Design a small hallway in the apartment - expanding the interior

In any house, the design determines the overall atmosphere, mood and style of the interior. The entrance hall is the first thing that a guest sees when he enters the apartment. Often, the owners are difficult to equip a small hallway due to the lack of space and fear of cluttering up extra items. The design of a small hallway in the apartment is not easy, but very exciting, requiring a creative approach, as well as adherence to certain rules.
The problem of small rooms is the lack of useful space in the house, when the appointment of a room requires the placement of a certain set of things, and there is no place for all this.

The minimum set of furniture in the hallway

Of course, about any bulky dressers, elegant sofas, giant chandeliers, high racks, cabinets, walls and shelves here can not go. In a small hallway everything should be as compact, rational and ergonomic as possible. Modern, close one-room apartments, such as Khrushchev, make residents occupy the interior so that each thing is useful and doesn’t take up space.

Based on the experience of many owners of small apartments, there is a certain minimum set of pieces of furniture that must be in the hallway. These include:

Cupboard. The most aesthetic and ergonomic option for the hallway will be a full wardrobe, the interior of any room without it looks unfinished, somehow "uninhabited." Cabinet case will significantly steal the place of the hallway, but then there will be useful space for placing outerwear, hats, accessories, umbrellas, scarves, gloves and other things. A successful solution in the design of the hallway will be the transformation of a niche into a dressing room by embedding a closet there. Doors must be equipped with mirrors to visually expand or lengthen the room. The hallway will become even more, if several lamps are installed above the sliding mirror doors. Additional useful space will appear due to the installation of side shelves-racks along the cabinet.
Hanger. This option is most suitable for the hallway, where the area is strictly small. In fact, the simplest hanger is a set of hooks with a shelf for caps, sometimes there is a horizontal bar on the factory sets to hang the hangers. In general, the factory version of the rack hanger for the hallway is the best fit for arranging a small area. Here you can choose the right design, colors and configurations so that in any particular case a solution is found.
Tumba You always need a place to sit down, put on shoes or just wait for someone. A chair, a chair or a regular stool are suitable here, but a stand will be an excellent multi-functional option. There is a place for sitting and space for various trifles like gloves, brushes for shoes, paddles, keys, papers and other things. In addition, for a small hallway, you can choose the most compact cabinet.
Whatnot for shoes. The ubiquitous saving of space in the apartment makes it necessary to use such pieces of furniture. After all, if the family is large, then all the shoes on the floor of the hallway will not be placed. Here on top of each other on the shelves a few pairs will fit perfectly without much clutter.
Mirror. The design of a small hallway is impossible without this essential detail. First, it is the control of its own species before leaving. Secondly, it is a magic wand for many hallways, because mirrors have the effect of expanding the space visually.

Basic hallway design rules

A small area of the hallway does not mean that it will have to be deprived of something. There are certain tricks that can be solved by solving a design problem in a small apartment.

Color - for a not very large hallway, the interior must be exceptionally bright. Pastel colors should prevail in the overall color scheme. Dark details, of course, can be present, for example, a brown cabinet or a black pouf, a dark blue door and so on. However, they should be small, because the hallway, cluttered with black furniture and pasted over with dark wallpaper, will definitely seem less than it is. In addition, if we talk about the ornament on the floor or walls, then there are no large prints, only small patterns: flowers, polka dots, stripes. It is preferable to choose a monochromatic coating.
Light - a small entrance hall should be lit completely, as bright as possible. There should be several light sources, then the interior of the house will sparkle with bright colors. Shadows should be avoided, because the narrow hallway in the twilight will be quite small. Lamps near the mirror or around it will enhance the lighting effect, and it will be much more convenient to correct makeup if there is a lot of light.
Mirrors - erase the boundaries of the room. If there is an opportunity in a private house or apartment to make the entire wall mirror, it must be used. The side mirror border will visually make a small hallway much wider, and a mirror located on the entire wall opposite the door will create the illusion of an endless corridor. The original idea is a mirrored front door. This solution will save money on the purchase of a separate mirror, as well as a place for its location on any of the walls of the hallway.
Furniture - a tiny square hall should not be cluttered. Small apartment is initially better to furnish at a minimum. The optimal set of pieces of furniture has already been presented above, now you can talk about the colors of the headset. The color of the furniture is not particularly important, the main thing is that the style is sustained, and all the elements are in harmony with each other. This rule must be followed to design the whole house. For the interior of a small hallway, a corner wardrobe, small stand or pouf will do. On this you can, perhaps, limit yourself. A large set of furniture is not for this occasion. If a lot of people live in private ownership, then the shoes in the hallway are worth a lot. For a small apartment with three or four tenants, a shelf for shoes is the best fit. Wooden, plastic or metal - it will literally save your space from the eternal pile of boots, as well as scattered slippers and sneakers. You must admit that shoes arranged on the shelves look much better and more aesthetically than standing in rows on the floor. And so it will take much more precious space, and a compact shoe rack will help put everything in its place.

Before the start of the repair, it is necessary to draft a project in advance and calculate everything to the smallest detail, since the task is to combine all the necessary items in one close space of the hallway - not an easy one.

Profitable floor solutions

You should not forget about this plane either, because in the hallway usually carpets are not laid, especially if the owners adhere to modern design. A small hallway can be decorated as stylishly as the rooms in the house, so the floors can not be neglected. The apartments are now used to design several types of flooring:

linoleum;
laminate;
wooden floors;
carpet;
ceramic tile.

The easiest to care for, popular because of its cheapness and versatility is linoleum. It is easy to wash, and you can not be afraid that it will fade or spread from water or detergent. In the hallway in a private house, it is advisable to lay commercial linoleum, which usually creeps in areas with high traffic. So less risk of damage to the material due to sand, heels and other negative factors. For the hallway you can pick up linoleum of almost any color and texture, because it is not always extremely smooth. The variety of patterns will allow you to choose the right flooring for any interior.

Laminate is now the most popular because of its high strength and resistance to various loads. The presentation of high-end products is able to survive for a whole decade. Laminate is not afraid of any kind of cleaning, neither moisture nor dust are not afraid of him either.

As for wooden floors, it is definitely possible to note: they are outdated. Parquet as a kind of wood flooring can harmoniously complement only the classical hall, designed in the old and even elegant style. And the usual brushed floor from our Soviet past looks, to put it mildly, unsightly. Therefore, even to consider it does not make sense, it is unlikely that someone will decide to keep such a floor in the hallway. Anyway, the wooden floor is impractical: you constantly need to take care of it, in the hallway especially carefully. The parquet has a high level of absorption of moisture, it is easy to scratch it, and it quickly loses its proper appearance. Therefore, for ordinary average homes wooden coating is not suitable.

A small hallway will look very comfortable if you lay a carpet in it. However, it is worth remembering that in this case the floor will be made in dark colors, because the light will be very difficult to clean, and it will be dirty for sure. By the way, that is why the pile at the carpet in the hallway should be short, otherwise it will linger in the street dirt and small debris.

Ceramic tile on the floor is ideal for a compact apartment. Resistance to stress and easy cleaning - these are the two main weighty arguments in its favor. In a private house will look good tile imitating wood or natural stone. Slippery coatings are best avoided.

In addition to the aesthetic load, it is necessary to be guided by practical arguments, since in the hallway the load on the floor is maximum due to high traffic, and often in shoes. Visually lengthen the hallway laying laminate in length, and to expand the narrow room will help the diagonal pattern of linoleum. The tile is also better to lay diamonds, so the design will become much more interesting.

Ceiling in the hallway

Everything is much simpler with the ceiling: the lighter the better. A single-color solution in this case is the most optimal and traditional. It is not worth to be wise here, so as not to overload the hallway at home with details. Light monochromatic ceiling - this is the ideal solution for almost any occasion, in particular, for a compact hallway. So the room will add lightness and additional volume. If the plane of the ceiling is perfectly flat, without flaws, cracks and hillocks, then you can cover it with ordinary water-based paint - the cheapest option without the intricacies and excess labor.

When the ceiling surface is in a deplorable state, and it is rather difficult to fix it, you can resort to several methods of finishing the ceiling in the hallway:

Plastic panels - smooth glossy material will slightly raise the space of a small hallway, and in the right places you can embed sources of local light. The variety of colors of such panels will help to improve the design of the house, if the choice falls, for example, on a soft pink or light blue ceiling.
Stretch ceilings - very effective glossy material that hides absolutely all the flaws and does not require careful maintenance. The design provides for the installation of any fixtures, regardless of the form, quantity and complexity. The mirror effect of stretch ceilings will deepen the space of the hallway and make the design of the room incredibly elegant.
Drywall - with it you can mount a suspended ceiling. The surface will be perfectly flat, besides the material allows you to make a multi-level design, thus highlighting certain areas. In addition to zoning in the plasterboard ceilings in your home you can easily install small lamps.

Wall material

For the walls of the hallway you can use completely different materials. Plastic panels or lining are unlikely to fit into the living room or bedroom, and the hall of a small house will look pretty decent with such a finish. But again, do not forget about the color of the coating. Dark or too colorful walls will narrow the room and crush from all sides. Large drawings in such a hallway are also not needed. Stylish and laconic design will create plain walls of beige, light green, gray or soft lilac color. Longitudinal waves, thin stripes, small flowers, fancy patterns of medium-sized caliber - all this may be present on the walls of the hallway, if the classic version of the owner does not like.

So, let's look at the variety of materials for finishing the walls of the hallway:

Paper wallpaper - not the best option, though the most economical. The entrance hall of any house is the place where street dirt and moisture from clothes live, so the paper may not last for a long time on the walls;
Liquid wallpaper - durable washable coating resistant to scratches and damage. The wallpaper remains unchanged for 5-8 years, besides it can be washed, vacuumed and wiped with chemical means. The design of the hall, decorated with this type of wall covering, can be anything: texture, color, a combination of different shades - everything that the owner wants. After all, the space can be divided into several zones, depending on the color.
Vinyl wallpaper is a practical modern material, convenient in everything: it is easy to glue on the walls, easy to clean, to clean strong dirt.
Wooden wall decoration - an option, though not too common, but very original. Especially impressive and comfortable will look in a private home. Not very practical, of course. It will be necessary to periodically clean the wood, cover it with fresh varnish, monitor chipping and other damage.
Plastic panels - will save the appearance of the room with uneven walls, but significantly reduce the space after installation. They serve for a very long time, do not fade, wash well, are easy to install, isolate from noise.
Decorative plaster - a stylish solution for the hallway. You can put the plaster textured and with patterns, but the shade must be light.
Imitation stone - in the narrow hallway is better not to resort to this option decor. The dark stone on the walls will turn this part of the house into a cave. If you still have the desire, it is better to stay on the white brick. Light walls with imitation brick finish will look very original.

Hallway zoning - it is profitable to allocate some areas. The stone can be put on the bottom, cover the wall around the mirror with colored decorative plaster, and glue the rest of the place with wallpaper.