OlgaI guess you came here looking for “narrow entrance hall decorating ideas”. Well, let me tell you something before you continue reading:This post is about how I managed to make a complete makeover of my narrow entrance hall so that it looks cozy and warm. So, it’s all about real people who managed to accomplish a decluttering and decorating project in real life and real time. No designers’ shit, no lies and no imaginational “perfect” spaces. I’m just sharing my experience, honestly. So, if you feel like you don’t want to see the real image of a cluttered, small and narrow entrance hall, please scroll down. At the end of this post, you’ll find a list of the decorating ideas and tips you can follow.
The struggle starts here…
The extremely small and narrow entrance hall in my new apartment was such a difficult decorating project to start… Once you’ve opened the door, you have to immediately turn right to get inside the apartment, cause if you make three steps forward or one step left you’ll be violently confronted with the wall. I had a lot of decorating ideas on how to make my narrow entrance hall look beautiful… But, feeling overwhelmed all the time, I couldn’t really sit down and make it happen, even having already bought everything I needed. Suddenly, one day came when I said “ok guys, that’s it”. So I sat down with my boyfriend and we made a serious de-cluttering! That’s when the real makeover took place! But, let’s show you how shitty my entrance hall once was…
The Before
As you can see, I had made a first step in optimizing the available space by placing the hall stand and the tall shelf left behind the door, in this “dead” space, and the sitting bench in front of the door to make it easy for us to take off our shoes before entering the kitchen. Because, what’s problematic with this entrance hall, is that except for narrow, it’s also quite small, so by making two steps right you’re already in the kitchen! That’s why I had to “pack” all the entrance items together if I wanted to create the illusion of a proper entrance hall. Let’s not analyse why I ended up using my entrance hall as a garbage bin. No, let’s leave it like it is for now.
Another thing which is quite important when trying to decorate a narrow entrance hall is the hall stand you’re going to choose. The hall stand has to suit your needs. That means that you can’t just buy a wonderful hall stand with an attached bench if you’re using long coats most of the year (like us here in the cold European North), unless you want to use your coats as pillows when trying to take off your shoes. I guess you don’t want that, right?
The Before (again)
Because my apartment has a serious lack of storage space, I had to brainstorm ideas which not only would provide us with storage possibilities but which would also function as a border between the entrance hall and the kitchen. That’s why I bought this IKEA commode and placed it as far away from the door as possible. (Actually, not so far, as you can see.) Then, people would say that the entrance hall would become narrower. However, as long as you can open the door widely without any obstacles on your way and you can walk without pretending to be a crab, then you’re truly and seriously ok. In addition, don’t forget that a narrow space will always be narrow. You can’t create a thousand of illusions. The space will have the exact same dimensions. So, please, feel free to optimize your room regarding your own unique needs and forget what’s supposed to be “right”! Right for whom? As a holistic Interior Design Practicioner, I don’t care about right and wrong. I only care about the actual needs and style of each unique person. The person here was me, so… You get it.
The After
It’s quite unbelievable how some cushions can make a space look so cozy, right? I bought a beautiful, nostalgic chest, some vintage flowers and I’ve also placed a DIY coffee table between the bench and the commode to put our keys on. Speaking about illusions, well, a mirror can make a place look bigger, that’s true. However, my answer when the’d ask me why did I put a mirror in front of the entrance door, was: “so that everyone entering this home shall make their self-criticism before walking any further.”
Narrow Entrance Hall Decorating Ideas: The Actual List
- Opt for a hall stand which will cover your specific needs and place it somewhere you don’t need to pass through.
- Feel free to use storage boxes as a decorating element. You can place it either above the hall stand or, actually, wherever you can. Feel free to display boxes of various styles, sizes and colors, just try to combine their colors! (see the first image as an example to avoid)
- Place a big mirror somewhere. A mirror won’t only help you make the final tough when leaving the house, but it will also create the illusion of a bigger space.
- Place a big vase with big, artificial flowers of your choice in a “dead” corner. Well, I know what they say about their “negative energy”. However, the amount of negativism I receive from my job can’t be compared with a slight feng-shui mistake. So I opted for this. It’s small, it’s beautiful and it needs almost no space. So, why not?
- Place a plant. Even the smallest plant, like my dracaena, can make such a big difference. Well, that’s a feng shui thing to opt for. Opt for plants. They’ll change your life. They make the space look cozier, they bring nature to your house, the’re beautiful. Plus, they emit oxygen. What else do you want?
- Feel free to display your favorite objects, or the objects which define your personality. It can be books, your favorite photos, a Buddha miniature, whatever. Create a small altar of your favorite things that are “you” but random people who visit your house can see them, too. Avoid placing something really personal, unless you’re ok if your aunt can see it, too.
So, what are your favorite tips and decorating ideas for a narrow entrance hall? Feel free to share them in the comments below!
