This Hallway’s Plain Beige Walls Get a Renter-Friendly, Maximalist Makeover

ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER

HOME TYPE: Apartment

PROJECT TYPE: Hallway

STYLE: Eclectic, Maximalist

SKILL LEVEL: DIY

RENTAL FRIENDLY: Yes

Finding design solutions for long hallways can be a bit of a challenge, but a hallway can become a standout feature in a home with the right TLC.

In renter Imani Keal’s (@imaniathome) two-bedroom apartment, there’s a hallway that starts essentially at the front door and spans all the way to the back wall. It started out an almost pinkish beige, but now, thanks to peel-and-stick wallpaper (and more), it sets the tone for the rest of Imani’s layered, maximalist home.

Wallpaper — and an art piece at the end — add personality.

Imani tells Apartment Therapy that when she first toured this apartment, her immediate thought was that the long hallway would look great covered with bold wallpaper. She chose a peel-and-stick option from Otto Studio. (And to see a cool kitchen makeover that uses this same wallpaper in a different colorway, check out this $450 project.)

Imani’s pro tip for installing a wallpaper with a pattern, especially a linear one, is to use a laser level. She used hers to draw a guiding grid on the wall to easily align her wallpaper. “You’ll never have to worry about wonky wallpaper ever again!” Imani says on Instagram.

At the end of the hallway, Imani added even more personality with some unconventional but emotional, custom-framed artwork. “I love filling my apartment with pieces that speak to me and I wanted to give my grandpa’s cane … a place of pride in the new apartment,” she says.

Designing around the niche was a challenge.

Almost all homes  come with eyesores to design around (radiators, pipes, electric panels, you name it), and in the case of Imani’s apartment, the niche felt a bit too large and purposeless — that is, until she added some shelving inside it.

She used 1x1s and plywood to create the shelves, connected everything with wood glue and screws, and painted the shelves black. She also wallpapered inside the niche.

The hallway is pretty-meets-practical.

Imani also added coat hooks to the hallway, right by the door, for added practicality.

She also specifically chose a wallpaper that would look good as a backdrop in the living room, too, because it’s on display in a big way there. “The long hallway is cool, until I had to figure out how to deal with the wall running into the living room and entryway area,” Imani tells Apartment Therapy. “But since I was used to living in a studio apartment, I just worked to make the space feel cohesive.”

For more hallway makeovers that make entire homes feel cohesive, check out this vintage-inspired makeover and this $200 makeover. 

Inspired? Submit your own project here.

Further Reading

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