The corridor is a space that can seem lost if it is content to be only a place of passage. However, well laid out, it becomes an actual living room with several defined functions. With a bookcase, you gain storage and optimize space. Depending on their covers, the books you place there serve as wall decorations. If you have enough space, installing a reading corner next to the library is possible. This arrangement can be multifunctional by gaining closed storage in the lower part. The bookcase adapts to all spaces along the wall, in a corner, or at the end of the corridor. Discover these 13 private corridors that are optimized with style.
Showcasing your books is an art. These works are both a source of information and decorative objects. They tend to pile up as soon as the library in the living room, or bedroom is overflowing. How about optimizing the hallway? With the proper shelving, your books will fit in there in style. Depending on the look of the hallway and its location in the accommodation, the bookcase is not the same, and you may need the bespoke. The choice of materials and colors also changes depending on the space and its luminosity. An intense color stands out, for example, on a white wall. The wood offers a peaceful atmosphere, while the metal evokes more industrial inspirations. These 13 interiors drawn from our website have dared to showcase their books in the hallway thanks to a well-thought-out bookcase.
1- A semi-open library in the hallway
The library welcomes your books, but not only! With shelving closed by cupboard doors, you can turn it into a storage unit. This solution is ideal if you do not have enough storage space in the house and want to optimize the hallway while maintaining the decorative aspect of the library. Place this storage in the lower part and leave the upper shelves open to create a rhythm and lighten the look of the furniture. If you already have a library in your hallway, it is even possible to make your doors.
2- The library is installed on the wall at the end of the corridor
The corridors are sometimes narrow in apartments, and installing a library can hinder passage. If this is the case with your home, don’t lose hope, there are other solutions. You can thus place shelving at the end of the corridor. Place the books face up rather than on their edges for a more elaborate effect. This allows you to display their covers while installing thinner shelving that takes up less space. This apartment highlights this new layout with color, using a bright hue that stands out from the rest of the decor.
3- Rounded shelves provide a smooth transition to the hallway
This blue bookcase plays with the shape of its shelves. Located in the corner of the corridor, it softens and accompanies traffic. It makes the space’s decoration less harsh and visually indicates the room change. Placing the bookcase in the corner also makes it possible to link the living room and the hallway and to install storage on both sides. The blue shade chosen highlights it and matches the rest of the decoration.
4 Bespoke Hallway Design
Finding the perfect bookcase for your hallway can be a challenge. The simplest solution is often to opt for bespoke in this space. This choice allows you to personalize the layout, both in layout – with closed storage, for example – and colors and materials. This piece of furniture, for example, opts for a mix of wood and black in a contemporary spirit.
5- The colorful bookcase gives a function to a long hallway
The hallway is often considered wasted space, a simple place of passage. However, it can become an actual extra room with the right amenities. Here, the long corridor of this Lyon apartment adopts different bookcases, shaped into the wall or nestled high up.
6- Use the bookcase as a separation between the living room and the hallway
Getting light into a hallway can be challenging, especially if it doesn’t have a window. It is, therefore, necessary to find tricks to place it on the second day. In this Marseille apartment, shelves are transformed into a library and atypical claustra, linking the living room and the corridor. For this, the bottom of the cabinet is replaced by the glass to ensure that the books do not fall and that the light circulates correctly.
7- In a white hallway, a bookcase designed as a colorful niche
To highlight the bookcase in the hallway, dare to use color! In this corridor, a recess gains shelves and is transformed into a library. Painted in old pink, it stands out in a white interior. A little decorative tip: install LEDs under the shelves to showcase the books. They shed new light on the space, ideal for a windowless hallway or second day.
8- A wooden bookcase for a smooth hallway
The materials chosen for the hallway bookcase are essential in the atmosphere of the place, especially if it is visible from one of the living rooms. Wood is an excellent option to bring softness and warm up the hallway. The colors and undertones vary and offer different atmospheres depending on the essence selected. As in this interior, a light wood evokes a Scandinavian inspiration. It is always possible to paint or refinish a wood if its rustic and natural side no longer appeals to you.
9- Low shelving for books in the hallway
If your hallway is narrow, cluttering it with a towering bookcase may not be the solution. You can then concentrate on the lower part of the space by installing shelving in length. If you choose them colored, they highlight the proportions of the corridor, like a base. Thus, the walls remain free, but you still gain storage and functionality in the space. This arrangement also creates a ledge on which to install books or small decorations.
10- Books take place up to the ceiling
For a family of great readers, having storage is essential! Book collections can quickly take over decoration. The solution is often to opt for an XXL model up to the ceiling. The most beautiful works are installed at eye level, while the more heavy blankets find their place in height. The hallway, thus becomes a decorative space thanks to the books.
11- Wooden shelves optimize the angle of a hallway
At the back of a hallway with a pronounced angle, the bookcase is installed at an angle. This allows you to play with depth and soften the passage to a room or a staircase like here. You also optimize the angle, which may turn out to be wasted space. Opt for a bookcase only made up of open shelving or include closed storage.
12- Match the color of your bookcase to that of the hallway
To reinforce the bookcase’s custom-made impression and visually mark the hallway, paint this set in the same shade. Here, a gray-blue highlights the atypical layout. Another good idea to steal from this piece of furniture is to let the shelves stick out. This provides rhythm to the space, especially if the shelving is not at the same height.
13- In the hallway, the bookcase follows the shape of the stairs
The bookcase replaces the railing in a hallway with stairs, like a screen. You can install it all along with the rise of the stairs or lean it on closed storage to optimize the underside of the stairs. It all depends on your storage needs. The structure thus serves to secure the space on the step side and decorate it on the corridor side. To catch the books in height, nothing could be simpler. Just climb a few steps! This solution can therefore be attractive if you have many books.
