professional interior designer

Some areas of the home are more difficult to design or decorate than others. We’ve written a few posts on Decorating Difficult Spaces and designing the entryway. Narrow hallways are another one of those home design areas that present a challenge.

There isn’t room for a bench, chairs, table or other space-sucking items to jazz it up, and narrow spaces can make guests feel claustrophobic. There are some things you can do, however, to make your long hallway both more inviting and visually appealing.

Tips for Decorating a Long Hallway

Use a runner. Here’s a situation for an area rug if I ever saw one. I’m not a huge fan of wall-to-wall carpeting in the first place, but you can use a runner for this application even if your hallway is carpeted. You’ll want to leave at least 3- or 4-inches of space on either side, depending on the width of your hallway.

The runner will draw the eye to the end of the hall so the journey doesn’t seem so long. If the hallway is illuminated well enough, use a runner with an attractive pattern to jazz things up a bit.

Create a focal point at the end

While you may not have space for anything along the edges, feel free to create a pleasing arrangement at the end of the hallway. A small chair and table, an antique furniture piece with a plant, sculpture or beautiful lamp – whatever it is, it will draw the eye, which shortens the hallways visual length.

Use molding and trim

A long hallway can be the perfect place to use wainscoting, wall panels or a chair rail. Decorative trim comes in all styles – from traditional to modern – so there is something for every taste. There are two benefits of adding this type of trim to a long hallway. First, it is more visually interesting and, like a runner, it draws the eye ever forward. Second, it adds texture – and almost every interior design benefits from a little more texture.

Re-think the lighting

I had a client whose child was terribly afraid of the dark – and this included the long walk down the hallway from the main living areas to the bedrooms and bathroom. I could understand the child – who wants to walk down a long, narrow hallway in the dark?

Since we were in the midst of a remodel, we had the luxury of re-doing the lighting plan, using LED recessed cans that could be set on a dimmer. This way, in the afternoon and evening, the lowest dimmer setting made for ultra-efficient safety lighting that added pennies per month to their electric bill. Plus, that additional light made the hallway more appealing.

If you aren’t interested in revamping the entire lighting plan, consider hiring an electrician for a day and having him drop down the wiring for a handful of beautiful sconces. They add style and illumination – both of which will improve the energy in the hallway.

Have high ceilings? Think soffits or transoms

If you have high ceilings and a hallway that is 4-feet wide or more, I like the technique of adding soffits every so many feet and using decorative furniture trim to create faux-doorways. This leads the eye section by section and shrinks up the linear space. The soffits can be solid – or – even better – you can install transom windows. If you want to up the ante even further, hang attractive suspended lighting fixtures that are framed by the transoms. Now you’ve created an architecturally beautiful hallway experience.

Install windows or mirrors

Is your hallway along an exterior wall? I can’t believe how often this is the case and yet original architects designed for solid walls. What a waste This is a prime opportunity to add windows and gain beautiful natural light. Even upper wall windows will make a huge difference.

If windows aren’t an option, mirrors can have a similar effect. First, they’ll increase the amount of available light by a notable margin. Second, their reflective properties will shrink the length up a bit.

Create a gallery wall

Of course, hallways are often the place where homeowners create some sort of gallery wall. There are pros and cons to this. Typically – especially as we (ahem) grow older, we need to step back a bit to really take in the entirety of a photo or work of art. So, in a narrow hallway, this might not work out all that well. However, if your hallway is more than 3-feet wide, a family portrait gallery can be just the thing – and I recommend installing appropriate lighting to boot.

You won’t believe what’s possible when you so something as simple as organizing your kitchen. Okay, well, maybe “simple” is not quite the word for it…but you know what I mean. This seemingly mundane task will allow you to shed years or even decades of serving-, cook- and dishware that you never use (declutter!). Secondly, you may find your newly organized kitchen means you have an extra cabinet or two that can be used for something else. Or, better yet, removed to open up more space. Finally, an organized kitchen can help you de-stress and lose weight.

Organized Kitchens Are Healthier Kitchens

Think that last perk, about stress and weight, is a bit of stretch? They’re absolutely true; several recent studies have shown a linked messy, cluttered kitchen to homeowners who are more stressed out and/or who are overweight. For one thing, the stress created by clutter can cause stress eaters to consume more calories. Additionally, cluttered kitchens often have cereal, chips, and other empty-calorie snacks left out on the countertops, making it easy for busy kitchen visitors to eat more.

Studies like this have proved that organized kitchens are better for both your mind and your body. So, let’s get started.

Tips For Creating a More Organized Kitchen

The following tips will help you to declutter and organize your kitchen. The result is a more spacious and relaxing zone in which to prepare and cook meals while spending relaxing, quality time with family and friends.

1. Go through each and every cabinet. The first step is to go through each and every cabinet. It’s time to clear everything out and sort through it. Set out boxes so you can divide cabinet and drawer contents into “keep” and “donate” piles. I assure you, there is always something to get rid of. Last spring, I published a post, A Guide to What Stays and What Goes. It’s worth reviewing if you’re someone who has a difficult time saying goodbye to your belongings. For the kitchen, I absolutely believe that if you haven’t used an item in a year, it’s time to get rid of it.
2. Give yourself the gift of a mini-kitchen remodels. If you’re going through the work of reorganizing your kitchen, I recommend thinking of it as a mini-remodel. No, you don’t have to break the bank purchasing new cabinets or countertops, but you should consider upgrading your cabinet interiors. If your cabinets are outdated, I recommend refacing them. Cabinet refacing costs roughly half the cost of new cabinets and it’s an eco-friendly option because it saves the landfills. If you are happy with your cabinets, talk to a professional cabinet company about innovative storage options that will make kitchen organization a snap – and can significantly reduce the amount of cabinet space you actually need.
3. Clean them. I hope it goes without saying that every cabinet shelf, recess, drawer and cubby you clear out should also be thoroughly cleaned out, using a soft rag, warm water and a spot of mild dish soap. Let the cabinets dry thoroughly before putting anything back.
4. Decide what goes where. Now that the cabinets are empty, it’s time to decide what should go where. I recommend using the accessible, livable design model: put what you use on a regular basis in locations that require minimal bending or stretching. This tip is convenient now, will be safer later on, and certainly, helps to accommodate any guests who use your kitchen. Anything that is seasonal or used infrequently should be placed in upper cabinets or those harder-to-reach lower cabinet corners.
5. Clear out the junk. You know the best way to avoid eating foods that aren’t good for you? Don’t have them around in the first place. Use this opportunity to go through the kitchen pantry and food storage areas. Clear out any food that is expired or past its prime. Then, get rid of any foods that don’t serve you or your family in terms of healthy eating and living. Now you can populate your grocery list with fresher, less-processed, and healthier alternatives.
6. Reassess your kitchen design. If you were diligent about clearing things out, and you added convenient pull-out shelves, spice racks, pots-and-pan racks, customized drawer inserts, and so on, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to remove a cabinet box or two. If you remove the cabinets alongside the sink, consider installing open shelving for go-to coffee mugs, cereal bowls, and snack plates. If you’re able to remove some of the end/perimeter cabinetry, it may provide an opportunity to put in that breakfast nook or kitchen message center you always wanted, or to add a helpful kitchen island or peninsula.

If you’ve been paying attention to interior design trend reports, you know that Gray is the next white…or black…or both. The point is that it is trending right now. It was predicted by style experts at the likes of House Beautiful and Houzz, and it works well with both modern and traditional design motifs.

Contrary to popular believe, gray is not drab when it’s used well in interior home designs.

5 Reasons to Paint Your Walls (or a single wall) Gray

Here are 5 reasons you may want to consider painting your walls – or at least one of your walls – in a stylish shade of gray.

1. It’s trending right now. As we mentioned, gray is trending right now. You can take or leave trends for the most part, but this one is worth considering – especially if you plan to sell your home in the near future. Firstly, it’s a classic, neutral color and it works well with a range of styles, colors and patterns. Also, I think gray is a little more interesting than the typical creams and tan shades that comprise the background of most “neutral” color palettes. If you are planning to put your home on the market, your gray wells will appeal to homebuyers that have been perusing design websites because gray is fresh in their minds. Your home will feel more relevant and contemporary.
2. It’s a trick color. When House Beautiful cited Frarrow & Ball’s “Parma Gray 27” as one of 2016’s most trendy colors, designer Marcy Materson said, “I love the fact that they call this gray. It’s really quite an extraordinary shade of blue, with a great deal of lavender in it. You could use it anywhere, with black or white accents to set it off. It’s such a serene, sophisticated color.” That quote says it all. Gray is more than just gray. In the world of color science, gray is rarely made by mixing black and white. The combination of black and white creates a very basic, neutral gray. However, most paint companies make their variations on gray by mixing complementary colors – those that sit exactly opposite one another on the color wheel – and adding a little white. In this way, they can create “warm” grays, which include yellows, or “cool” grays that include blues.This is why I say that gray can be a “trick” color – it’s really hiding a range of shades – and you can use this to your advantage by working carefully with a designer and/or a color wheel to choose the shade of gray that best suits the existing colors in your interior colors and patterns.
3. Gray is soothing. Again, gray has an impression of being somber, moody, or drab. I would argue that a neutral gray – mixed from black and white – is the culprit here. I always advise choosing a matte or flat paint finish, rather than a glossy one, if you want to avoid an industrial look.When you begin exploring the range of warm and cool grays – “colorful” grays – entirely new moods can appear. There is certainly an air of modernity in most rooms that use gray – although I have also created elegant, traditional and transitional designs that successfully used gray on the walls and furnishings. In any case, gray always seems to invoke a sense of retreat – and gives visitors a sense that they are hidden away, somewhere safe and calm – a desirable sensation in our busy, fast-paced world.
4. It softens bold color accents. Have you always wanted to go bold, but lacked the courage to do so? With gray walls, your “bold” colors will stand out, but they won’t scream the way they do against a white background. Gray creates a visual cushion between starker color contrasts. The gray walls in the living room of this Cool Craftsman are a perfect home for the vibrant work or art, which might have been a bit “too much” if the walls were plain white.
5. It’s a perfect backdrop for metallic or shiny finishes. Similarly, gray is an ideal backdrop for designs that incorporate mirrored, metallic or shinier features and finishes. Just as bold colors are softened by gray’s absorptive properties, so too is the brashness of reflective materials. From ornate mirrors and metallic backsplashes, to mirrored furniture and silver or copper accents, gold will showcase them nicely without letting them take over the room.

If you have a busy household, odds are you spend hours per week doing laundry. In my opinion, any chore requiring that much time and life force deserves a beautiful space in which to work. Adding color to the laundry room brings new energy and a re-inspired feel to a space that often seems more like a source of endless drudgery.

Tips For Adding Color to Your Laundry Room

There are all kinds of ways to add color to a laundry room space – from a complete remodel, to an accent wall or eccentric appliance choices, simply find what works best for your household.

Get bold with your washer and dryer

Why on earth are washers and dryers predominantly selected in white or black? Get over that boring, standard route and choose something vibrant instead. Today’s washers and dryers – including high-end models – are available in beautiful, metallic and jewel-toned options that will cheer you up in no time flat.

It’s definitely more fun to throw laundry into a cherry red, kelly green or pink dryer – let me tell you. Checkout this article from Apartment Therapy and then re-think your replacement options. It’s a sneaky way to go bold in a room where the doors shut – and the public never has to know that the rest of your sophisticated, neutral interior design is anything other than it appears.

Add a coat of paint or some funky wallpaper

As I was saying about rooms that are typically closed off – I think laundry rooms, like powder rooms, offer an opportunity to play with color in a way you might not risk in more common living spaces. In these small rooms, the world is your oyster.

Remember that really bright blue or red you considered for an accent wall in your home – before you chickened out? This is the time to use it. How about that amazing wallpaper that you saw on Houzz but decided was too busy? Put it up in the laundry room – or use it as a border.

Again, this is a room – when it comes right down to it – guests don’t really hang out in much, so view it as a space where to explore crazier, zanier, bolder and more eccentric aspects of your interior design style.

Paint the cabinets

Not sure about painting all of the wall surfaces? Then paint the cabinets instead. I keep repeating you should go bold and bright – but not everyone likes those types of colors in their living spaces. Even a neutrally painted laundry room space is enhanced with cabinets painted in softer, more muted shades of your favorite colors. Perhaps that robin’s egg blue you’ve pined for, or a pastel green? That simple accent will change the feel of the room – especially if you have a decent amount of cabinetry. If the laundry room space is large enough to have upper- and lower-cabinets, or cabinets on both walls, consider choosing two, complimentary shades to mix it up a little.

Paper the walls and paint the ceiling

If you want to be playful, I recommend finding a wallpaper you love and using it on one, two or all of the walls. If you go the one- or two-wall route, paint the other walls in a softer hue found in the wallpaper. Then, go big with the ceiling featuring a darker or bolder color found in the wallpaper pattern. While you’re at it, think of other rooms or spaces in the house that would benefit from a painted ceiling.

Use artwork and throw rugs

If you live in a rental, color options are limited. Replacing your own washer and dryer (see the first section) is one colorful option you can take with you. However, returning walls to their original color when you’re ready to move out is such a labor-intensive chore – and who needs that? Instead, leave the walls alone and bring them to life using colorful art and complimentary throw rugs. If you have the space for it, turn a wall into a gallery – eclectic or conservative. It will warm up the space, add a little life and the throw rugs will feel better on your feet, joints and lower back if you use the laundry room to sort and fold.

Don’t let your laundry room languish in a state of bland neglect. Re-envision it and bring it to life by adding a little – or a lot of – color.