The Hallway is Getting some Love (FINALLY)

There are a few changes taking place in our home right now, and most of them involve a bit of paint.  In this month's issue of House Beautiful, one designer was quoted saying that paint is the cheapest and easiest way to update a room.  I couldn't agree more!!

The first face-lift on the list is our small hallway that leads from the front of our apartment (living room, dining room and kitchen) to the back (bedroom and bathroom).  The hallway isn't long - it's maybe 15 feet, and it's main feature is the large linen closet that takes up most of it.  As you can see from the photo's below - it's less than attractive.

As it stands, the hallway is monochromatic - the walls, ceiling, trim, and linen closet are all currently painted the same color of blah off-white, and with the wood floors and wood console table, it feels dark, drab, and utterly boring.  To make matters worse, the runner we've got in there right now is also brown. The hallway is brown on brown on brown.  It really can't get worse, so my plan is to transform the space with a few cans of paint.

*View from the Dining Room                                                             *View from Bedroom

Brown on Brown on Brown.... so ugly!!

Anyway, the main changes will be to our existing console table that is in serious need of some TLC.  I found it on Craigslist a few years ago for around $20, so since it's not a priceless antique, I am very excited to slap some paint on it.  The table has great lines, but the overly shiny finish makes it look cheap.  It's not good.  

I did a little research into removing lacquer and it sounds like A LOT of work, so instead of bending over backwards to refinish and re-stain this cheap wood console table, I'm going to paint it.  Easy.

*The faux inlay isn't bad... but the shine!!  Oye!                                 *It's like a mirror!!  Woof!

Luckily, the console table has really great lines - it has a pretty carved apron and cabriole legs that give it a French Provincial look, and I think it's going to make a really great makeover.  

The top of the table has a faux herringbone inlay which I had originally planned on painting, but I haven't FULLY committed to covering it up yet.  Perhaps the inlay will look much better once the varnish is gone?  Who knows, but if it still looks god awful, my plan is to distress the wood - aka really ding it up with a hammer and some extra gritty sandpaper.  Once it's distressed I have a dark taupe paint called "Squirrel" that my sister will get a kick out of (side note: she is deathly scared of squirrels, so as soon as I saw that the paint was named "Squirrel" I had to have it)  The plan is to paint the legs and apron first and tackle the top afterwards.

*Look at these great lines! I love the turned legs, the scalloped apron, and detail on the drawers!

This is the console table set up in the garage, ready for it's makeover...

Aside from some paint on the console table, I'll be painting the walls, trim, and linen closet to brighten up the space.  The walls will get a warm creamy color and the trim, doors, and linen closet will be painted a glossy bright white.  I think the color is actually called "Decorators White" so I can pretend I'm some sort of professional.  Ha!

Here is the inspiration board I built around what I hope to achieve:

Finally, that awful brown runner is getting the heave-ho, and my newest purchase from Ballard - the Saybrook Indoor/Outdoor runner - is going in it's place.  I actually got this runner several months ago, but it's been waiting for the rest of the hallway to catch up in terms of aesthetics.  I love the calming colors, and since our dining room (that is adjacent to this hallway) has a lot of the same colors, it will make for a pretty seamless transition from room to room.

I once read that in small spaces, it's good to repeat similar color palates from room to room, as it makes the space feel larger.  We will see if that is true....

Stay tuned for updates!!