It should not only integrate harmoniously with interior design but also be durable, functional and resilient to damage - the floor in a hallway has a difficult task. So, do we have to choose a concrete floor or tiling for this part of our apartment? Nothing could be further from truth! However, when selecting natural wood, we should remember about a few basic principles.
There is only one chance to make a first impression. Usually, it is the hallway that receives guests in our apartment and its design often determines whether they feel comfortable and snuggly. Therefore, it should not be neglected. The hallway is one of the most intensively utilised spaces in our home. Thus, when selecting a floor for the hallway we must make sure that it will pass the durability test, be functional and maximally resilient to damage.
Choose the right raw material and remember about proper upkeep
If we decide to go with a wooden floor, we should choose hardwood. Therefore, the best choice for our hallway will be oak or ash. A durable raw material, however, is not enough. To ensure that our floor lasts for years, we should properly preserve its surface. Both varnish and oil-wax will protect natural wood against humidity, mechanical damage and scratching. Because the hallway is highly utilised, those who decided to lay a natural floor in this area often complain about visible passageways on the wood surface. They are easy to avoid if we keep in mind a number of basic principles concerning proper maintenance and upkeep of a natural raw material. Most of all, we should acquire professional products – an impregnate used for additional preservation and a concentrate allowing fast and safe cleaning of a floor on a daily basis. Once every two weeks we should clean our floor with a concentrate and once every 3-4 months protect its surface using an impregnate. It is best to use only trusted, professional products. Popular cosmetics available in supermarkets not only do not ensure proper preservation of the wood surface but may also lead to its damage. Nevertheless, it is recommended to oil the whole floor once every 1.5 or 2 years. Owing to that, we will enjoy its exquisite beauty for long.
Make sure the hallway's decor is coherent with other rooms' arrangement
When selecting a floor we should pay particular attention to its colour. An apartment's decor is of much significance here - a thought-through colour selection will make the floor a perfect addition to our house's or apartment's design. For small hallways best will be bleached or bright wood - it will make the rooms look more spacious. In such case, it is also a good idea to go for a long plank, e.g., over two-meter long 220 Luxury plank, which, when laid lengthwise, will optically enlarge a small interior.
The right selection of wall colours, especially when our hallway has no access to natural light, is also a useful design trick. - The simplest solution assumes the use of bright colours - says Anna Dvořák-Zamiara from AZ ARCHITECTURE design studio. - Another key aspect in the hallway is lighting. It can be designed in a way making the hallway look much bigger than it really is. Then, the walls may be darker or they may be partially covered with a wallpaper.
The floor pattern we use is also not without significance. Architects advise to go with consistent design - if we decided on the floor fitted in, e.g., a French herringbone pattern in other rooms, we should also install it in the hallway. The solution in question will be perfect mainly for spacious interiors, best at underlining the elegance and charming symmetry of the pattern.
More inspirations can be found at: www.livehouse.nz
© Barlinek SA - This text was prepared by Annę Dvořák-Zamiara, AZ Architecture.