A Fresh New Look: Renovating Our Hall

8/4/2025

You know that one space in your home that always seems to get overlooked? For us, it was the hallway. It was functional—but thats about it.

When we first moved in the first thing we did was a full rewire of the house; which resulted in dust, plaster, and unfinished rooms. In our hall the floors were worn: The carpet was older than me (I'm 31 FYI), the wallpaper was beginning to peel off the walls and there was artex (and asbestos) in the ceiling. When entering it felt like you time travelled to the 70s (which is a theme throughout the house!). So, we finally decided to show it some love over the past few months. A little (slow) renovation magic and a lot of patience later, now our hallway feels like a whole new part of the house.

We kicked things off by replacing the old flooring with brand new laminate floors from renovation direct. It instantly lifted the space and made it feel cleaner, brighter, and more modern. It’s got that lovely wood-look finish that gives warmth without being too rustic. It is a dream to keep clean, is waterproof and it has a 30 year warranty. It was also only £23 per metre. Practical, pretty and cheaper than most brands? Yes, please.

Next up: the walls. We went with Duvet Day by Coat Paints, and oh wow—its better than I even imagined. I wanted something light, fresh and bright, but would still feel like a colour, rather than a white or off white. It’s this perfect soft, calming, buttery neutral that somehow makes the whole hall feel both cosy, inviting and spacious at the same time. It’s subtle but adds a lovely warmth, and pairs perfectly with the wood tones.

For our stair, we ripped up the old carpet and added a new runner in Cormar malabar two fold carpet in “Llama”. Its 100% wool, and we sourced it for £19.99 per metre here. It also helps keep things quiet (no more echo-y footsteps!), and will be warmer in the winter. We saved ££ by cutting the carpet into the runner ourselves, and then organised taping at CJ carpet binding in glasgow.

We kept the furniture minimal & practical—just a slim console, chest of drawers upstairs for extra storage, and a XXL new mirror that reflects the light perfectly, sourced from facebook marketplace and upcycled - I painted this in COAT paints 'jojos green' - my new fav colour. A few small décor pieces—like a vase of dried stems and a gallery wall, sourced at my local car boot sale and some spare photo frames from my mums attic!

I love our hallway now. It’s gone from being a bit of a sad, forgotten space to one of my favourites in the house. It feels calm, clean, and more like home.

If you’re ever tempted to skip over your hallway during a home update, don’t!!

Links to all furniture & finishes below. Christina x