How to Brighten Up a Dark Hallway

If you live in an older house like mine, chances are you have a dark and gloomy hallway that does not have any windows or adequate lighting. I have tried many things over the years to brighten up the hallway without having to paint it a sterile white or having to add enough lights to brighten the city block.

While choosing a paint color I stayed away from the dark colors that like to absorb the little light I did have. Too stay away from white but still keep the color light I choose a bright and cheery pale yellow. I am not a fan of yellow but I liked my gloomy hallway even less. The paint did brighten up the space but I was still looking for more. When choosing the paint for your hallway make sure you choose the right finish. Finishes such as satin finish or semi-gloss are easier to clean and the shine help reflect the light a bit. Finishes such as matte or flat will absorb the light.

The woodwork is original to the house and gorgeous so I was against painting it, but there was just so much of it. The woodwork was original but the doors were not. For my next lightening and brightening step, I decided I would replace the solid wood bedroom doors with ones with glass panel French doors. My husband was not too thrilled with this idea he was concerned about privacy. So off I went to the home improvement store on my quest to buy four French doors. In the end, I decided on three French doors (I decided to leave the bathroom door alone). I also picked up a couple cans of Krylon Glass Frosting spray, stain that matched the existing woodwork, and masking tape.

The most important step, make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. First, you will want to mask off the glass and stain the door or paint it, whichever matches your décor. I choose a stain that already had the varnish mixed in. A quick and easy one-step process. After your finish dries pull off the masking tape and mask off the wood. Be sure to sure a painters tape so that it will not ruin the finish. Also, cover all of the exposed wood. Use newspaper or plastic on the larger areas. Applying the frosting spray is just like using spray paint. Shake can well and spray in nice even coats.

Once the frosting is dry remove the tape and the doors are ready to hang. You hallway can go from gloomy to cheery in just about a week.