How to Make the Most of Your Victorian Hallway
The vast majority of Victorian homes in the UK have the same hallway. It is very narrow, about 2.5m long, with a large ceiling, and usually an arch at the top.
I have one in my home so I understand completely how inconvenient (but beautiful) they are. They are so narrow that it can be somewhat inconvenient - and let's not even get started on getting the furniture through the door!
Fortunately, there are plenty of things that you can do to maximize your Victorian hallway and turn it into a little sanctuary as you walk through the door. In this article, I am going to look at some of the things that you can do to help make the most of your hallway.
Paint It in a Bright, But Warm, White
To make the space feel bigger, paint it in a light colour, preferably white. This will make the space feel larger and more welcoming, rather than oppressive, which can happen if you paint it a darker colour.
Make sure that you choose a paint that you can wipe clean because the size of the hallway means that it's common to scuff the walls. Having a paint that you can wipe down will help a lot.
Dealing with the Radiator
Unless you have underfloor heating, you should have a radiator in the hallway because it will help to increase the efficiency of the home heating. By having the radiator in the hallway, it minimises the cold getting in from outside.
However, because the hallway is tiny, a radiator can feel cumbersome. There are three ways to deal with this:
- Buy a single panel radiator that's sits very flat to the wall. Make sure that you buy one that is highly efficient and can produce as many BTUs as the multi-panel radiators. If you don't, you're just going to end up wasting money because you won't be able to heat the hallway properly.
- Buy tallradiators instead of horizontal radiators. While they will still take up some space, they will be much less pronounced than with the horizontal radiators. They also have the bonus of looking better than traditional radiators.
- Buy a radiator cover to place over your existing radiator and choose one that has additional features, such as storage space for shoes or keys. Whilst this won't make the hallway feel any bigger, it will feel more practical and as if it's being put to better use.
Install a Mirror
The Mirror has the same advantage that painting the room white has. It increases the amount of light in the area and makes it look bigger.
A great tip here is to buy tall radiators with a mirrored surface. You're killing at least three birds with one stone here because you're providing heat for the hallway, maximizing your use of space, and providing yourself with a full-length mirror as you go out the door - perfect for making sure you look the part before you step out into the wider world.
I hope that you found my text useful for Victorian hallways are beautiful if you get them right they set the tone for the entire house.
