The corridor, give it a function

The corridor is the most neglected room in a home. Often narrow, without a window, and perceived as "just a passage". Yet it is the space everyone crosses every day, several times a day.

A bare corridor (white walls, no furniture, no decor) is a lost room. The professional rule, give the corridor a function. Three main functions, which can be combined.

Gallery of artworks. The corridor becomes a place to look, an intimate museum.

Bookcase or storage. The corridor becomes a useful storage space, without obstructing circulation.

Showcased transitional room. The corridor becomes a room in its own right, with its own atmosphere, colours, textures.

Function 1, the gallery of artworks.

Cover an entire wall with frames in an asymmetrical composition. Black-and-white family photographs, paintings, lithographs, framed posters. The composition is laid out on the floor before hanging (see rule 07.5). Hanging height centred on the eye line (1.57 m, see rule 07.3).

Ideal in corridors over 5 metres long, where walking lets you "discover" the artworks one by one.

Function 2, integrated bookcase or storage.

Place a slim bookcase (20-25 cm deep) along the entire length of one wall of the corridor. If the corridor's width allows (at least 1.20 m once the bookcase is installed), it is a massive gain in storage space.

Variant, more discreet wall shelves to store books, photographs and objects.

Ideal in wide corridors (1.50 m and over) that can carry the depth of the unit.

Function 3, showcased transitional room.

Work the colours and textures. Paint the corridor in a different shade from the rest of the home (often darker, such as petrol blue, forest green, or even black), to create a strong transition effect between the rooms.

Add a large vertical mirror at the end of the corridor to reflect light and add depth. Install a beautiful light fitting (pendant or wall sconce), not a basic flush ceiling light.

Ideal in short corridors (under 5 m) that lack the length for a gallery or bookcase.

Winning combination. Corridor painted in a strong shade (function 3), gallery of artworks on one wall (function 1), with a beautiful light fitting. This is the editorial option par excellence.

Narrow corridor case (under 1 m). Very common in small flats. Favour function 1 (gallery) or function 3 (showcased transition), not function 2 (bookcase), which would reduce the passage to under 60 cm. The narrow corridor painted in a strong colour with a few well-placed frames can become a strong aesthetic asset, not a defect.

Jean-Louis Deniot systematically works corridors as galleries of artworks, sometimes with chequerboard marble floors or Aubusson carpets. The corridor becomes a room in its own right, almost ceremonial.

Pierre Yovanovitch often integrates floor-to-ceiling bookcases in wide corridors, transforming the passage into a very anglo-saxon "library corridor".

Studio KO often favours function 3 (strong transition) with corridors in deep ochre or intense blue, and a single decorative element (a large sculpture, a monumental artwork). Theatrical effect.