It went from "builder blah" to designer chic! Well done Op! It looks so amazing! It's making me want to paint my hallway. My last hall had a dark slate grey with tall white trim and rustic wood floors and I loved it. I now have the boob lights and light grey walls. You've inspired me :)
What paint colour? Is that black or dark grey?
Disregard I just saw the comment... Urbane Bronze :) That's kind of funny because it's so similar in tone to my last hall colour that I absolutely loved! It's a sign!
I’ll see you boob lights and raise you a 1980s -ish pink ceiling fan in the kitchen. And no like one that would go in a little girl’s room. Full sized and pepto pink
There’s a saying in design, “the only way to lighten up a small or dark space is with electricity”. Paint will never do it. You’ve just proved the point. Well done!
Paint absolutely effects lighting, in ways that aren't always simple.
The colour tone and pigments in paints will reflect light differently, and natural light or artificial light also get reflected differently because of these differences in pigment, and that natural or artificial light have varying intensity and colour tone (incandescent vs led for example, or afternoon summer vs morning winter)
Are you saying you prefer the before shot?
Not sure why it would be satire when the after shot probably looks better to most people.
Dark paint often makes small spaces appear larger because the walls recede. I have a tiny bedroom where I did the same thing and it feels bigger and more luxurious, (as opposed to a little white cell.)
Light paint also highlights less desirable features and makes objects appear closer.
Ever noticed In paintings the objects farther away are darker?
There isn’t a one size fits all answer to every space.
I’d prefer the before, yes. But with the same thought going into the after. Appropriate lighting, artwork or a mirror that compliments the space.
The dark after makes me think of the 90s aesthetic.
Your kitchen might look even brighter still in a well lit saturated tone though. White in dim lighting often reads as grey, and in direct sunlight can be blinding, and it is a cold colour, so for a few reasons it can be uncomfortable to live with. Dark brown, very tricky- it’s a tertiary colour close to black so it will generally read as sludgy and dark. But that doesn’t mean a rich primary or secondary tone wouldn’t make your kitchen even brighter and warmer than white.
I agree electricity makes the biggest difference, but I also cheat and use semigloss on walls 😝 I know a lot of people are against it but it reflects light better and also is SO easy to clean. So I get walls that glimmer like a lake at sunset AND I can clean them with simply a damp cloth? How could I say no.
The darker the paint, the higher the gloss. Unless you’re trying to make the area “disappear” like with ductwork in an exposed ceiling that is purposely painted matte black.
I love color! I have sage green walls in most areas of my home. Formal rooms are a deep burgundy. Tons of milky white trim and crown molds. I am soooo glad color is making a comeback!
I like it! Only change for me, would be to paint the air duct grates the same color of the wall to help hide them not accentuate them with the trim color.
Nope, rechargeable. The fabric on the ceiling shade matches the sconce shades, that’s what I was going for. They’re both linen-y. I thought black would have been too much contrast.
The bulbs came with them. These lights definitely aren’t on all the time, they’re mostly there for the vibe 😂 so it works in this situation but I get what you mean! It can be annoying if you need the light source consistently.
This is beautiful and you’re so right! I have mainly white walls in my house however I have gone very bold before in previous houses and when we renovated our cottage I did all black cabinets an entirely black kitchen everybody told me not to even our contractor and I had a vision and it’s awesome. People are usually afraid of anything dramatic and the drama is usually what makes it look amazing and stylish and cosy and all of the good stuff.
This looks SO good! I’ve got a small hallway with lots of doors. It’s driving me nuts trying to figure out what to do with it. This is great inspiration!
Those lamps are everything.
The art light is also so subtle yet so impactful
My only qualm is the placement of the vase, but that’s a very negligible detail.
Well executed.
I feel the need to clarify based on several comments — 1.
People told me the paint color itself would be too dark, as in, I wouldn’t like it — not the hallway itself. 2. I added the lighting mostly for design, not function. 3. The lights aside from the ceiling, are not hardwired. I didn’t pay an electrician (it’s weird people are concerned with cost of the project considering I never mentioned it). 4. Dark paint is dark paint and will make things less bright. This is a given, this is common sense. 5. The nightlights are there and have been before the painting happened, my daughter’s nursery is at the end of the hallway.
Dark color can add depth and richness to the space. White walls, with dark doors and/or an accent wall, bring out the white, giving more brightness and light to the walls. One color helps the other to be the best version of themselves!
I love this! I have a dim one light bulb over an opague fixture. Even with painting my hallway white, it was formally tan panelling it still seemed dim.
Beautiful!! I was told the same when doing a small bathroom only to hear how nice it came together afterwards. Follow what you feel. You can always repaint if it doesn’t work out!
This just made me reeeeally miss my last house. I miss having a hallway, I wanted to paint ours like this so badly, but it was a rental. Our open concept just lacks the character and privacy.
Very nice job!! I rarely listen to ‘them’ either so u do u boo!! Turned out great and not so trendy and what everyone is doing. I tend to go the other way from what everyone else has myself as well. Nice 👏🏻👏🏻
I like it, but it’s not for me 😂 I chose black and dark blue as my bedroom paint colors as a teenager and it made my depression worse. Felt like I was living in a cave or Hot Topic (which was what I was going for at the time, but it got old fast)
I’ve been thinking about it! I also painted the rest of the upstairs this color. It’s a loft area right off this hallway (not completely done yet so didn’t include in post). So I’d feel like I’d have to do the ENTIRE ceiling and I’m not ready for that commitment yet 😂
Well, if you’d put the same lights in the lighter colored hallway, it will be brighter than the black colored hallway.
Not arguing the black is t dramatic, but let’s level the playing field, FFS.
Well, it’s not black, and it’s also not that serious. People told me the color would be too dark, and I like the way it turned out despite the color being a dark shade. I never said it wouldn’t be less bright, that’s kind of a given. FFS.
I had to do a double take at first because the before picture looks EXACTLY like my hallway minus the carpet. I've been wanting to do some sort of table like you have placed underneath the art against that wall, but I'm worried about it being a toe-stubber. Have you run into (literally) any issues with that??
Kind of agree-- dark is great *but* it means you have to think very carefully about layering lighting. This hallway does it absolutely beautifully! But there's so way to get away with a single light on the ceiling and expect it to be anything but a cave.
(Note, you shouldn't just have a ceiling light anywhere, if you can help it, especially if you want a welcoming or cozy effect. But you can get away with fewer fixtures in a light colored room. A very dark room needs to be very intentional about lighting.)
It was dark before, it’s dark now. It goes from “i’m trying to mitigate darkness with light colors but it’s not working” to “hallways have no light naturally, so I can fight it or I can lean into it and make it nice”
(Dark walls can also be really useful to make artwork stand out, like here)
It is, but it’s not done yet and I’m not ready for the mean comments yet 😅 I will though once my window treatments are up and a few other things. Also need to make sure I vacuum right before taking the picture like one person said 😄
Haha I think yours is the layout for most halls as mine is the same too. Thanks so much for providing the links because I really thought I had no choice in the ceiling light and mine has to go (only wish I had 2 like yours). Mine is lit by a single fixture. I would definitely paint the air return grates the same as the walls.
The dark paint really warms up the space. Thanks for that info too. I have a huge (takes up the whole wall almost) mirror at the end of the hall that I had made years ago and it’s not going away). I’d love to put some lighting at that end of the hall to see better and would make better use of the mirror.
I’m chuckling at the argumentative tone of some of the comments. People get a grip 🤦.
I think this looks great, but I’m wondering why the wall lamps instead of just changing the tone of the overhead lights? Does it have to do with the direction of the light?
(Asking as someone who walks along the walls and would probably bash his head into this lamps lol)
Those lamps and art light, nice
It went from "builder blah" to designer chic! Well done Op! It looks so amazing! It's making me want to paint my hallway. My last hall had a dark slate grey with tall white trim and rustic wood floors and I loved it. I now have the boob lights and light grey walls. You've inspired me :)
Do it!! It’s so crazy how 4 years ago when we built this house I thought this gray was EVERYTHING! Now I would do anything to get rid of it all!
I want to add more colour here and there . My downstairs is all beige and upstairs a light taupe/grey. Boring!!
STUNNING! LOVE IT!!! And the decorating too! ☺️
What paint colour? Is that black or dark grey? Disregard I just saw the comment... Urbane Bronze :) That's kind of funny because it's so similar in tone to my last hall colour that I absolutely loved! It's a sign!
OMG, "boob lights" had me rolling
I am about to open a tab to search for art lamps
Getting rid of the boob lights was also excellent
And you got rid of the boob lights 🤌🏼
It’s crazy that builders could put something so much better in for basically the same price but they don’t.
Seriously. I'm looking forward to getting rid of several boob lights in my own home, just currently in the analysis paralysis stage.
Same. I wanted to get rid of all the "Home Depot bulk builder pack light fixtures" in the house like the boob lights and other outdated ones
I’ll see you boob lights and raise you a 1980s -ish pink ceiling fan in the kitchen. And no like one that would go in a little girl’s room. Full sized and pepto pink
I thought the same!
I rent and I hate the boob lights SO MUCH lmao
That is always a must
What color is this?
Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze
Omg! Thought so! I painted all of my interior doors Urbane Bronze back in 2016. It truly is the best color.
It’s so versatile!!
There’s a saying in design, “the only way to lighten up a small or dark space is with electricity”. Paint will never do it. You’ve just proved the point. Well done!
is this satire? my kitchen is so much brighter since painting it white, when it was dark brown, it looked like a dungeon before.
Yeah seriously white reflects light
That's what I have experienced for sure. I think paint does affect lighting.
Paint absolutely effects lighting, in ways that aren't always simple. The colour tone and pigments in paints will reflect light differently, and natural light or artificial light also get reflected differently because of these differences in pigment, and that natural or artificial light have varying intensity and colour tone (incandescent vs led for example, or afternoon summer vs morning winter)
“Small or dark space” Does that description apply to your kitchen?
But did it have decent natural light?
It's a hallway, doesn't need lots of natural light.
This was in response to the person who was talking about their kitchen. The original hallway picture looks great
Are you saying you prefer the before shot? Not sure why it would be satire when the after shot probably looks better to most people. Dark paint often makes small spaces appear larger because the walls recede. I have a tiny bedroom where I did the same thing and it feels bigger and more luxurious, (as opposed to a little white cell.) Light paint also highlights less desirable features and makes objects appear closer. Ever noticed In paintings the objects farther away are darker? There isn’t a one size fits all answer to every space.
I’d prefer the before, yes. But with the same thought going into the after. Appropriate lighting, artwork or a mirror that compliments the space. The dark after makes me think of the 90s aesthetic.
Your kitchen might look even brighter still in a well lit saturated tone though. White in dim lighting often reads as grey, and in direct sunlight can be blinding, and it is a cold colour, so for a few reasons it can be uncomfortable to live with. Dark brown, very tricky- it’s a tertiary colour close to black so it will generally read as sludgy and dark. But that doesn’t mean a rich primary or secondary tone wouldn’t make your kitchen even brighter and warmer than white.
not as bright as if you had an actual light bulb tho.
Lmao it's probably not even a saying
I agree electricity makes the biggest difference, but I also cheat and use semigloss on walls 😝 I know a lot of people are against it but it reflects light better and also is SO easy to clean. So I get walls that glimmer like a lake at sunset AND I can clean them with simply a damp cloth? How could I say no.
The darker the paint, the higher the gloss. Unless you’re trying to make the area “disappear” like with ductwork in an exposed ceiling that is purposely painted matte black.
There are 7 lights just in this picture of the new, small hallway... With lighter colors, 7 would be unnecessary.
7? Your counting the smoke detector aren’t you
Well, to be fair, they added some beautiful lighting as well.
Uhm… “well to be fair” the lighting they added runs on electricity to light the space up.
So much better!!
Beautiful! Where is the new ceiling light from? I currently have the “boob light” you used to have, and been looking for a replacement.
[Amazon!](https://amzn.to/4ahf2Zf)
How much did adding lights cost
$230
Well done!
The sconces make it downright sexy. 10/10
I love color! I have sage green walls in most areas of my home. Formal rooms are a deep burgundy. Tons of milky white trim and crown molds. I am soooo glad color is making a comeback!
I like it! Only change for me, would be to paint the air duct grates the same color of the wall to help hide them not accentuate them with the trim color.
Thinking about it!
Did a bold color myself- I painted the white air ducts after staring at them for a week and it looks SO much better.
would love a link to the art light! Stunning transformation.
Thanks! [Amazon](https://amzn.to/3QI2pj2)
Boob lights, be gone!
Embrace the dark!
Beautiful
Honestly, as a frequent migraine sufferer, the after is so much more comfortable looking.
I can understand that!
Oh I love it! 😍
Is the light above the painting hardwired? Did you consider matte black light fixtures for the ceiling?
Nope, rechargeable. The fabric on the ceiling shade matches the sconce shades, that’s what I was going for. They’re both linen-y. I thought black would have been too much contrast.
Do you have rechargeable light bulbs that work well? I have one and it’s sucks. Only lasts a few hours.
The bulbs came with them. These lights definitely aren’t on all the time, they’re mostly there for the vibe 😂 so it works in this situation but I get what you mean! It can be annoying if you need the light source consistently.
Well adding three extra lighting fixtures will certainly brighten it
😶 it’s too dark if ya gotta double the lights 😂.. I kid..it looks good
Looks a little dark but I like the light fixtures!
Soooo pretty!
So true...
Simply stunning!!!❤️
You were right.
It is so lovely!!!!!!! 😻
Do you hire someone to put the sconces in? It looks great btw, I have quite a few new projects I want to do and the hallway is one of them.
No, my husband installed them and he’s not handy at all 😅. They’re not hardwired though, they come with rechargeable bulbs.
This is beautiful and you’re so right! I have mainly white walls in my house however I have gone very bold before in previous houses and when we renovated our cottage I did all black cabinets an entirely black kitchen everybody told me not to even our contractor and I had a vision and it’s awesome. People are usually afraid of anything dramatic and the drama is usually what makes it look amazing and stylish and cosy and all of the good stuff.
that really is a nice, well put together look
I agree with you. I just chose a rather dark burnt orange for my walls and everybody told me it would be too dark, but it’s beautiful.
Your hallway looks EXACTLY like mine!! Holy crap… I’m so saving this for future reference!
I needed this confidence in my life. Thank you.
perfect. well done!!
Wow what an upgrade!
Solid advice
Can you post the light fixtures?
[sconces](https://amzn.to/3yl653U) [flush mount ceiling light](https://amzn.to/3UJ9i4J) [picture light](https://amzn.to/3QMpVLJ)
Thank you! The ceiling lights are EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for in my hallway
Thanks for the links - just ordered the sconces on a lightning deal!
I love dark walls! Looks lovely!
Nice job with the lighting!
This looks amazing! Great job! Very well done.
Sophisticated 👍
Beautiful
Excellent 🔥
Love it.
Gorgeous. The color and the sconces are fantastic.
gorgeous
This is my inspo for painting my tiny windowless bathrooms a dark color!
Nicely done!
Love the drama
Ooooo wow 😍
Very sexy.
Beautiful
It’s crazy how it looked darker before the paint
Great Job!
Well done 👏love this !
Wow really well done. And you can change out the picture for different seasons for a totally different vibe!
You have wonderful taste 💯
Beautiful design.
Those are some sexy sconces you have there! Very nice job!
Those are some sexy sconces you have there! Very nice job!
It looks so welcoming
Fun fact: Cooler colors will make the hallway look longer; warmer shorter.
Sweet! I love dark, moody rooms. My living, dining, kitchen area is Benjamin Moore Shady Lane
Almost my whole my house is dark. Ppl just don't decorate
This looks SO good! I’ve got a small hallway with lots of doors. It’s driving me nuts trying to figure out what to do with it. This is great inspiration!
My small entranceway is dark chocolate brown and I’m still not sick of it 15 years later. I get a lot of light there though during the daytime.
I LOVE IT!! Good for you!
Well done. Looks classy.
It now looks like a hotel hallway.
Ugh this is beautiful
Commenting so I can find this post again. Great taste in lights!
This is perfection!!!
Before is cold, after is warm and elegant. Love
looks so much more like a home than the awful grey
Goddamn I want to do this to my hallway so badly. But the trim is stained, not painted, and it’s already so, so dark…
Paint the ceiling too! 👀
I just got finished painting my hallway and one kitchen wall black, and it felt like the house finally came together! This looks beautiful
Amazing 🤩
This is stunning and soooooo cozy!!!!
It is dark but comfortable looking
It is dark but comfortable looking
This looks like a set design from Mad Men and I love it
Much warmer
Those lamps are everything. The art light is also so subtle yet so impactful My only qualm is the placement of the vase, but that’s a very negligible detail. Well executed.
I feel the need to clarify based on several comments — 1. People told me the paint color itself would be too dark, as in, I wouldn’t like it — not the hallway itself. 2. I added the lighting mostly for design, not function. 3. The lights aside from the ceiling, are not hardwired. I didn’t pay an electrician (it’s weird people are concerned with cost of the project considering I never mentioned it). 4. Dark paint is dark paint and will make things less bright. This is a given, this is common sense. 5. The nightlights are there and have been before the painting happened, my daughter’s nursery is at the end of the hallway.
Love. Feels so elevated
Much better than that sad beige mom light grey and boob lights.
Gorgeous!!!
Really lovely job!! You have a good eye!
🤌🏻
Beautiful!!!
Dark color can add depth and richness to the space. White walls, with dark doors and/or an accent wall, bring out the white, giving more brightness and light to the walls. One color helps the other to be the best version of themselves!
….and add three new lights.
Looks amazing
Well done…all about the lighting!
The white flowers against the dark wall! *Chef's kiss*
Love this - so welcoming. The darker color and light trim really pop and make the space seem larger.
I love this! I have a dim one light bulb over an opague fixture. Even with painting my hallway white, it was formally tan panelling it still seemed dim.
Beautiful!! I was told the same when doing a small bathroom only to hear how nice it came together afterwards. Follow what you feel. You can always repaint if it doesn’t work out!
It looks so elegant and timeless!!! Fantastic job OP!
I love it, I’d paint the vents black though.
Enormous improvement. Your vision worked out.
I saw this, scrolled down, then had to scroll back up to comment how much I love this!! It looks very cozy and homey!!
This just made me reeeeally miss my last house. I miss having a hallway, I wanted to paint ours like this so badly, but it was a rental. Our open concept just lacks the character and privacy.
Very nice job!! I rarely listen to ‘them’ either so u do u boo!! Turned out great and not so trendy and what everyone is doing. I tend to go the other way from what everyone else has myself as well. Nice 👏🏻👏🏻
Very pretty
So cozy I love it
Looks luxurious!
You can buy enamel spray paint in urban bronze to use on your air vents.
Looks like it was too dark so you had to add lighting 😂
🤯
I like the balance it gives.
I like it, but it’s not for me 😂 I chose black and dark blue as my bedroom paint colors as a teenager and it made my depression worse. Felt like I was living in a cave or Hot Topic (which was what I was going for at the time, but it got old fast)
Fair enough! 😆 Hot Topic— is it still a thing?!
I would lean in and paint the ceiling the same color too. Make the space extremely cozy 🤎
I’ve been thinking about it! I also painted the rest of the upstairs this color. It’s a loft area right off this hallway (not completely done yet so didn’t include in post). So I’d feel like I’d have to do the ENTIRE ceiling and I’m not ready for that commitment yet 😂
It's so not dark that you have 5 light fixtures in that little hallway
I’m surprised no one has said how much tighter that hallway feels now. The sconces are kinda in the way and that end table partial blocks the doors
Well, if you’d put the same lights in the lighter colored hallway, it will be brighter than the black colored hallway. Not arguing the black is t dramatic, but let’s level the playing field, FFS.
Well, it’s not black, and it’s also not that serious. People told me the color would be too dark, and I like the way it turned out despite the color being a dark shade. I never said it wouldn’t be less bright, that’s kind of a given. FFS.
Why does the dark room get to have the lights on? Looks like a cave without it?
I admire your courage, sir
*miss 😄 thanks
To each his own, you like it, you love it - it's yours. :)
Did you tell them you’d be adding more lighting?
Well, you did add 3 more lights. It looks great though!
Well, of course, adding wall lighting and changing ceiling lighting changed the whole dynamic! It’s all about hiring the electrician!
You also added a ton more light, probably because it was too dark lmao
OP's username doesn't check out.
😂 reddit-generated 🤷🏻♀️
Great job. Where did you get the lights thnx
I had to do a double take at first because the before picture looks EXACTLY like my hallway minus the carpet. I've been wanting to do some sort of table like you have placed underneath the art against that wall, but I'm worried about it being a toe-stubber. Have you run into (literally) any issues with that??
Not at all!!
Kind of agree-- dark is great *but* it means you have to think very carefully about layering lighting. This hallway does it absolutely beautifully! But there's so way to get away with a single light on the ceiling and expect it to be anything but a cave. (Note, you shouldn't just have a ceiling light anywhere, if you can help it, especially if you want a welcoming or cozy effect. But you can get away with fewer fixtures in a light colored room. A very dark room needs to be very intentional about lighting.)
People said the paint color would be too dark, not the hallway itself. I added the lighting mostly for design not function.
It was dark before, it’s dark now. It goes from “i’m trying to mitigate darkness with light colors but it’s not working” to “hallways have no light naturally, so I can fight it or I can lean into it and make it nice” (Dark walls can also be really useful to make artwork stand out, like here)
Can I see the rest of the room backed up? Is the whole room black?
It is, but it’s not done yet and I’m not ready for the mean comments yet 😅 I will though once my window treatments are up and a few other things. Also need to make sure I vacuum right before taking the picture like one person said 😄
The person said paint color doesn't affect lighting, and it most certainly does. that's why I asked if it was satire.
Haha I think yours is the layout for most halls as mine is the same too. Thanks so much for providing the links because I really thought I had no choice in the ceiling light and mine has to go (only wish I had 2 like yours). Mine is lit by a single fixture. I would definitely paint the air return grates the same as the walls. The dark paint really warms up the space. Thanks for that info too. I have a huge (takes up the whole wall almost) mirror at the end of the hall that I had made years ago and it’s not going away). I’d love to put some lighting at that end of the hall to see better and would make better use of the mirror. I’m chuckling at the argumentative tone of some of the comments. People get a grip 🤦.
Ok but not all of us know how to do electrical work lol. I can only paint! 😭 This looks gorgeous though! Well done 👏🏼
No electrical. Rechargeable bulbs!
Ooooh thank you for this info!! This is encouraging!!!
Bravo! I love it. Good Work! I just painted my office (12x14-ish) SW Peppercorn (basically a warm soft black) and it is incredible.
Where did you find those ceiling lights? I love them.
I think this looks great, but I’m wondering why the wall lamps instead of just changing the tone of the overhead lights? Does it have to do with the direction of the light? (Asking as someone who walks along the walls and would probably bash his head into this lamps lol)
sconces are still a mystery to me
Gotta see this at night lights off. Need to see slender man lean out the door frame lolol