Ideas for decorating a narrow Victorian terrace hall with dado rail

[dutchlinda]

We have a typical narrow hall of a three-bed Victorian terrace. I want to jazz it up a bit. It has a dado rail (think that's what they're called) that I don't love. My ideal would be to wallpaper BELOW the rail so that I don't have to continue the wallpaper up the stairs and to the landing.

The decorator thinks this would be a Bad Idea because it would get scuffed and the paper is expensive. He did suggest using polyvine on it to toughen it up but I'm having Second Thoughts.

Any other ideas? I know many people paint below the rail but I'm just not that inspired by the pics online but could be convinced.

Stairs have very plain runner but also thought of just adding color there.

Thanks!

I agree that in a narrow hallway wallpaper below the dado rail is likely to get scuffed, especially if you have children/pushchairs/wheelchairs/walking sticks regularly in the house. If it’s not too narrow would panelling for the lower part of the wall work?

I have to agree with the builder. Wallpaper below the dado gets damaged really easily.

I fear you are right! @Tryingtokeepgoing love that paneling but it looks pricey! I imagine this is work for a joiner?

Open to other ideas as well!

You can do the panelled look fairly easily with mdf cut to size, moulding glued on and decoraters caulk then paint with a harder wearing paint maybe eggshell? We once did a feature wall in our sitting room with a textured paint that gave a suede finish think it was by crown

Crown Crafted Suede Textured Paint https://share.google/xnftYGuThh4eJxBEK

You could paint below the dado rail in a different colour to above? I’ll try to attach a pic of my own hall (similar kind of house)

Hope this loads