A HALLWAY IS MORE THAN A CORRIDOR
What is a hallway? That sounds like an odd question.
Well, it’s a collective transition space that allows you to flow from room to room without disrupting another in short. That is the true definition, but wow, the history behind the corridor/hallway is fascinating. We ventured well down the research rabbit hole on this one.
Each year, Britt’s mom travels to Los Angeles for about two months. This year, she returned, inspired and full of ideas for her 75th birthday. She wanted color, vibrant, bold, beautiful color in all ways possible. So it started with the hallway. One Sunday afternoon, they sat in the living room binge-watching Hallmark Channel. Then, as if tearing through the focus of a theater, Mommy as Britt calls her blurts out “Color! I want more blue.” So we chatted through all the possibilities of the hallway and landed on the Honorable Blue from Sherwin-Williams, color-washing the foyer walls and down the hallway ceiling. Now what color door is going to complement Honorable in a way that is classic and bold? What is going to say I am new and I have sass, yet still support the active lifestyle of our multi-generational home?
As the design unfolded, we discussed door levers versus knobs because they are friendly for aging in place. Sometimes, although not arthritic, a knob can be difficult to twist. We talked about the lighting, not being so bright, warm white lighting adds ambiance and is easier on aging eyes. However, we still needed it bright enough so no one trips or stumbles. Our team’s answer was to leave the majority of the wall Natural White by Sherwin-Williams. Natural is a nice warm creamy white. We applied it in a matte base so it’s easier to clean and seems to absorb reflections. Think touchable, think stationery paper, a really beautiful piece of stationery paper. Finally, we landed on a lovely iteration of red for the doors. It was a toss-up between a red from the historical collection and a Sun-Dried Tomato. Needless to say, Sherwin-Williams Sun-Dried Tomato won the debate, hands down. It matches the gloss enamel on our pendant lights perfectly!
“ Contrast! Cannot say it enough. High contrast gives a bold, crisp look that is undeniably Classic.”
THE COLOR STORY IS WHERE IT ALL BEGINS.
As the weeks of the challenge rolled on, healthy pressure was applied to get this request from Mommy completed just in time for her birthday. The weeks seemed to speed. We zeroed in on every tiny detail. Some more custom, and will be completed well outside of the eight-week challenge. We cannot sacrifice the personal details of this design due to the timeline in this specific situation.
So, to chat about the details of it. There are several dominant pieces of artwork; two on the right side of the hall, which are displayed in 3 inch deep shadow boxes with art lighting above. We did not hardwire our art lights because it just came to cumbersome opening up all of the walls further to run wire. Inside of each shadow box contains acrylic on canvas paintings by both of Brittany’s children. Briar on the left and clover on the right. They were inspired by things. They saw an experienced every day in the house. Clover’s is a true abstract and she explains what each piece is, including the potatoes, smiling, standing on its head. Briar’s is a still life painted in a surrealist manner. They proceeded to create these paintings just after visiting the New Orleans Museum of Art for their very first time. They never realize what being an artist truly meant until the moment they walked through those museum doors.
When Rachel suggested in the team meeting some way of displaying the children’s artwork in a meaningful way, the light bulb went off in Brittany‘s head. The mission began to inspire and enlighten the four and five-year-olds.
“ Little Picasso and Little O’Keefe
We tasked our friend and colleague at H&A Cabinetry. They have been whittling away at a piece of red cypress wood to create something masterful as the anchor to the hallway. Britt visited the shop, and together they sketched concepts over coffee until a cabinet was able to be sent to the production line. There is a second obstructive return vent at the top of the hallway. This return is in every view of the hallway, it seems. We designed and created a beautiful custom cabinet to conceal the return. Of course, we know that the return vent needs full circulation to maintain its functionality. It does not have to be unattractive to do its task. As we sketched, we were inspired by a brutalist sculpture we saw at NOMA. Dark painted chiseled wood with consistent markings interpreted repetitive into 2-inch pill-shaped slots for air passage. Sitting on top of two 6” squatty biscuit feet. We cannot wait to see it!
Made in a Brutalist style, this design emphasizes raw building methods, clear functions, and simple geometric shapes, creating a bold yet straightforward aesthetic.
The last piece is an 8‘ x 4‘ mixed media canvas painting by Brittany. She is technically a classically trained artist. It took a while for inspiration to hit her in this circumstance because on one hand, do you want something to coordinate with the hallway, and on the other hand, art does not have to match your furnishings. Art is art on its own. Always think of Art for Art’s sake! But we will digress…
When inspiration finally hit, she noticed small method details from multiple artists and said “what if!” Which led her to go through the family photo box and find multiple dynamic photos from the early 50s that represent the essence of family. Beginning there, Britt created ‘Family Seen and Heard’
Finally, to finish it off, we installed art deco-inspired lighting, finished in enamels with colored glass. New black door hinges and handles define the beauty of the sun-dried tomato satin enamel doors. A bold, striped, black-and-white 22-foot runner is the final touch to solidify the Ta-da moment. Last but not least, we accessorized the hallway as much as possible with meaningful items, including live plants that thrive in low light, family photos, candles, and intentional sculptures.
