©Design Manifest

All the rooms in the 13th St Brownstone are moments of their own, but in some way the hallway stands out as an unsung star in the design.  Its a great example of doing the most with the least.  The hallway itself was super narrow, dominated by a dated railing and moldings that did not reflect the style and spirit of the new design.  Oversized, dated can lights, bulky ac vents and obsolete smoke detectors cluttered the ceiling. Overall it was a space without much personality, a forgettable pass-through.

Because the space was so narrow, it felt important to stay away from a lot of heavy detail.  I wanted the experience of passing through this hallway to be bright, airy and spacious feeling, while still providing moments of real pause and interest on the way.  The first choice was to totally re-imagine the railing and balusters in a sleek, minimal black style.  Slimming down the newel posts and simplifying the balusters gives a welcome breath of openness to the hall.  The original floors were sanded, bleached and then refinished in a custom stain that further supported the bright, warm neutral feeling.  All the doors an windows got new casings in a simple, transitional style that flowed with the overall design.

In order to give a real sense of mood to the hallway, mid level lighting was added in the form of sconces and a pendant light.  While overhead lights are great for cleaning and organizing, the atmosphere and aesthetic of softer secondary lights is what really takes a space to the next level.

In the landing just at the top of the first floor stairs I placed a deep red glazed raffia console paired with a gorgeous rock-n-roll mirror from the clients existing collection.  Finished off by an art deco pendant light, this nook is both a gorgeous little moment on its own, and a place for the clients to add their own decor as it rotates through the holidays.

Saving the best for last though, these awesome clients said yes to the wild, painterly oil spill of a custom mural wallpaper that I proposed for the ceiling.  This dramatic moment on the ceiling defines and energizes the space while leaving the sense of openness and lightness paramount.  In order to make this statement as sophisticated as it needed to be, the GC made sure to swap out the can lights and AC vent to sleeker new models that just disappear into the paper rather than distracting from it.

©Design Manifest