2 Put In A Glamourous Staircase
Though the work is expensive and disruptive, replacing the wooden hill with a glass or metal staircase can transform your space. Beautifully constructed glass stairs bring in light while metal versions have strength without bulk, and cantilevered stairs with hidden supports appear to float effortlessly. Balustrades no longer need to be chunky wood; glass and steel are bang on trend.
3 Replace The Front Door
Choose a door with glazed panels to improve the natural light within the hallway. In an older house, stained glass is an opportunity to show off your artistic temperament. In a wider hallway, side panels of glass either side of the door can bring in even more light.
4 Rethink The Layout
Are you circulating around your home in a neat holding pattern or does the layout get in your way? Moving a doorway, or blocking up an unused one can improve the situation. Sliding doors and screens which don’t open into the corridor helpfully offer extra space.
5 Get Suitable Storage
The space beneath the stairs can hold more than the vacuum cleaner. Ask a joiner to quote for built in cupboards, which can incorporate whatever you need, from bike storage to CDs. Pull-out drawers will make good use of the space hidden at the back. There’s plenty of freestanding storage that can fit neatly beneath the stairs or along the hall wall. Opt for a smart chest of drawers, a useful bench seat or a narrow console table with drawers.
6 Make Room For Hanging Space
Let’s bring back the old-fashioned coat rack. A hall stand will take coats, jackets, hats and shoes.
7 Brighten Up The Landing
There’s no point having a glam hall if it all falls apart when you reach the first floor. A skylight can banish any gloom, or try Solatube, a small dome set into the ceiling that brings in a shaft of daylight via a tube from the roof.
8 Add Colour
More than anything else, a coat of brilliant white paint can give the impression of space and if you’re really going for it, use Light and Space from Dulux, which claims to reflect twice the amount of light of other paints. Alternatively, pick out paints that are wipeable, washable and designed to stand up to family life. Dulux and Crown (above) both have stalwart versions.
9 Create A Focal Point
As you rush out to work or on the school run, you’ll be thankful for a console table parked in the hallway, so useful for mail, school bags and keys but also beloved of designers to create a focal point. Dress it up with a glamorous mirror, painting or wall art, a pair of lamps and a few well chosen accessories.
10 Dress Up Radiators
Naked or clothed? That’s the decision that faces our radiators. If you’re stuck with an old and ugly one, put it out of its misery with a decorative cover. You’ll end up with a neat, narrow shelf on top, ideal for a photo frame or those shells you picked up on holiday. Find one at Winther Browne or get one made to your exact spec, which you then put together from flat-pack at Jali. If yours is a contemporary space, swap old ugly ones with sleek, modern pieces that could be works of art...
For more shopping advice and how to guides on designing your home visit Channel 4 / 4Homes.
