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Every day you come home and you pass by this small narrow hallway. Sometimes you will stop and just stare at the place and feel that you should do something about it. Then one day you just want to tear all the walls down and break free from that constriction. But before you do that consider these few simple tips on how to trick the eye and visually expand the space, adding interest to a narrow hallway and come home happy every time.

1. Mirror: The most classic and reliable way to expand your space is to place a mirror on the wall. This gives the illusion of a bigger space. The larger the mirrored surface, the more room space is reflected. To add visual interest, hang your favorite paintings or photos opposite the mirror, making sure not to incorporate large prints, as it will require a lot of viewing space.

2. Chair rail: Adding a chair rail would help make a hall appear wider. If you want to hang wallpaper below the rail, choose something with small patterns and with a light background, as this will make the wall appear receded. To add diagonal depth, replace your existing flooring with diagonally installed wood planks or tiles to create an illusion of width.

3. Paint the Ceiling: By painting the ceiling with a darker shade and adding a wallpaper border to the top portion of the wall, you will be able to visually reduce the height of the ceiling. The border will add horizontal emphasis and will help widen the look of your hallway.

4. Louvered Doors/Mini Blinds: If your hallway has a window, installing mini blinds will add some horizontal emphasis. For closet doors, you can replace the regular doors with louvers.

5. Picture Frames: To further widen the area, decorate the wall with small wide picture frames. These will usually draw the eyes outward, creating a widening visual effect.

6. Furniture: Adding a piece of furniture like a slim vertical chest or narrow vertical highboy at the end of the hall will make the room appear wider. The addition of some accessories, like a flower vase on top of the chest, will make this a focal point of the room.

7. Lighting: Subdued lighting can expand the feeling of space. A sconce placed in the wall of a narrow hallway with an up light projection will draw the eyes up and outward. Lastly, as a general rule, to make a room appear larger, always use lighter color for the walls and floors; when using wallpapers, use small and subtle patterns.

Article Source: Interior Design Guide

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