Corridor design: how to make small room comfortable and functional

The apartment looks cozy if all rooms are harmoniously equipped, including the corridor. It is the corridor design that is primarily seen by everyone who enters the room. Repair of the room and design depend primarily on the parameters of the corridor, its configuration, as well as on the general style in which the apartment is decorated. You also need to remember that in the room it should be convenient not only to undress, but also to place outerwear.

The main points to remember when designing a corridor in an apartment

Most often, the corridor in the apartment is a small room, so you need to carefully consider all the details to make the room comfortable. Whatever the size of the corridor, you need to try to place in it all the necessary items for storing things and comfortable changing clothes.

If a corridor is organized in Khrushchev, then you need to use all available tools to visually expand the volume of the room. To understand how to design a corridor, you need to know the basic requirements for choosing the main elements of the interior:

1. Furniture. The selected items should be not only beautiful, but also functional. Modern storage systems allow you to save space and at the same time conveniently place large and small items.
2. Lighting. The corridor is considered a room that is devoid of natural light, so this deficiency must be filled with intense artificial lighting. Moreover, the smaller the room, the more it should be illuminated.
3. Materials. To keep the appearance of the room longer, preference should be given to moisture-resistant and wear-resistant materials that are easy to care for. Particular attention is paid to the finishing of the floor and the lower half of the walls.

It is important that the corridor in the house or apartment is in harmony with the interior of the entire space and is decorated in the appropriate style. Designers do not recommend experimenting and mixing different stylistic trends in an apartment.

How to start repairing a corridor in an apartment or a private house

Despite the size of the corridor, repairs must be approached responsibly, because this room is considered the hallmark of any apartment or house. In addition, the corridor is one of the rooms most prone to pollution. After all, splashes and dirt fall from wet clothes or umbrellas, falling on the walls and floor, sand is brought here from shoes. If we are talking about a corridor in a private house, then cold air from the street often enters it, which causes the walls to get wet, as a result of which there is a possibility of reproduction of fungus and mold.

Useful advice! The organization of the design, repair of the corridor should be the last thing, because throughout all the repair work in the apartment, it is through this room that building materials will be brought in and taken out.

The main tasks that need to be performed during the repair process:

• properly organize the space, take measures to visually enlarge the room;
• choose a material for finishing walls and floors;
• carry out work on the repair of the ceiling and the organization of sufficient lighting;
• pick up and arrange furniture;
• purchase suitable accessories.

  

You need to choose corridor repair ideas based on the original layout of the room, taking into account dimensions such as area, wall height, distance to corners and doors. These parameters affect the choice of materials, the nature of the lighting and the type of furniture chosen. When purchasing materials for repairing a small corridor, you should stop using drywall and panels that reduce usable space.

Before considering the interior design of the corridor, which is tiny in size, at the repair stage it must be taken into account that in this case it is advised to select light shades for surface finishing and additionally use mirror and reflective elements. When choosing furniture, it is better to give preference to modular sets with built-in lighting.

When choosing materials, it is necessary to take into account not only the texture, but also the color. To finish the walls, it is permissible to use a combination of materials, for example, some walls can be painted, others can be wallpapered. With the help of color, it is recommended to make one accent wall, which will create a special atmosphere in the room.

How to repair the floor in the corridor: photo examples

The floors in the corridor are subjected to daily friction, while sand and other dirt on the shoes are a rather harsh abrasive that easily leaves marks on the surface of the coating. Therefore, the best flooring material is considered to be high quality ceramic tiles that can withstand constant friction. It is not at all necessary to make the floor in the corridor completely of tiles. In the photo of the corridor repairs, you can see that it is placed only at the entrance, where they are most often in shoes. Other commonly used but less sustainable materials are:

1. Laminate. Its smooth surface is easy to care for, but the material is sensitive to moisture. Therefore, for the corridor, it is advised to choose options with a moisture-proof layer, and under it it is required to lay a soundproof layer.
2. Parquet or parquet board. More expensive materials that are resistant to damage. The main thing is to lay the material as evenly and accurately as possible.
3. Linoleum. The presence of options with different colors will help decorate any room, and linoleum is easy to wash and install. The disadvantages of using the material are its fragility and instability to damage, so it is better to choose better options that differ in density and thick base.
4. Carpet. Here it is better to give preference to a material with a hard and small pile, which does not absorb dust much and is easy to vacuum.

   

Useful advice! Whatever flooring material is chosen, designers recommend laying it diagonally to visually expand the amount of space.

If the room is small, the floor must be made light. When purchasing tiles, you should give preference to large squares or rectangles. Small tiles in dark shades are more suitable for decorating a corridor in an apartment or a large house. For convenience and comfort, it is possible to organize a water or electric heated floor at the repair stage, which will ensure not only quick drying of shoes in winter, but also a comfortable stay on the tile.

Options for finishing the ceiling and choosing lighting when organizing the interior of the corridor in the apartment

When choosing a ceiling design in the corridor, it is recommended to give preference to light shades. A good option would be a stretch ceiling, both matte and glossy. A glossy ceiling, due to the reflective surface, will visually increase the height of the room to a greater extent, especially if several mirrors are additionally hung on the walls. Thinking through ideas for repairing a corridor that has a large area, you can use options for multi-level ceilings using plasterboard structures.

Having chosen a successful option for finishing the ceiling, it is important to correctly organize the lighting, because most of the corridors are a room without windows. Looking at the photo of the corridors in the apartment, you can pay attention that the following devices are used to provide the room with light:

• wall sconces;
• ceiling lights;
• chandeliers;
• spot lighting built into pieces of furniture.

Also recently, floor spotlights are often used, visually increasing the height and width of the walls. At the same time, the backlight should be thought out even at the repair stage in order to correctly conduct the wiring and not leave the wires open. Illuminated interior letters or light paintings are considered a good option for decorating walls in the corridor.

Corridor design: wall decoration

When designing the design of the hall in the apartment, much attention is paid to the decoration of the walls. If repairs are carried out not in a new building (for finishing), but in an old apartment, then first of all you will have to get rid of the traces of the previous repair, this will require:

• remove old wallpaper or other facing material from the wall;
• clean the areas to the ground;
• additionally align the walls using the building level;
• patch problem areas.

  

High-quality preparatory work will ensure that repairs are carried out at the proper level. At this stage, it is also recommended to check the condition of the wiring and, if necessary, replace it. If it became necessary to change the doors, this action should also be performed before the start of finishing work.

Useful advice! To prevent the appearance of cracks and the divergence of wallpaper at the joints, it is first recommended to apply a reinforcing mesh to the wall, especially if the repair is carried out in a newly built house in which the shrinkage process continues.

As a material for wall decoration, you can use decorative plaster, which looks attractive and noble. Using this method of cladding, you can “revive” the wall with a variety of patterns or applied paintings. Even an ordinary rough surface, painted in the desired color, can dilute the interior. When creating a corridor design, it is popular to use plaster, which includes multi-colored stone chips, which makes it easy to fill the room with unusual colors. Other benefits of using plaster include:

• practicality;
• beautiful appearance;
• the ability to wash and clean the surface.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the use of Venetian plaster, in the manufacturing process of which a combination of white and gypsum plaster is used. This finishing option is considered expensive and is more common when finishing the corridors of elite country houses. Not only the material itself will be expensive, but also the process of applying plaster to the wall, since this work is not done by ordinary builders, but by painters who can turn an ordinary wall into a work of art. Below you can see a selection of photos of country house hall designs made using Venetian plaster.

In addition to decorative cladding, it is appropriate to apply ordinary painting, but this requires perfectly puttied walls. Some areas can be decorated with decorative stone, clapboard, or a combination of these materials. This option is more suitable for designing a large square corridor design, when there is no need to save space.

Using wallpaper in the hallway: photos of attractive interiors

Wallpaper is another no less popular option for wall decoration. Here it is possible to use cork sheets, which are paper on which a thin cork veneer with a wax coating is applied. The advantages of using cork wallpaper in the design of the corridor are their hypoallergenicity and environmental friendliness. Such a coating is not susceptible to dust settling, the walls are easy to care for, and they can also be washed. However, interior designers do not recommend using them when repairing a narrow corridor.

Vinyl products are considered a universal option. Such wallpapers are suitable for a small corridor, as well as for placing a large area. Vinyl has a long service life, the material is easy to wash with non-aggressive means, and also to rub with a non-rigid sponge. This fact is considered a significant advantage, because the walls of the corridor are constantly exposed to dirt.

Vinyl wallpapers are made on different types of bases – it can be a fabric or paper layer coated with PVC. Products can be chosen with any ornament. Also, a wide variety of colors allows you to make the corridor beautiful and decorate the room in accordance with any style of interior. To prevent the reproduction of fungus and mold, the wallpaper contains a special chemical element. The disadvantage of using vinyl sheets in the design of corridors and hallways in an apartment is the synthetic nature of the material, which prevents air from penetrating.

Liquid wallpaper is an intermediate option between plaster and ordinary wallpaper. In shopping centers, you can purchase ready-made mixtures or dry options, which must be further diluted before application, using the proportions indicated in the instructions. Wallpaper should be applied to the wall with a layer of no more than 2 mm. The advantage of using this option is the ability to hide irregularities that could remain after the repair and processing of the walls. In order for the walls to be washed safely, it is recommended to apply a layer of varnish on top. Another advantage is the ease of dismantling such wallpaper and applying a new finish in a situation where you want to revive the interior. Below are photos of wallpaper corridors of various styles.

To design the design of a narrow corridor of the apartment, photo wallpapers are also used. At the same time, to expand the space, it is advised to give preference to cold shades, since bright colors, on the contrary, visually reduce the size of the room. Opposite the wall decorated with photo wallpaper, it is appropriate to place a mirror. It must be remembered that in a small room you can not use wallpaper containing drawings in the form of volumetric and large elements.

Features of the choice of furniture for the design of the corridor design: photo

When designing any corridor, one cannot do without the right selection of furniture, which depends on the parameters of the room. Most of the corridors in old apartments are tiny in size, so in such an area it is only possible to place a small closet, put a shelf for shoes and a mirror. Sometimes in the photo of the designs of small corridors you can see that instead of a cabinet, just hooks are often used, unusually fixed on the wall.

If there is a small entrance hall that goes into the corridor, the photos show that here, apart from a small shelf for shoes and a small hanger, there is no other furniture – it is taken out into the corridor. In any case, before buying furnishings, you should carefully measure the space, which will determine which furniture will be free in the room and will not interfere with free movement.

The style of furniture is selected based on the overall interior of the apartment and the corridor, but for the design of a small room it is recommended to use light facades with mirror inserts. In this case, it is important to purchase high-tech or minimalist furniture.

When buying furniture, you should opt for items made of practical materials that are easy to clean. Most often, glued chipboard is used for the manufacture of facades, but nevertheless, facades made from MDF are considered the best option in this case, because they are more resistant to moisture and damage.

In order not to bother with the selection of individual pieces of furniture, preference should be given to modular hallways , in which all elements are perfectly combined with each other. Of course, the main detail of any corridor is a closet, the internal content of which allows it to be used for storing outerwear and other small things. When designing a long narrow corridor, you should not save too much on product parameters, since a cabinet with a depth of less than 40 cm will not be convenient, but will simply take up space in the room.

It is also desirable to place a mirror in the corridor of any size so that you can evaluate your appearance before leaving. Often, a sliding wardrobe mirror door is used as this accessory, which visually increases the area, especially if a light source is installed opposite it.

How to organize the design of the corridor in Khrushchev

The apartments of the old fund are distinguished by their minimal areas, which also applies to the size of the corridor. The complexity of the design of such spaces lies in the large number of doorways. You should think about which doors are needed and which ones can be abandoned, using arches or other open types of entrances for zoning space.

The main task that needs to be solved in the conditions of the Khrushchev corridor is to visually or actually expand the space. To actually increase the area, you can move the walls, but this reduces the size of one of the adjacent rooms. Sometimes, due to the presence of load-bearing walls, reconstruction is impossible, as a result of which options for the visual expansion of the corridor are used.

If you pay attention to real photos of corridor designs in Khrushchev, it immediately becomes clear that in such a room there is no room for deep spacious wardrobes or even small sofas designed for comfortable shoes. Massive decorative items, such as floor vases or beautiful retro-style clothes hangers on a massive carved oak leg, cannot be placed here. In this case, the minimalist style is popular, which allows the use of open shelving and shelves. To store clothes on the wall, a sufficient number of decorative hooks are simply fixed. If possible, you can dilute the interior with a bright small ottoman.

Looking at the photos of the interior designs of the corridors in Khrushchev, you can pay attention to the fact that in the decoration, preference is given to light shades that visually expand the boundaries of the room. On the wall of the corridor, you can place a mirror panel if it fits into the overall style of the apartment. It is not recommended to place a massive chandelier on the ceiling – it is better to organize lighting using spotlights built into the ceiling structure. Tiles should be laid on the floor, which, if desired, can be covered with a small carpet with a hard pile.

Design features of the design of a narrow corridor, which is distinguished by a considerable length

Designing a long corridor in an apartment consisting of two or more rooms is not an easy task. Often there is a situation when the corridor is combined with the hallway. In this case, the difference in the choice of textures and finishes is applied to space zoning. In some cases, it will be necessary to redevelop during the repair stage to get rid of unnecessary doors and corners, if possible.

If the corridor is an elongated space from the front door to one of the rooms, it is necessary to carry out zoning, allowing the entrance part to be separated from the entrance. Studying photos of narrow corridor designs, you can pay attention to the fact that differences in flooring finishes are used for this purpose. Also, zoning is often carried out using different forms of ceiling structures, lighting and different colors of walls in the corridor.

Useful advice! A good option is the combined use of ceramic tiles, which are laid around the entrance doors, and laminate or parquet flooring, which occupies the rest of the room.

To level the walls, you should not use drywall, which will take up space – it is better to perform high-quality wall putty. It is strictly forbidden to use wallpaper with a horizontal or vertical strip for wall decoration for a narrow corridor, which will further visually lengthen the space. Plain vinyl wallpaper, decorative plaster or liquid wallpaper are suitable for this purpose. It is also not advised to use large patterns and dark wallpapers that visually reduce the volume. In this case, it is allowed to use a darker shade when finishing the lower part of the wall, which is subjected to constant friction.

Furniture, lighting in a long corridor and other design features of the room

The long walls of such a corridor should be used as rationally as possible for arranging functional furniture, which will help free up other rooms. When choosing furniture, you need to make sure that there is enough space left for comfortable movement. Options suitable for interior design of a narrow corridor include:

• a long narrow full-wall wardrobe with mirrored sliding doors that visually increase the width of the corridor;
• open shelving or bookshelves fixed to one of the walls;
• a long and narrow chest of drawers designed to accommodate shoes, over which you can hang photos;
• a narrow sofa, on which it will be convenient to sit down to put on shoes, there are also options for a folding design with additional niches.

So that the design of a long corridor in a three-room apartment does not resemble a gloomy tunnel, special attention should be paid to lighting sources. Interior designers are not advised to give preference to fluorescent lamps that distort color perception. It is better to choose bright halogen lamps, as close as possible to natural light. Also, when organizing light, the space should be divided into different zones that have autonomous inclusion. It will be convenient to place separately switched on dim lamps in the floor, thanks to which it will be easy to move in the dark. Below you can see a beautiful selection of photos of interior corridors in large apartments.

In most cases, it is easier to equip the design of a corridor in a house, since there is a large area there, especially if the house was built by the owner himself. Often it is from a long corridor that a staircase leads to the second floor, which becomes an accent element in the room. Modern interior styles, whose main task is to make the interior functional, use the stairs as additional drawers for storage. It is recommended to resort to the same method in a two-story apartment. Below you can see a photo of the design of the corridors in the house, decorated with the use of stairs.

How to design a corridor in a house or apartment: modern interior styles

The modern style is mainly manifested in the details, so the objects in the room can belong to different directions, but the main thing is that they harmoniously combine with each other. The decoration is dominated by a light range, successfully combined with silver and chrome surfaces. If the corridor has the correct geometric shape, then one wall can be made accent.

This is interesting! Furniture in a modern style is mainly equipped with a large number of built-in and retractable elements that allow you to rationally place all things.

It is important to understand that the modern design of the corridor involves the use of the latest technological inventions, so it would be appropriate if the light is turned on using voice or a touch panel. There should also be a lot of lighting elements here.

Minimalism is considered ideal for tiny corridors or hallways, because the basis of the style is conciseness and maximum freedom. Finishing options can be chosen at the request of the owner, but it is better to stick to the white shade of the walls, and from materials preference should be given to plaster or washable wallpaper.

It is desirable that the ceiling does not have a complex plasterboard construction, especially if the ceilings are low. The best option would be a stretch ceiling, which should be lighter than the flooring. It is especially important to equip such a corridor with the maximum number of lighting elements in order to illuminate the space and not leave dark areas. It is allowed to dilute a light interior with several bright elements, whether it be a small ottoman or an unusual hanger. In the corridor in the style of minimalism, you should not place too much furniture.

Corridor in loft and hi-tech styles: design features

The direction of the loft adheres to openness and freedom. The decor of the loft-style corridor is distinguished by its unusual and pretentious forms; often hanging wrenches, cranes, or even half a bicycle are used here as a hanger. Surfaces are made to look like brick – it can be brickwork or appropriate wallpaper.

The ceiling in most cases is simply painted in the desired color, while the style is characterized by a certain negligence in the finish. In the corridor, the use of open shelves or even boxes is welcome. Lighting is recommended to organize with the help of unusual lamps, interconnected by ropes or wires in unusual boxes.

The high-tech direction prefers smooth, glossy surfaces, clear lines and regular geometric shapes. It is not recommended to use more than two colors here, and bright colors should not be present at all. Walls are often decorated with gray plaster or metallic silver wallpaper. Fiberglass wallpapers are also considered popular.

Ceilings are mainly used either glossy stretch or suspended systems with a lot of built-in spots. A chandelier in such a corridor would not be appropriate. In lighting, preference is given to cold and bright light. Furniture in the corridor should be distinguished by the presence of facades with frosted glass inserts. The more glass surfaces in such a corridor, the better. Leather poufs or small sofas look harmonious.

Classic trends in the design of the corridor: Scandinavian, Provence and English styles

The classic style involves the use of warm colors, and pastel colors are more suitable for creating accents, rather than bright ones. Light walls are necessarily decorated with panels and baguettes. It is appropriate to use drawings in the form of monograms, ornaments. It is desirable to make the ceiling coffered or use unusual stucco. Wood is considered the main material for flooring, but it is recommended that at least at the entrance lay ceramic tiles imitating wood. Furniture must be massive, made of natural wood, leather upholstery is also suitable.

Important! Classical directions should be chosen mainly in large spaces, so that it is possible to use all the details characteristic of the style.

The Scandinavian style prefers to combine the light walls of the corridor with natural wood floors. However, you can often find a black and white flooring option using ceramic tiles. Lighting is best organized with a massive chandelier. The mood of the interior can be given through a carpet with a hard pile, bright furniture and beautiful wall sconces.

Provence in the corridor involves the use of openwork elements and the natural color of the walls. A good solution is to use floral print wallpaper or decorative plaster. Set the tone for the corridor of the picture in a massive wooden frame. Furniture with aged facades will look ideal. Here you can install a massive wooden wardrobe, next to which it is advisable to put a small sofa with wrought iron elements. Be sure to have a large mirror on the floor in a vintage frame.

English style requires the presence of space and high ceilings. The walls are appropriate to perform with the help of an unobtrusive floral pattern or cage. The presence of deaf doors, a massive chest of drawers and forged clothes hangers is welcome. You can complement the interior with mirrors or paintings in round or oval frames. It is better to put a patterned tile or parquet board on the floor, which should be covered with a checkered or just a dark carpet.

When arranging the corridor, it is necessary to perform a difficult task, which consists in the most rational use of the entire space, while achieving coziness and comfort. It must be remembered that the corridor contributes to the creation of the first impression of the entire apartment or house. It is from this room that guests begin to get acquainted with the general style of housing, reflecting the mood of the owners. You should not rush to equip the corridor – only a clear calculation and proper use of the entire area will make the corridor comfortable and stylish.