6 Ways to Cure a Cave-Like Hallway

Natural Light

 

Let’s assume that, given the floor plan of your home, it wouldn’t be possible to install a window in the hallway. Traditional skylights are an option but an unequivocally expensive one, as they require significant structural changes and remodeling work. An option that works for virtually any hallway is the Solatube tubular skylight.

 

With its light-retaining technology, the Solatube tubular skylight operates in a cleverly effective way. After capturing sunlight on the roof, the Solatube tubular skylight channels it down through the home in a tube made of highly reflective material that delivers 99.7% of the sun’s visible light. Then, a diffuser mounted in the ceiling disperses the natural light to the room below.

 

Best of all, Solatube tubular skylights install with minimal hassle. No changes need to be made to the framing, and no ceiling or wall repairs are necessary indoors. They also only take a couple of hours to install!

Theme Party

 

You may be tempted to fill your windowless hallway with framed artwork and photographs. After all, added visual interest might distract from the close quarters and lack of light. Tread carefully, though, as you risk calling attention to the same imperfections you’re trying to conceal. Keep the mood controlled and unified by ensuring that at least one common element, whether it’s a color or a texture, appears throughout your hallway design. In other words, choose a theme and stick to it.

The Night Shift

 

There’s really no substitute for natural light and its many design and personal health virtues. That’s why skylights exist even in a world with artificial lighting. But of course, for all their positive attributes, skylights have always gone dark when the sky does. That means you would need to pair a conventional skylight with at least one electric light, depending on the dimensions of the space in question. In some rooms, it wouldn’t look amiss for the ceiling to feature multiple fixtures, but in a sensitive area like a windowless hall, the space would seem cluttered.

Deep Focus

 

Another simple strategy to help you cope with a hallway whose cons outnumber its pros is to draw the eye toward the floor by laying down a brightly colored or boldly patterned runner. The more eye-catching, the better. Besides lending a soft layer underfoot, an appropriately sized rug can work to steal attention away from the less flattering aspects of a hallway—specifically, the parallel-running walls that, in their close proximity, create a feeling of cramped discomfort.