Joanna Gaines Shares A Stunning Way To Transform A Narrow Hallway Into A Useful Space

Unless you are visiting a funhouse or really like enclosed spaces, a narrow hallway can be less-than-ideal. It's often a tricky spot to decorate in your home. Other than serving the purpose of connecting one area to another, these hallways sometimes end up feeling like a tomb, which is never what you want. If you are someone who prefers to utilize every part of your home in a stylish way with storage and decor, HGTV star Joanna Gaines has a great way to make the most of a narrow space. Not only that, but it will double as a functional organization and display area so you can store and show your items without the worry of clutter. During a MiniReni featured on Magnolia and her personal Instagram, Gaines upgraded a small hallway into the most useful (and stylish) spot by combining cabinets, hanging storage, and benches along with a moody color palette to create a unique layout that is cozy, inviting, and unique.

Of course, not everyone will have the same floor plan as the home Gaines renovated, but that doesn't mean you can't take a page out of her book. First, determine how much space you have to work with and if you can fit built-in shelving and cabinets or if you might need to get a little more creative. In the MiniReni, one whole side of the hallway was filled with floor to ceiling storage with a bench between to add a little interest with varying heights. Drawers and cabinets were combined to give plenty of hidden storage that helped create more of a solid wall effect and to reduce visual clutter.

Ideally, you want at least 48 inches of space to use as the walkway in your narrow area, so if the shelving that you plan to add takes up too much floor space, consider utilizing more vertical storage off of the ground. Otherwise, installing a slim floor to ceiling closet and then a bench nook like Joanna Gaines did in her version could give you plenty of organizational area along with a cozy addition great for a variety of purposes. Gaines inserted a bench that had space underneath for decorative storage baskets, creating even more room to hide everything from shoes to blankets or a variety of other accessories. The baskets tuck neatly under and add texture to the room. Bordering this were matching floor to ceiling cabinets, though you may need to opt for shelving to make the most of vertical space. You could also copy what Gaines did in the art studio section of the hallway and place drawers underneath open shelves for maximum storage.

If your narrow hallway has the length, building an archway halfway down like Gaines did could help break up the long space and also make it more intimate, as curves can soften and cozy up an area. You could also do this for the adjoining space to the hallway, adding an arch when it branches off into another room. If you don't have as much space to work with as Gaines did, decide if you would rather have the floor to ceiling cabinets or the shelving and drawer combination she used further back along the hallway.

This entryway by Joanna Gaines offers more than just an abundance of storage, though. The dark paint color she used for the cabinets, drawers, and trim is one of the best ways to make a narrow hallway feel wider. Despite the popular belief that dark colors make a room feel smaller, they can actually sometimes help blend corners to give the impression of more space. Therefore, by using the moody shade 'Coffee Nook' by Magnolia, Gaines helps open up the whole area. She combined that paint with a printed wallpaper that adds more dimension. The off-white background of the wallpaper balances the rest of the room with a neutral shade that is also bright enough to make the area seem airier. Her combination of colors really makes the hallway pop, which is why it works so well. It is both intimate and welcoming, so if you want to play around with her ideas, try painting the cabinetry and shelves in a deeper, darker shade and complementing it with printed wallpaper.

To make this design work for you, you can always consider swapping out the built-in cabinetry for other items. IKEA's HEMNES cabinet is slim and offers a lot of storage in a smaller package, while the BILLY Bookcases can be adjusted and built up or left as is to suit your floor plan. The key is finding storage that won't be too bulky or intrusive on the walkway — otherwise you will make the space seem even more narrow. This is also why placing your storage higher up with shelves or cabinets could work to maximize storage in a tight hallway.