So in September I shared our entry hall. If you missed that post, it showed my vision for the space and some early ideas. The entry opens directly into a second hallway that leads to the bedrooms, office, bathroom, kitchen, and the basement stairs. I hadn’t shown much of that connecting hall yet, so here are photos of the space before we began and a few snapshots taken during painting.
The hall has lovely gray slate floors, which is a great starting point. I love hallways and how they can be warmed with art, hooks, and a few well-chosen pieces of furniture. When we moved in the walls were painted a dull, swine-like color that drained the light and felt heavy. My daughter jokingly called it “hog.” Before we tackle the larger plan—white planking—painting was the obvious first step.
progress
progress while painting
Last week we finally put up the first coat of paint. We’re moving at a comfortable pace, and now that ideas are coming together, progress feels possible. We chose Swan White by Glidden, the same shade used in a townhouse entry I’ve admired. Even the single coat made a dramatic difference—the space instantly felt brighter, cleaner, and more like home. Photos don’t capture it perfectly, but the contrast between the slate floor and the white walls is exactly what I wanted.
before
after
We still have a second coat and some touch-ups to do, but I moved our entertaining cabinet from the living room to the wall opposite the front door to see how furniture would feel in the space. The wood instantly added warmth and ties in nicely with the flooring that transitions into the dining room.
This hallway includes built-ins, which gives us several options. For now we’ll keep the fresh paint and add white planking next. Later we may remove the cabinets if the slate continues underneath, or upgrade them to higher-quality built-ins or bookcases. Another long-term idea is to reconfigure this area to add a powder room or to open up the basement staircase. The photo below shows a hallway that inspires a similar treatment.
before
before
We’re also considering painting the bedroom doors a darker color in the hallway, similar to a front door treatment we’ve used before, and updating hardware — likely with a black iron finish for contrast. The image below shows a paneled ceiling and dark door combination that offers inspiration for that look.
inspiration
before
The master bedroom sits at the end of the hall opposite the kitchen. We’re beginning to paint that room as well, and I’ll share updates once the color is on the walls. Our plan for the master is to explore adding a sliding door between the entry and the bedroom to create a more private suite with a connected bathroom.
For now, fresh paint makes the whole house feel more settled and gives us a clean slate to plan the next steps. Upcoming changes in this hallway will include new ceiling light fixtures to add personality and hooks to increase function. I miss the hooks from our previous entry, and I’m honestly excited about adding them back more than most other changes.
Thanks for following along — I’m excited to make progress in the house this winter!
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PS. I found a device and app that helps families manage internet use with filters and time limits. It’s on sale for a limited time and has features we’ve been looking for to help manage connected devices in our home.