Hallways: Intense Color

It feels like the projects are piling up but the time, energy, and weather to do them is NOT.  Yesterday I grabbed a couple of cans of spraypaint for the eames chair legs and some magnetic paint to turn the wall next to my refrigerator into now-you-see-it now-you-don't kids art display.  Last week I was grabbing paint samples for a client and found a quart of Benjamin Moore oil paint in just the right yellow for the drawers of the campaign dresser in my girls' room.  And the week before that I found fabric for lumbar pillows in the master bedroom and the living room.

And yet, instead of DOING projects, I seem to be PLANNING projects.  Still thinking about the upstairs hallway.  Since I can't afford wallpaper in the hallway just now, how about some vibrant paint?  Maybe even lacquered?

House Beautiful

Hmmm....this is either Miles Redd in House Beautiful OR Martha Stewart Living knocking off Miles Redd

Miles Redd, king of hallways

Home of Tory Burch

Steven Gambrel, via Luster Interiors

Southern Accents

via Sketch42

 Lonny via Gretchen Aubuchon Design

Never shy of color, I love every single one of these, but I also know this solution will not work in my house.  These are successful in part because of interesting architecture--contrasting molding (or molding painted to match, like the last image, above) and my modern house has vaery clean, simple lines.  In a sea of color, most of these spaces have also treated the doors in interesting ways, again contrasting or coordinating (or tricked out with miles of nailhead) and my doors are a lovely birch and not to be treated in any way.  

What do you think: is it too much for you?  Or could you take the heat in the hallway?

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