They are often considered a decorative problem area and are usually neglected. They still like to have older apartment layouts and have only integrated them into the planning as a functionally indispensable element in order to get from A to B: We are talking about long hallways and narrow passage areas in houses and apartments that are anything but a place to linger and usually just want to be measured quickly. They have some advantages that are worth discovering. With a few unusual ideas you can make a long hallway functional and beautiful.
Many floor plans of apartments from past decades can be reduced to an identical basic type: as many rooms as possible, which - like a hotel but only smaller in size - are lined up like pearls on a string and lead off a narrow, central connecting corridor. The lack of breadth shows the careless reduction to what is purely functionally necessary, which architects assigned to the (non-)residential area at the beginning of the last century right up to the time of the economic miracle.
Historically, the living space concept, which is now considered outdated by interior designers, is based on the classic multi-person household, which takes grandparents and grandchildren into account and is a planning expression of social solidarity and togetherness of all members of a living under one roofextended familywas. Everyone should have their own area, separated by a door, with a central kitchen that is easily accessible to everyone and a wet room at the front end.
Longer tubular floorboards in particular also offer opportunities to realize ideas and set accents without immediately wanting to tear down walls in desperation. For example, based on the idea that the hallway in such floor plans is the only area that basically allows direct access to all rooms, room fragrances in the form of decorative, attractive scented candles and fragrance lamps can be profitably placed on existing floor space.
This is how it looksraumduftshop.deThis is the most suitable location for room fragrance diffusers, especially in the central areas of apartments that are affected by draughts, as opposed to closed rooms, as from there the smell can spread optimally and intensively into all areas.
To transform your home into a fragrance oasis, just a few drops of pure fragrance essences mixed with a little water are enoughScenting environmentof three to four meters – completely sufficient for most corridors in old apartments.
Decorative steaming bowls and small scented fountains can be used to set visual accents, as can delicate wall hooks and buttons, which are both decorative and fulfill a useful function.
Functional life can be breathed into previously “dead” areas; previously unused niches can be converted into shelf space with precisely fitting wall shelves, which - as if in onePostdescribed on the topic of storage ideas - used as a bookcase to transform a conventional hallway into a library.
Space-saving shoe cabinets with shoe flaps and a shallow depth as well as tilting chests of drawers on two legs leaning against the wall are just two further examples from a whole range of options for adding functional elements to the corridor.
Painting the long hallway in a light pastel color or shades of white is the first step in making the area appear larger than it actually is. In addition, larger ceiling lamps with a higher surface area should be used; white ball lamps can be beneficial. In order to conceal the long, narrow character of the passage area, it is advisable to visually highlight the front sides with a darker color.
Outgoing doors should be painted in the same color as the hallway walls in order to visually disappear into the wall and not further emphasize the hose character. If carpet covering is desired, you should also choose a light color to make the corridor appear larger, because with a light floor the walls appear further apart.
In order to visually enlarge the narrow passage area, large mirrors appear to bring more light into the room than is actually there because they reflect daylight and thus mislead the eye. The brain is led to believe that there is another room in the mirror or that the room is larger. However, the effect only occurs if the mirror is placed so that it reflects light surfaces. The visual effect is enhanced by placing burning candles in front of the mirror.
The light captured by the mirror should be directed to dark corners in the hallway in order to optimally illuminate the area. Many mirror accessories can also decorate, for example vases that are painted with a mirror effect or lamp legs with mirrowshades. Mirrors can also bring reflections into the corridor without hanging on the wall, as cosmopolitain.de recommends.
A contrary approach deliberately relies on the corridor character. Proponents of the line argue that the narrow hallway occupies a special position within the residential structure and should therefore be treated as such. Consciously emphasizing the character of the hallway can paradoxically lead to exactly the opposite, namely making the passage area appear as a living area.
Eye-catching wall decoration or color and unusual decorative elements such as narrow sculptures or deliberate placement of individual, high-quality furniture can significantly increase the living effect. Here, too, a combination of visual appeal and functional benefit is beneficial, so a single unusual designer chair with a shallow depth offers both something to look at and a useful option as a short-term place to stay.
Pictures:
Figure 2: pixabay©JamesDeMers (CCO 1.0)
Figure 3: pixabay©monicore (CCO 1.0)
Figure 7: pixabay©AnnaER (CCO 1.0)
