the right area, but really keen to see any ideas anyone wants to throw this way please!

What questions do we need to consider? I hate the architrave and door hardware, even the doors. But i don't know where to start replacing these. Hall has two doors on one side and one door plus double doored hall cupboard on the other, which feelsa lot to do well
Then there is the bit at the bottom of the stairs which is just chaos.

Help!

Very many thanks

It’s hard to judge — how much daylight does it get? Nothing directly, just via open doors and a landing window? Are they usually kept open? What aspect do those rooms have?

This gigantic screenshot is the Pinterest board I tried pulling together last time I thought any this, hopefully people can open it.

It gets light through the front door, i took the final front door pic just now but DH took the others earlier today.

Front garden gets afternoon and evening sun, whereas kitchen and living room which are both ~5 m long get morning and early afternoon sun - so the amount of light reaching the hall varies whether it's morning or afternoon. There is also the landing window you can see and a high up skylight above the landing which gives more light.

The hall itself runs approx from SE at the front door to NW at the fatter end which joins the kitchen.

Does that help?

go on google/GROK, upload a pic and ask ai for ideas

I'd much prefer ideas from humans @YabbaYabbaYay !

Some more pics here, the doors. Which I hate. How much would this be improved by some calmer cleaner doorframes and nicer doors? I don't have the first idea what doors I'd like, or handles.

I don't mind the glass doors which lead to kitchen and living room and would ideally keep them.

I prompted ChatGPT: “Visualise this hallway redecorated with Little Greene’s Normandy Grey on the walls, and their Slaked Lime on the ceiling and trim. Add a red-based runner, and an artificial olive tree in a stylish container”. Result attached.

(I must say your space doesn’t look dingy to me at all! Lovely proportions.)

I'd love a hallway big enough to store a double bass in. Barely have space for coats in our narrow light-less Victorian hallway - now that's dingy!!

Sorry, not helpful, just jealous of the size of the hallway!!

Wow @HighburyHope ,that is very impressive! I hate the runner but that's really not the point... The colour is exactly what DH wants and it's really helpful seeing it exactly. With our hall chest complete with clutter.

Thanks very much, maybe I'll grudgingly give the ai a whirl for this.

I still really appreciate stylish women's ideas though

Haha thanks @ValBiro the size of the hall is one of the things which sold us the house. Which i think is a big part of the reason I'm so grumpy we've still not decorated it. It clearly has potential, I just can't make it work. I've no problem decorating bathrooms or bedrooms, but this is such a weird confusing space for me

New prompt: “This time change the runner to a modern style with earthy colours”. Here it is:

What kind of look would you like, though? I agree with a pp. It has nice proportions and any hall is improved by a double bass…

Do you want to prioritise light, or colour, or something else? The door handles I agree are awful, but those can be easily replaced — what is it you hate about the architraves, which look fine to me?

Would you consider painting the doors, skirting and architraves the same colour as the walls? I have a darkish Victorian hallway lit only though doors from rooms and the front door, and it’s F and B Dropcloth throughout, including doors, skirting, architraves.

Could you do one more please @HighburyHope and change the doors and frames? I want plainer doorframes and midcentury doors and handles. I'm trying myself but it's being really slow to load, not given me any yet

If you do like the Normandy Grey paint colour from Little Greene (which I plucked out of the air for illustrative purposes, but is a good colour) be aware that it is included in their Re:Mix scheme at a bargain £28 per 2.5 litre tin.

https://www.littlegreene.com/remix?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=346284858&gclid=CjwKCAjwjtTNBhB0EiwAuswYhnDRrc6pnti3UeyVdVKycbF0UpUuKqmqfo_I0sGCq9gI6jFq0POaIxoCIt0QAvD_BwE

I think I mean doorframes rather than architrave. If you look at the face on door pics they just look so ugly to me.

I love this pic I just found. Maybe not the porthole specifically, not necessarily the colour for my hall. But the simplicity of the lines and the elegance of it all

I like the floor but I'd paint the back of the front door white, or whatever colour you're putting on the other doors.

I'd change the door into the kitchen with all the small divisions in it. It's a bit 80s and doesn't fit with the style of the others which are more Victorian. Maybe the same as those but glass in the top panels.

Omg you have a double bass! 😍

Like PP, I always get ChatGPT to visualise interior design for me. It always chucks in an olive tree or two! I’m very jealous of how enormous your hallway is; ours is like a ventilation shaft!

Suggestion with the doors - would you be open to having glass doors on the other rooms to let more light in? Fluted glass works well if you wanted them more opaque

Edit: also personally I think the spotlights aren’t helping as they create shadows how they’re placed, I’d personally put ceiling lights in with maybe some wall lights for added choice but it’s whether you want to go that far

Have you considered a very pale green, almost apple white. It would flow nicely with your other rooms by the sounds of it, maximise the light and maybe go nicely with warm wooden toned furniture.

The bit by the double bass joins the living room with the same glass doors but a double version! I like them, plus replacing all the doors might be a bit more cost than I'm really willing to swallow, plus they work well allowing light into the hall. We mostly keep them open and the hall doors closed.

I really dislike the hall doors so am v happy to change them, whereas I'm relatively keen on these glassy ones

Like this?

This came out looking more like arsenic by f and b that card room green (which is a great colour)
But you get the vibe....

I meant white, sorry for not specifying. I do quite like this but i don't think it would go in the downstairs, too clashing with everything else. I think i want even smaller doorframes but no need to do any more visualisations thanks. I think I'm fairly decided on that now.

This came out looking more like arsenic by f and b that card room green (which is a great colour)
But you get the vibe...
.With image.....

Why would you want to put mid-century style furnishings into a beautiful Victorian house with original features?
If DH wants green paint, that is obviously your starting point but please don't change the woodwork except to paint it. Most people would give their eye-teeth for those original features, or would have bought a mid-century house, rather than one with Victorian features.