Hallways
shelley morris interiorsSave to IdeabookEmail Photo Line up arches. In a very similar manner, molding details and, in this case, a narrow arched opening, define this passageway. They are simple elements that make it successful. If you have all square openings in your home, turning a few into arches — especially in a row, as in this example — is another way to add architectural interest.
Dress it up. The passageway between these two rooms doesn’t use any tricks; it simply allows you to get from point A to point B. What is elegant about this passageway, however, is the curved step guiding you up to the archway and framing the view from the lower room. The opening is wide, arched and decorated with multiple layers of molding. The ceiling inside, between the rooms, is a bit higher than the opening, so you don’t feel as though you are in a tunnel. This slight change in ceiling height makes the passageway its own space between the rooms — a brief moment of transition.
Add a passageway as part of a hall. If you have a very long hallway, consider breaking it up into bays. Here the passageway is nearly a room unto itself, as it houses a reading nook and a window seat with storage cubbies near the floor. Make sure you leave at least 36 inches of floor space for circulation.
Don’t miss even a thin opportunity. Sometimes walls are thicker between rooms to allow for heating, cooling or plumbing elements — but not by much. Carve out some of that dead space that isn’t deep enough for a full closet and use the inside for open shelves. The added visual depth will turn a plain wall into something more eye catching. Make it as functional as needed with baskets, books, a charging station and hooks for keys. Just make sure the opening is at least 12 inches wide, so something actually fits in the space and dusting is easier. A good depth for the open space is about 10 to 12 inches.
Passageways can be more interesting if the wall is thicker. Once an opening is around 18 to 24 inches thick, you can dress it up with recesses, shelving, molding and other elements that will maximize the space and make the passageway feel not only functional, but like an authentic transition between realms. If your archways aren’t that deep now, consider adding built-ins to one or both sides of the wall, to enhance the journey and make sure you are getting every last inch of impact. transitional living room by Tim Barber LTD Architecture & Interior Design Tim Barber LTD Architecture & Interior DesignSave to IdeabookEmail Photo Improve your living space. This passageway between the dining room and the living room (to the right of the bookcase) is a typical framed opening, but its depth allows for bookcases on the living room side. Even if you aren’t building a new home, you can build out your walls and drastically change the atmosphere of a space and how you use it, just as these bookcases turn a plain living room wall into an elegant library.
The entry, located in a guesthouse for Cardinale Winery in Oakville, California, was sizable but otherwise unremarkable, with a pale floor and a white ceiling. A large passageway on each wall meant wall space was not abundant. The only directive Best received: Leave the doors and base molding alone.
A long, narrow entry hall like this one provides a great opportunity for the bibliophile. The bookcases transformed this space from a bowling alley to a library, adding texture, storage, history, visual variety and a place to display beloved objects.
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