Help - what should I do with this hallway?

[tessdurbyfield]

I have the most awkward lay out in my landing/stair, mostly due to two windows on the landing and hallway. The wall run is so boring and needs something to add interest and dimension but I cannot figure out for the life of my how to make panelling work, as it would have to run through the windows. Any advice or panelling alternative?

You could do a dado with panelling underneath it in a nice dark colour like dark green or blue and then hang some lovely pictures.

Pictures/artwork and photos!

I'm definitely no expert on this stuff but I would steer clear of any patterns or darker colours as it'll close in the narrow space even more and feel like a tunnel.

Half wall panelling but keep it light as the corridor is so narrow

Pictures above the panelling

What age is the property?

Paint it as light as possible without being brilliant white, and add some nice pictures or family photos through the years. (It looks very narrow)

Why does it need to be panelled.

What about a sun tunnel? Sun tunnels & light tubes - See the original VELUX products

And definitely some interesting artwork, or Morris & Co wallpaper below/above a dado rail. Or both/all.

I think the sun tunnels would make a huge difference on their own, but some bold decor wouldn't be the end of the world to change if you decided against it. Could be a fun project that wouldn't take long to see an impact.

I would either put a dado with a large mirror (as big as possible) along the wall, or fill with lots of different framed mirrors.

Radiator shelf and a big mirror above it.

Loads of random size mirrors on one wall

Don't put a dado rail, it makes decorating really fiddly. You would then need to extend it down the stairs. It's very narrow so I agree with everyone saying lots of nice framed prints and photos and maybe a large mirror plus one of those very shallow display cases if you have some nice odds and ends that you could organise on it. An interesting pendant light fitting or, as it is quite long, two or three, running down it.

I wouldn’t put panelling on, or anything else that will make it narrower. Just paint it a nice colour and put some photos or pictures up that you can remove if you need to get something big in or out through it.

Thanks all. It's a hallway to our bedroom but we have a main landing just off that. The issue is that whatever carpentry I do (dado rail, panelling etc) will have to then run into the window and then down the stairs to another window so will need some very clever handiwork to cap it off and I think will just look strange. But don't know how else to break it up. Pictures might work but as it's a tunnel not very visible so not hugely beneficial.

I haven't explained the layout very well, that hallway is just the entrance to our bedroom and the main landing is a square just opposite the radiator.

I wonder if I could do a dado rail and just do the return end next to the radiator and then paint underneath? Would that look strange?

Could you have a bedroom door with a glass panel to let in some light and give more of a focus?

Like this you mean? (Dog is optional!).

I don't need more light as this is just one walkway off the main landing leading to our bedroom. The landing is actually extremely bright and airy. I just want to jazz it up as it's boring. Plus not sure about the idea of the kids peering into our bedroom 😂

Could you do a small shelf above the radiator where the dado rail would end? This is what I'm envisioning:

Well, I’d have to change it 😁

It’s very bland and isn’t easy on the eye - I actually thought it was a hallway in a flat initially till I read your post.

I'd put a long mirror horinzally along the wall possibly. Or maybe a giant print. Is it so narrow that people would scrape against them though?

Where is the bedroom in relation to the door? If that hallway wall is running along one side of the bedroom, would it work to move the bedroom door so it's halfway along that hallway which would make the rest of the hallway a useful storage space?

I'm not sure about the shelf but I think dado rail is only option, I'll just have to bite the bullet and do the stairs and rest of the landing too! Annoying as I like them as is and they don't need the detail/interest but can't see how to make the hallway only dado rail work

It's at the very end extending further out and the left hallway way is the guest bedroom wall so wouldn't work unfortunately. This is the floorplan (area pertinent to this)

The issue I have with adding a dado rail is it hits this window so is awkward and anyway, would rather somehow only do the hallway, not the whole landing and stairs. A return just before the window is doable but if painting the bottom a different colour I'm not sure how I would then only be able to paint the hallway and not the whole landing and stairs

I would switch out the shade for something chandeliery. And paint or wallpaper on the non-radiator wall so that you don't need to do all the stairs area. I think it could be big and bold. It will be hard to make this look like anything other than a narrow hallway so I would embrace that I think.

I didn't think paneling or a rail would work because the main landing has lows of doors so it will look messy, and suddenly enjoying it would be weird.

Can you put a big plant or piece of floor standing artwork by the window, then add a large arty thing, like a wall mural, half way along the passage on the opposite side? It will give a couple of focal points without taking up too much space. If they're on different sides of the passage it makes the eye go side to side rather than straight along.