How to decorate a narrow corridor in an apartment: practical tips with photos of real projects

I was very lucky if I managed to buy an apartment in a new building with a convenient layout. But what to do if the first thing that meets the apartment is a narrow hallway in Khrushchev? The answer is simple - it needs to be changed and immediately. You can read about how to visually enlarge the corridor in our article.

How to visually change the proportions of a narrow corridor? Features of the corridors in Khrushchev

Let's start with the features. The design of the long corridor in the Khrushchevka apartment looks more like a train car. It is drawn-out, goes through all the rooms, but at the same time even 2 people can hardly fit in it. It is worth starting from this.

Designers recommend for a narrow corridor in Khrushchev - space zoning. It includes:

Shoe locker;

Clothes hanger;

Space for umbrellas and brushes.

It seems to be commonplace, but it gets rid of unnecessary trash. Often, the brush is placed next to the entrance and it gets in the way, and debris is the main constrictor of the place. Therefore, the first thing we do is get rid of unnecessary things and put things in their place.

Now you need to play with both flowers and drawings. It is not worth making the corridor monochromatic, only if it is not "light" colors (light gray, white, beige, soft blue). They are not annoying, from which the walls become invisible.

The problem of a narrow hallway in Khrushchev - it looks like a long box. On average, Type II-18 houses were built with 2.50 ceilings, which is uncomfortable if the height is not 1.50. They need to be visually raised. To do this, we use the simple technology of a two-ton interior of the corridor in the apartment.We divide the room in half with a horizontal line and paint the lower part or glue it with wallpaper darker than the upper one.

Increases diagonal space well. They are convenient, since the expansion goes in all directions, not strictly upward or in breadth.

A win-win option - wallpaper or painting. The former create an additional "window". Physically, everything stays in place. But visually, the hallway seems much larger and there is no emotional embarrassment. The painting can be different, but it is better if it does not look like a Catholic fresco. Much more interesting are watercolor drawings, in a careless form. You can even do this with a child.

The main thing is to avoid these design mistakes of a narrow hallway in Khrushchev:

Dark colors. The corridor is not too sunny anyway. And if you add dark walls to it, with a lack of light, this will strongly press. Here even a wide room will shrink.

Massive chandeliers, sconces, floor lamps. A useless and vulgar move that only clutters up the room. Best avoided during the design phase.

Three-dimensional drawings. Yes, wallpaper and painting make the room visually wider. The three-dimensional picture, on the contrary, begins to crush and "eat up" the imaginary space.

Massive finishing. Similarly, there is no need to hang stucco moldings on the walls, and even more so the columns.

Block the passage. On average, even a very obese person needs only 80 centimeters to walk comfortably in the hallway. If furniture, a lamp, a curbstone cut this width, it is better to remove it.

Choosing the right lighting

The entrance hall is always limited in natural light, since there are no windows in it. The problem is solved a little if you remove the doors or demolish the partitions, but these are radical solutions and you should not resort to them. As always, we will replace natural lighting with artificial.

Immediately it is worth giving up massive chandeliers. They are possible only if the ceiling height reaches 2.7 meters (found in some houses). And then, it is better to abandon hinged in favor of ceiling. Their cone of light is wider and they do not take up space.

The main light can be realized in 2 ways:

Full chandelier. For example, good LED ceiling-type chandeliers. They do not take up space, they light up the whole room, they look beautiful. Again, the hinged ones in the corridor are not needed and they will not be used there.

Small lamps. Suitable, for example, point. But you need to be more careful with them, as they often burn and you will have to change everything in a year. Better small luminaires with a wide diffuser.

After the main one, accessories are selected. The ceiling light will still prevent you from doing makeup, for example, or combing your hair. This will require side lighting. Will fit:

Sconce. Compact luminaire mounted next to the mirror. Places almost do not take up, they look stylish and neat.

Accent light. If there are pictures in the hallway (which, by the way, is useful for expanding the space), they can be emphasized with spotlights or special gallery spots.

The design of a long corridor in an apartment is also shaped by the length of the light. For example, if you hang a chandelier right above the entrance, it will illuminate 2/3 of the room. This is not good, since now the hallway looks like an even smaller box.

How is it solved? Another chandelier equidistant.

Room decoration

The interior of the narrow corridor includes rough and fine finishing of walls, floor and ceiling.

Wall decoration of a narrow corridor

Our corridor is already too narrow, so we forget about the 20th lighthouses. If the walls need to be aligned (and with an abundance of directional artificial light, this is necessary), it is better to take 6 mm beacons.

When roughing, you need to follow 3 rules:

It shouldn't be bulky. As mentioned, thick beacons are best put off. For alignment, you need to take the minimum capture of the room - every centimeter is important. We also refuse drywall and aerated concrete.

The finish should be even. Due to the properties of artificial lights, any unevenness will be noticeable both day and night.

If large furniture is planned (a wardrobe, for example), you should not do the finishing behind it. And not only because of the savings. This way you can save extra space.

When the narrow corridor in Khrushchev is already ready for finishing, you can connect an internal designer. Any glossy surface will be needed. If the walls are aligned without lighthouses by the rule, then it is better to take thick wallpaper. Universal option - glass wallpaper for painting. Very wavy, so any holes can be hidden without difficulty. Coated with any paint, but better than good glossy.

Thick, patterned vinyls will do. The glossy surface will reflect light many times, expanding the hallway.

Alternatively - Venetian plaster. This is a decorative material that is simply applied to clean primed walls. The downside is that it is not suitable for every design. But it evens out the walls well, hides any defects and does not eat up the space.

Optimal flooring

The interior of the long corridor accepts any floor covering from linoleum to porcelain stoneware. It is better to consider them separately:

Linoleum. Optimum - 4.5 mm linoleum. It is quite soft, but does not eat up the height. There is one on sale that imitates any surface in general, not just wood. Minus - you can immediately see that this is linoleum. In premium design, it will be alien.

Laminate. The apartment usually takes 31 class laminate flooring. And the price is good, and it keeps its shape for a very long time. Its height is 8 millimeters, which is acceptable. Costs from $ 8 to $ 15 per square meter.

Parquet. The thickness of a natural parquet board is 15 millimeters on average, which is a lot. In the hallway, it does not fit categorically, since the material itself is extremely capricious. He will have to deal with high humidity from the entrance and constant rubbing with shoes. He does not like this and will most likely live for 1-1.5 years. After that, you will need to cycle, which with a parquet price of $ 100 per square is not profitable.

Ceramic tile. Strong, wear-resistant, can last at least 100 years. There are any colors, shapes and patterns on sale. To decorate the design of a narrow corridor in an apartment, we need tiles without patterns (especially striped ones) and only matte. In this case, you get an interesting design. In principle, it is not afraid of shocks from shoes, as well as high humidity. For the hallway - the best option.

Corridor ceiling decoration

The design of a narrow corridor in an apartment is often done at the end of all repairs and therefore the ceiling is made the most common: wallpaper, foam tiles, paint. But do not forget that a suspended and plasterboard ceiling is also appropriate in the hallway.

It should be said right away about the height of the room. Many Soviet houses did not go beyond 2.5 meters, which makes any sub-ceiling structures impractical. Still, there is no point in trimming the room yet. But in those houses where the height is 2.7 - this is quite appropriate and even obligatory.

Designers often resort to this move: a long carriage corridor can be slightly lowered, from which the room will be more square and wide.

For a narrow corridor in Khrushchev, a suspended ceiling is great. If repairs are made to the entire apartment, new electrical wiring will be carried out there. In addition, even low ceilings are not a hindrance to stretching. Their width, together with the profile and the film, is only 3.7 centimeters maximum. That is, the room will not be cut very much.

Stretch fabric is:

Matov. Does not affect the visual perception of the room, so it can be used to maintain the desired height.

Glyantsev. On the contrary, it makes the room visually higher. And this means that the hallway will be even narrower!

Drywall in modern renovation is almost never used. Although it is still popular in the provinces, it is superfluous in the "capital" renovation. The reason is that it eats up a lot of space, spotlights are not very effective, and multi-stage ladders are generally vulgar!

It is convenient only if the room is too high and the extra 10 centimeters would be nice to clean.

Arrangement of furniture in a long and narrow corridor

The long corridor in Khrushchev, according to the standards, must be at least 1.2 meters. In principle, this is already good, since they are often a little wider.

Above was the figure of 80 centimeters of comfortable width for the hallway. From her and will repel. If the corridor is at least 1.4 meters - excellent. In any furniture store you can find a full-height wardrobe. Their depth starts from 60 centimeters and it is not a problem to find them. We do a simple mathematical subtraction: 1.4-0.6 = 0.8. We fit perfectly into tight spaces. The sliding wardrobe for such premises already gives us a hanger for outerwear, a place for shoes, and another half of the wardrobe will remain! It is placed along the wall. It is better if the doors are mirrored. So there will be even more space.

But, if you are unlucky and the width is the very minimum, it is better to do with frameless furniture. Hangers and shelves can be beautiful and comfortable. Arrange them correctly and all the great place for storing outerwear is ready. If there is a niche, it occupies it. No? Then we put a hanger 50 centimeters from the entrance (not necessarily a board with hooks, there are frameless cabinets) and whatnot. Can be in line - can be near. On the contrary, a mirror is obligatory!

Modern ideas and solutions, decor for the corridor

Doors from rooms interfere? Do not rush and put sliding. They have no sound insulation at all, so you will hear every step in the hallway. Better use the curtains! They do not suppress noise, but they cost a hundred times cheaper. By the way, sliding doors need a cavity in the wall, so the sound insulation will be even worse than that of the curtain.

No big pictures! Small frames with photos or drawings will do, since the room will be wider in contrast.

More reflective surfaces. There is a possibility for a wardrobe with mirrored doors? You don't even need to think about it - take it.

Will not interfere with backlit shelves. For example, for keys or souvenirs. But no more than 2-3, they also eat up a real place decently.