How to Brighten a Dark Hallway
We have a hallway that gets virtually no natural light. Adding scones isn’t an option either because I use the wall space for photo frames. I also felt like adding pendants would make the hallway feel darker and heavier with the pendants feeling like they are on your head.
So I had to figure out how to brighten up a dark hallway with no natural light with furniture only!
Before the Update
Location of the Hallway
This is the hallway in our home and it’s the main connecting pathway to so many primary living spaces.
This Thomasville chest was one of our first purchases as newlyweds back in 2004, and used to be in a landing space in our first home. When we moved into our current room, I wasn’t quite ready to buy new furniture, so I placed the hallway chest here as a placeholder.
It ended up sitting there for nearly eight years because I kept prioritizing remodeling and updating other areas in our home!
It served it’s purpose, but it’s always bothered me that it’s so dark. Eventually, I finally found a beautiful piece of furniture that totally changed the look of the hallway!
Why I Decorate Slowly
I don’t believe in decorating the second you move into a home. In fact, I encourage people not to. You don’t really know how you’ll use a space until after awhile of living in it. Phases of lives change, and maybe you don’t need a formal living room, but you do need a home office. If you moved in, and decorating a living room because you had one in your old house, you’re not realizing that maybe in this phase of life, you need the space for other things.
Or maybe your tastes are changing. Or maybe you will be welcoming a new baby, so a sisal rug and white couch sounds good today, but in 9 months not so much!
Giving yourself time to feel a space house and learn it helps you decorate better.
Updating the Dark Hallway
Eventually, I found a Hickory White furniture piece I totally loved and knew it was the right piece for the fact. The dimensions were much more proportional to the wall. It was deeper, taller and wider, all of which served the area better. The change is dramatic!
Remember, you don’t have to buy it all at once. My original interior designer, Alicia Weaver Design taught me “decorate for where you’re going, not where you’re at.” In other words, by things little by little as budget allows to move toward the look you want. It took eight years for me to finally find a hall chest I loved! But it was worth the wait!
Hi, what is the color of your walls here?
It’s Benjamin Moore Brushed Aluminum!