How to Bring Life to Your Long and Narrow Corridor
It’s actually quite hard to find an apartment in Malta that’s square in shape. A large majority of the apartments on sale in Malta nowadays are long and narrow. The same goes for rental apartments in Malta. With all the construction going on, that’s quite a surprising fact! However, there are certain laws and restrictions that have given rise to this new style and layout of apartment. This type of apartment is often nicknamed a ‘runway’, as that’s exactly what they can feel like. Most, if not all, of the rooms are accessed from the corridor. These long corridors can feel lifeless, dull and boring. Especially when they are not very well lit. So, how can you bring some life and personality to your dim, drab hallway? Your corridor doesn’t have to be just a boring space with door after door after door. Use our tips to transform your corridor into a part of your home that you love!
Lamps
I love lamp! Brighten up your long, dim corridor with a bright lamp or two. We’re not talking small, table lamps here. We mean big, bold floor lamps. There are some seriously cool designs available. Furniture and lighting stores in Malta have decent collections and you can also buy something online. A nice table lamp can add a pop of colour or a bit of personality to your dull corridor. Even if your corridor is actually quite well lit, turn off the ceiling light and use a lamp instead. If you go for something quirky and eye-catching, it’ll be a real focal feature in your otherwise boring, never-ending corridor.
Wallpaper
Rather than just painting your corridor, why not add wallpaper to one of the walls? You don’t have to cover the whole corridor in wallpaper. One statement wall is enough. This will add a little something extra and not overdo it. You could have a lot of fun choosing a cool print or pattern. Go for something bold! The beauty of it being in the corridor is that it’s not going to ‘take over’ any room. In another room, a big bold print could be too much. No one’s going to be staring at it in the hallway. It’ll be a lovely feature to glimpse at whilst walking down the runway.
Mirrors
Mirrors are the perfect thing to hang in a long, narrow corridor. Choose a mirror for your hallway that you wouldn’t dare to put anywhere else. Go bold or go home, we say. You don’t have to ensure the mirror goes with any of the other furniture in the room, unlike you would in the bedroom, for example. Place your chosen statement mirror wisely, so that it can reflect some light (either natural light or light from the lamp) or your beautiful wallpaper. If mirrors aren’t your thing, why not hang some artwork instead?
Tiles
One more way to transform your hallway is by switching up the tiles. If you have the same floor tiles running all the way through your flat, why not mix it up in the hallway? The same tile through the whole house can really accentuate a long, narrow corridor and make it feel like it goes on forever! A unique pattern or check design will break up the space. The tile transition from the hallway to the adjoining rooms won’t look strange, as you’ll have a clear boundary by each door. If need be, you can even choose an extra tile style and use this to make a ‘boundary’ around the hallway. In this case, you could choose a plain tile for the boundary or a contrasting pattern. You could take inspiration from the Freemasons and use black and white chequered tiles. Or you could choose to be patriotic and use traditional Maltese tiles.
Plants
Bring life to your corridor by going green and adding a few plants. Think tall, not wide, when you’re picking out your hallway plants. These will be perfect as they’ll do the job without taking up too much floorspace. Consider the lighting in your corridor when you choose your plants. If it isn’t very well-lit, then you’ll need to pick plants which don’t mind little sunlight. Mother-in-Law’s Tongue is a relatively tall plant that would adapt well to life in your dim corridor. Several species of palm and fern will also be happy where there isn’t much light. Otherwise, you could think about putting up some hanging baskets in your corridor in addition to, or as an alternative to, tall, potted plants. Spider’s Plant and Devil’s Ivy are good choices for hanging baskets. Their names might sound sinister, but both of these plants are effective at removing toxins from the air. So, with these plants, you can both liven up your hallway and improve your health!
Storage
When you’re thinking of corridor storage, think thin furniture. You don’t want to put anything that takes up too much space, that you have to scoot around. Bookshelves are perfect, as these tend to be quite shallow. Book shelves don’t have to be any deeper than 20cm. Most books will fit comfortably on a shelf of this depth. You could put up a few floating shelves, or you could fit floor-to-ceiling bookshelves all the way along one wall. If you don’t have enough books to fill them, you can use them to display candles and pictures as well. Another great idea is adding some coat hooks on the wall in your corridor. You can use these to hang your and your guests’ coats and bags. Shoe racks are also an ideal storage solution to have in your corridor. These will waste space in any other room, but in the hallway, a shoe rack can make a lovely feature. You can buy hanging shoe racks, where you place your shoes in pockets. Or, you can buy standing shoe racks or cabinets, where you pop your shoes in the drawers.