Before & After: 'Our dark, moody hallway feels like a private members’ club'
One savvy DIY couple challenged themselves to renovate their hallway on a budget. Inspired by YouTube tutorials, they stained the floorboards and created period panelling before adding a stair runner and brass stair rods. After months of hard work, the finished result is an affordable renovation that's big on glamour.
Who lives here
Daniel Cox, an account and content creator (@thehitchcockhouse), lives with his partner Nick Hodgkins, who works in marketing, in a three-bed Edwardian terrace in Leytonstone, London.
Before
'The walls were three different shades of grey, there was a thick grey carpet and the overhead lighting was fluorescent white. The hallway is the first impression when you step inside the house, so we wanted it to look stylish,' says Daniel.
Where did you find your inspiration?
DC: From numerous hotel lobbies. One of our favourites is NoMad London, which combines dark moody colours, planting, mirrors and warm lighting, and we’ve tried to incorporate these elements into our hallway.
Talk us through the process...
DC: I thought a quick paint job would do the trick, but one thing led to another and it ended up being the most labour-intensive DIY project we’ve undertaken! We ripped up the carpet and stained the floorboards a deep ebony. Next, we painted the stairs and under the dado rail in Black Glass by Elle Decoration x Crown, and a neutral stony shade above. Wanting to bring in period features, we had a go at panelling using online tutorials. One of the things we’re most proud of is the stair runner. The quotes we got were eye-wateringly expensive, so we did it ourselves. The runner was £90 on Gumtree and it was surprisingly easy to install using adhesive strips, a staple gun and trusty YouTube tutorials. Brass stair rods complete the look with an added touch of luxe.
How did you brighten the space and add character?
DC: As we’d included a lot of dark elements, we added large mirrors to reflect the light. We panelled around them to make them appear built-in, then added brass candle sconces. Using a cheap tension pole, we hung sheer linen curtains above the glass front door, which gives us privacy but also adds some soft texture. The final DIY project was the MDF shelves – we bought them for £10 each and put a brass rail around the edge to tie in with the other brass elements.
What challenges did you face in the process?
DC: The labour and time required to finish the project. Finding the energy to do DIY is a struggle after a day at work. In total, it took about two months – longer than if we’d brought in professionals, but loads cheaper.
Your favourite element of the makeover?
DC: We love how the space changes from morning to night. During the day, it’s bright with lots of natural light. But come evening, we turn on the sconces and draw the curtains to make it feel like a private members’ club – subtly extra without being too much!
SOURCEBOOK
Stair runner, gumtree.com
Stair rods,stairrods.co.uk
Paint, homebase.co.uk
Floor stain, ronseal.com
Panelling, diy.com
Shelves, homebase.co.uk
Brass railings, ebay.co.uk
Ceiling light, lamps, wall sconces and curtains, www2.hm.com
Mirrors, mirroroutlet.co.uk
Vase, henryhollandstudio
COSTS
Stair runner £90
Stair rods £90
Paint £40
Floor stain £30
panelling £60
Shelves £20
Brass railings £60
Ceiling light and lamps £289
Wall sconces £40
Curtains £40
Mirrors £380
Vase £60
Total = £1,199
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