A narrow hallway can hardly be called a gift forarchitect and even more so for its owner. However, even the smallest and darkest hallway can be transformed almost beyond recognition. This is what our article today is about
The hallway is a full-fledged part, and it is not worth neglectingits design should not be neglected under any circumstances, because it is the first thing we see when entering a house. However, in modern apartments, the hallway is often too narrow, long and dark. We asked a practicing architect how to make the hallway light, functional and stylish, as well as what techniques to use to visually expand the space. Ilona Boleyshits, architect
Head of the architectural bureau AR-KA,architect, graduate of the architecture department of the Belarusian State Pedagogical University (Minsk), worked in private practice until 2005. In 2006, she was a leading architect in the subsidiaries of MIRAX. In 2008, together with her colleague Igor Orlov, she founded her own studio AR-KA. The studio became an active participant and laureate of various architectural competitions. ar-ka.ru Functionality
— The first thing to consider:In a narrow hallway there should be few interior items. Make a list of what you really need, get rid of the unnecessary, leaving the space free.
The shoe rack can be replaced with a shelf, a bench formake a folding shoe rack, hide the wardrobe in the dressing room, leaving a few open designer hangers, buy an entrance door with a mirror, do away with a nightstand for small things, replacing it with a small shelf.
If there is no possibility to refuse the closet,It is better to make it with sliding doors that do not interfere with the passage when opened. The most convenient option is to place all the necessary furniture along one wall. A good solution for narrow hallways is a closet of incomplete depth. However, if you place hangers in the closet parallel to the wall, then the depth of the closet can be only 30-35 cm. And if you make inclined shelves, then you can place several pairs of low shoes here. The main thing is not to clutter the narrow hallway with unnecessary things, putting them away, for example, on the mezzanine.
Engineering
The architect recommends using the corridor withthe purpose of placing access to the service areas of engineering systems. In the hallway, you can easily lower the ceiling without fear that it will "press", and hide the duct air conditioner units and wiring under it. And bring the hatches to an accessible area. It will also be appropriate to place heating comb collectors and electrical panels in the walls of the corridors.
Finishing
The hallway is the most heavily trafficked place in the house, soand its finishing should be as wear-resistant as possible. Give preference to ceramic tiles, linoleum and vinyl wallpaper. To visually expand the space, you can use doors with a hidden frame or invisible doors in the color of the walls. Also, an interesting visual effect will be the continuation of furniture facades in the adjacent room as wall panels of the hallway.
They will also help to visually expand the space.mirrors, glossy and glass surfaces, lighting. The most common and convenient option for hallway lighting design are spotlights and recessed aluminum profiles for LED strips.
And switches in the hallway are a mustmake them walk-through, so that you can turn off the light from the room without going back to the front door. And, of course, the favorite technique of designers is to use prints and geometry to visually expand the space: horizontal stripes - to increase the width of the room.
Decor
A narrow and long hallway is a great place fordecor. Ilona Boleyshits advises placing an art object at the end of the corridor: a painting, a figurine, an interesting chair. And accent decor will look advantageous on the walls: paintings, frames for family photos, stencil drawings, magnetic or chalkboards, wallpaper with a large print.
Thus, using simple techniques, you can turn a narrow and dark hallway into a cozy, functional and bright space.
The editors would like to thank the ArchDialog communications agency and Svetlana Kotlukova personally for their assistance in preparing this article.
