Our entry hallway was suuuper dark and narrow when we moved in. The front door didn’t even have a window! Our home does not have an official entryway – you just walk in the front door to a long dark hallway that leads to our kitchen. My design challenge was to find a way to brighten the space and make it seem much bigger without tearing down walls. After tons of research, I found that board and batten is great for drawing your eye upward and helps create the illusion of a larger space.
Before working on the trim portion of this makeover, we wanted to replace the ugly linoleum and put down flooring to match the rest of the first floor. This made such a major difference!
Even as soon as the unfinished boards were tacked up, we could see just how much larger the hallway felt!
I also wanted to lighten up the color of the hallway so I decided to paint the walls the same color as the new trim – Sherwin Williams Alabaster. Everything is a satin finish for a clean, fresh feel.
I added my signature pop of color with new entryway rugs and coordinated with a mix of black and white prints, metallics, and vintage art. One last touch was to repaint the ceiling light mounts flat black instead of the original bright chrome. I just used flat black spray paint and it made the fixtures look so much more expensive!
Stay tuned for the rest of our DIY improvements on the first floor! I cannot wait to tackle our powder room next!
xoxo, L
