Most apartments have small hallways, and if they are not designed correctly, upon entering you will get the impression that you are in a warehouse. The article will help you choose the right furniture for a small hallway and suggest style solutions for the interior.
Despite the inconvenient layout, the design of a small hallway can be stylish and comfortable
Pros and cons of small hallways
The main advantages of a small hallway include:
- The ability to get any item almost without leaving the spot. Everything is at hand.
- Lots of design options. Although the area of the room is limited, the designers' imagination has no limits.
- Easy selection of furniture for such rooms. Due to high demand, manufacturers are focused on customers with similar requests.
- Low cost of registration. There is little space, which means you will need little materials and furniture.
- If you properly furnish a small hallway, the impression on your guests will be very positive. It will create an image for the owners, although not very rich, but of thrifty people.
The disadvantages of a small hallway are:
- The inconvenience of having several people in it at once. They will interfere and crowd each other.
- Even the slightest mistake in design can ruin everything.
- You can't install roomy, large cabinets. We have to find a place for some things in other rooms.
Color palette and style of modern hallways
Photos of modern hallways surprise with their boldness, originality and rich color palette. The trend is furniture made from natural wood or materials that imitate it. For small rooms, sets made of bleached and light brown wood are suitable, but sometimes buyers choose classic dark brown or dark wood. The hallways are also made bright: red, blue, green.
Models for small apartments are made in different styles (eco, modern, classic, Scandinavian, loft), but they have one thing in common - simple design, functionality and restraint in details
Even for the smallest corridor you can choose a functional and very comfortable hallway. It may have a narrow closet, a small mirror, a hanger with two hooks and a shoe rack for three pairs of shoes, but this is not scary. Even with such a hallway, the interior will become cozy, and the apartment will have several more storage systems.
Types of hallways
Open
There are no wardrobes. Clothes are stored directly on open hangers or hangers. Under the hanger there is often a bench where you can sit to change shoes or talk on the phone. There are niches under the bench where shoes are placed. They can be open or closed. You can make shelves and mezzanines to store things. This type of hallway is suitable for long and square corridors.
An open storage system is placed near the front door or in a shallow niche
Some disadvantage is the requirement to pay a lot of attention to them during cleaning, otherwise the room will very quickly become untidy and cluttered.
Closed
Almost all things in them are in closets. You immediately get the impression of a tidy room, nothing hangs or protrudes, there are smooth surfaces everywhere. You can place a chair or ottoman to talk on the phone.
Closed storage system in the hallway, designed in the spirit of minimalism
It is much easier to care for such hallways. The difficulty lies in choosing furniture. In order for the latter to fit perfectly into the room, it has to be ordered, however, there are many standard options that are acceptable for most.
Solid hallways
To decorate a corridor in a classic style, one-piece hallways are used, which include a closet with modular elements attached to it.
The advantage of such hallways is their moderately low cost and the possibility of a corner location. However, they are in little demand because they have the same design.
The one-piece hallways of the classic style are a compact and spacious closet, consisting of one part.
This minimalistic set is suitable for very small corridors
The choice of materials for finishing the hallway
The best solution for a small hallway would be to use light colors in decoration and furniture.
Glass
Let's be honest, it is not very suitable for a small hallway. In cramped spaces, everything can easily get dirty, and dirt on the glass is very noticeable. You will have to wipe it often. If you come in wet clothes and lean your elbows on the glass, you should immediately take a rag and wipe off the stains. But from an aesthetic point of view, the glass finish looks original.
A good option would be to use mirror panels, which increase the level of illumination and help visually expand the space.
Particular attention should be paid to mirrors. You can use mirror panels or make a mirror that covers the entire wall. Another option is to attach it to the inside of the door. It all depends on your tastes and preferences.
Tree
Budget options include lining, board and laminate. The lining will look good after being treated with stain or painted in any color. The board has no less potential. You can experiment with ways of laying it (diagonally, herringbone, diamonds). Laminate is also not a bad choice, but you should remember that some allergy sufferers cannot tolerate it.
The wood finish has a very beautiful texture that adds a feeling of warmth and comfort to the interior.
Among the options in the mid-price category, we will pay attention to parquet and engineered boards. Parquet consists of thin boards glued together from both expensive and less valuable coniferous species. The base of the engineered board is made of plywood, the top layer is made of veneer.
Metal
The most common wall decorations are metal tiles, sheet metal decoration and mosaics. The surface can be smooth or matte. On the first one, even slight dirt is visible, but it is easy to clean. A matte surface is much more difficult to clean.
Metal tiles can have a stainless steel surface, smooth or textured
Other materials
These primarily include plastic, ceramic tiles and artificial stone. Plastic panels are very practical, inexpensive, and have many color options. Finishing with ceramic tiles will cost a little more, but they are not at all afraid of moisture, are environmentally friendly, and are easy to maintain.
You can create an unusual design in the hallway using artificial stone - a fairly durable and environmentally friendly material.
Artificial stone has an attractive appearance, is strong and durable, but has a porous surface, so it needs to be coated with protective compounds.
How to choose a color
To make a small hallway seem larger visually, it is advisable to buy light-colored furniture. It can be white and its shades, light beige, light gray, slightly pinkish, bluish. There are options in which some parts are painted dark. Such furniture, even with a standard, in general, design, is more interesting in appearance.
It is desirable that the color of the doors and furniture match or there are at least elements with a similar color
When choosing a set for the hallway, it makes sense to find furniture in which at least some of the details will be the same color as the doors opening into this room. Then everything will look like a single ensemble. If your doors are dark, look for light furniture with elements in the color of the door.
A small hallway will look larger if the furniture has a slight gloss. Plastic-clad facades fit perfectly into modern, modern or high-tech styles. If you don’t like such trends, choose a classic design in one of the light colors. In general, when choosing a color, you need to keep in mind that the furniture in a small hallway should have a light shade.
Choosing furniture for a small hallway
A compact hallway, by definition, cannot accommodate too much, so you should focus only on the most necessary things.
A small room should not be cluttered with furniture; the optimal solution would be hidden, built-in structures
The corner cabinets in the hallway are small in size. Compared to their other brothers, they have the greatest capacity. Mainly used for placing outerwear.
Shoe cabinet or cabinet. You should focus on retractable models.
If there is an acute lack of space, it is convenient to use a shoe rack combined with a seat
Mirror in the hallway. Performs not only its main function, but also expands the space. The size may vary, but if you carefully monitor your appearance, the larger the better.
A full-length mirror will help visually expand the hallway space
A key holder and an umbrella stand are not the most important things in the hallway, but if they can fit into the interior, it will be good - the sizes are small, but they make life much easier.
What furniture is needed in the hallway
We are talking about small hallways or corridors. There is a section of the wall where you can put something, maybe only a meter or so wide. If this is your option, you need a mini hallway. A coat rack with a small bedside table and a chest of drawers with a mirror. Models of mini-hallways are straight and angular. Some take up very little space - 45 cm from the corner.
Mini hallways for the corridor
If the space for storing things in the apartment is really bad, you can use the space above the door by making something like a mezzanine there. The sensations upon entering will be strange, but there is no time for subtleties.
If the area is a little larger, you can add a closet. It won't be superfluous at all. It’s also nice to have a bench that you can sit on and put on/take off your shoes. An open shelf is desirable for hats; a spacious drawer is desirable for gloves, scarves and other similar items. Moreover, so that things in the box do not get confused and mixed, it is better to divide it into sections.
A slightly larger corridor can also accommodate a closet
If there is still free space, place a shoe rack. It can be in the form of a narrow chest of drawers with folding drawers or in the form of a bedside table with inclined wire shelves. Both options are not bad. This arrangement can hardly be called compact hallways in the corridor, but it is not a super large set.
Also note that the furniture in the hallway can be angular. There is usually a closet in the corner, but you can put a hanger or chest of drawers there and hang a mirror above them. This option - with a corner chest of drawers - is definitely for modular-type hallways. You won't find this in ready-made versions.
Corner hallway makes efficient use of space
Please note that the corner hallway can also be of the “mini” category. If you only have a free corner between two doorways and the free walls are no more than a meter in size, consider installing a radial corner hallway. They are made only with sliding/sliding doors or without them at all.
Radial hallways from the “mini” category
The bad news is that radial furniture is not an economical option. It is made to order. You won't find it in ready-made or modular categories.
Photos of interior design of small hallways
There are countless photos on the Internet. Suitable as general ideas only. As a rule, they are made by professional photographers with proper lighting (spotlights, etc.); Photoshop is often used. Therefore, treat them with caution. Moreover, if you need to decorate a hallway in a Khrushchevka, then look at the photo of the hallway in a Khrushchev, if in a Brezhnevka, then in a Brezhnevka, if in a Putinka, then in a Putinka. Photos taken in stores should not be taken into account.
Below we offer you some photos for inspiration. Completely different interiors are presented.
Modern hallway in coffee beige with minimal furniture
Narrow hallway in Khrushchev with decorative stone trim on the accent wall
Compact hallway, the space of which is visually doubled due to mirror panels
Very bright hallway with white walls and a mirrored wardrobe
In conclusion, I would like to give advice that should be followed when decorating not only the hallway - first of all, think about functionality, avoid complications, and do not be fooled by inappropriately low prices.
How to find furniture for a small hallway or hallway
One of the most “exploited” places in the apartment is the hallway. This is the place that the first person sees when entering an apartment or house. The hallway gives the first impression of your home. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the design. In old-style apartments there is not even such a thing as an entrance hall. There is only a corridor. This is what they use as a room in which they undress and dress. Only small-sized, specially selected furniture will fit into such a space.
Small hallways in the corridor - convenience and functionality
In this usually small room, seasonal clothes are stored, and sometimes out-of-season clothes; shoes and outerwear are left here. And that’s why we also need to take care of functionality and convenience. If you consider that the hallway area in standard apartments is far from inflated, it becomes clear that the task ahead will not be easy. There are three possibilities to equip small hallways in the corridor. Let's talk about each in more detail.
Custom hallway
Ordering the manufacture of furniture for the hallway according to your dimensions and requirements is a wonderful option, which, if ordered correctly, will allow you to optimally use the available space. You can order the style you need - Japanese, loft with craquelure, Versailles, etc.
Ordering a hallway is a good option, but it costs money
The downside is that the cost of such furniture is quite high and you have to wait several weeks, or maybe several months, for the furniture to be made. There is another pitfall - choosing a company. If you have experience - you have already placed an order and the quality suits you, or you have recommendations from friends/acquaintances, everything is easier. Otherwise, you will have to hope that your instinct will not let you down.
Ready kit
This is a budget option - small-sized hallways in the corridor sometimes cost not eight thousand (but there are also much more expensive ones, it all depends on the size and composition of the furniture included). Factories produce a number of ready-made sets of cabinet furniture for small hallways. They usually include a cabinet with a mirror, a hanger, and a wardrobe with hinged or sliding doors can be added. They are available in assembled form on the windows of furniture stores; they will bring you exactly the same one, but in the form of planks. You can also pay for assembly or assemble it yourself.
Ready-made small-sized hallways in the corridor
The advantage is that you can get such furniture within a day. They saw, they paid, they bought. The kit will be delivered to you on the same day or the next. Cons: standard design, fixed color, design, inability to change anything to suit your tastes.
Modular hallway
This is also ready-made furniture, the only difference is that the factory produces a line of furniture in the same style. All elements are combined in size, style, color. For example, several open hangers of different widths/heights, with slightly different designs. There are several cabinets of different sizes, with one or two doors, with and without drawers, with mirrors of different shapes. Several cabinets, straight and corner, differing in size, type of door opening, and the presence/absence of a mirror on the facade. Several bedside tables, shoe racks, chests of drawers, benches. And all this is combined with each other.
Sample set of modular hallway
From these elements, like from a construction set, you can assemble a hallway of the size and composition you need. Without any restrictions. If you want two hangers, that’s your right. All you need is a wardrobe and a banquette - that's also welcome. From such a set small-sized hallways can be assembled into a corridor to suit any size and desire. All this is available in finished form (packed planks) in the warehouse. Several such packages with selected fragments will be delivered to you.
Modular hallways allow you to select the components you need
Any functionality and size A traditional hallway set contains a small wardrobe, a cabinet with a mirror and a hanger Variations on the theme
Not a bad option and inexpensive. The furniture is manufactured at the factory and consists of pieces of the same shape and size, which reduces the cost of its production. That’s why modular hallways are inexpensive. In addition, popular lines can be available in several colors. You can even take elements of different colors. If that's what you want...
