SFGate

olldcan First give yourself a clean slate to work with. Prime and paint the walls so you can think.

ceilsan32 What is on the other side of these walls? Can you remove a wall or a portion of one? Where does that door take you? Could you try a door with glass panes or mirrored on this side? How narrow is this hallway? Is recessed lighting an option? What about wall sconces? Obviously, you'll need to paint this space and replace the flooring- perhaps flooring tiles with a more horizontal design to make the space appear wider?

ct design studio Legacy indeed. Well yes the mural should go if you don't care for it. If you want to deemphasize the narrow length, the replacement flooring should be a mix of sizes to visually break it up. Also lighting should be addressed to add warmth. You could treat it as a gallery space. Here are a couple of ideabooks to browse.

kimbergarden This beauty measures 3' wide and 28' length. The door leads to the garage; the walls border garage walls of neighbours on either side. No options there; I'm afraid it's hopeless.

mmilos Paint it out. Replace the flooring with something that has very little pattern.
Can you add recessed lighting? I like the gallery idea ct design studio proposed.

ceilsan32 Review Houzz.com: [houzz=
] as an option. The pictures help reflect light, but you have no windows, so you may consider framing full length beveled mirrors with trim moulding and staggering them along both walls, to help bounce light into this area. what is at t eh opposite end of this hallway?
You could paint the hallway walls a light color ( with some sheen, for the same purpose), then use moulding around the mirrors in the color you select for your flooring ( something amber colored, perhaps?).

eztia Now, now, let's not get discouraged YET! You are on HOUZZ!

First, prime that wall and paint it a light color. Semi-gloss paint might be a good choice. I tend to brush against the walls from time to time when I am carrying big items. Gotta be able to wipe the walls off easily.

Is there any possibility that a solar tube skylight(s) could be installed?

I have a long hallway that is 3 feet, 3 inches wide. Natural light from a skylight and very bright sconces shining toward the ceiling help.

You might also consider LED strip lighting along both sides of the floor. Like at a movie theater or an airplane.

Elbert Associates If the hall walls are contiguous to garages on either side, they are probably 'rated' walls to create a fire separation between garage and living space. No construction there.

I'd definitiely to paint over the mural; prime first and then add finish coats.

You could visually shorten the hall by furring down the ceiling in the center with 2x4s at 16" on center, covered by 1/2" gypsum board (total drop of 4" below existing); then install recessed lighting in either 'high' ceiling and a pair of sconces on the walls below the 'low' ceiling. Apply a change of color (subtle tone changes to differentiate the spaces) and add art on the walls in the center. You have now divided the hall via ceiling height, lighting type and character, and color accented by art.

I'd also suggest that you replace the flooring with a less visually busy material.

eztia Here are some photos for your perusal. Three are from Houzz. One is from iFunny.

In the Houzz photos, note the ceiling and lighting treatments. All have a horizontal feature somewhere (handrail, wood flooring, break between two runners ). All have gallery walls.

I put the last photo in because you mentioned a bowling alley.

greengirl I think on the opposite wall you could stencil "the hills are alive with the sound of music". haha lol.
But, really some of the ideas posted here look great

janglyriff If you lay some flooring horizontally across the space - wooden flooring/laminate/amtico for eg - it will trick your eye into thinking the space is wider and slightly less long. I'd definitely paint out the mural!

tsudhonimh OK: it's a utility hall, leading to a garage. 3x28 feet - TWENTY-EIGHT FEET!!! - with no doors or windows. And those are common walls, not yours, so you can't do any to them.

It's narrow and you'll be carrying things as you walk between living area and garage so you want minimal obstructions. It has to be done with surface finishes.

1 - Paint over the mural unless you like it.

2 - Color blocking - paint 7 or 9-foot sections in different colors to break up the lengthy wall space. They can be strongly contrasting or closely related, just different. Put slightly different flooring in each section to strengthen the illusion that you are passing through different rooms.

3 - Embrace it? Faux paint a cartoonish tunnel effect in it? A bowling alley? Treat it like a hotel or old office building hallway and paint fake doors along either side, with room numbers or business names.

4 - Small gallery? You don't have the room to stand back and appreciate many pictures, Convert that single light into a string of wall-washer flood LED lighting along the upper edge of the wall to the right, most aimed at the wall to the left, some aimed down at the floor. Attach interesting posters and photocopies of family pictures to the opposite wall, in several clusters of different sizes. These will have to be flat on the wall, and not priceless family treasures, because you'll hit anything that sticks out into the hallway with your shoulders or a large package.

If you combined colorblocking with the gallery you could have a different subject in each of the "galleries", marked off with color.

olldbobbi Start by painting that far door a dark color. Right now the hallway seems endless because the eye has no where to stop.

Turn a lemon into lemonade by adding this wall treatment: [houzz=Beverly Bradshaw Interiors, Seattle, WA]
or this one: [houzz=Restyled Home]
A stair runner should be the perfect size for this hallway: [houzz=Casual Staircase Runner]

acaba Elbert Associates;
Do you mean something like this for the ceiling part?



We are faced with similar dilemma. In our case, there are 3 doors on the left wal; thinking of adding the ceiling and wall "trim" as in above picture.

ISS HIcare Nice hall way but should improve more design on left side will looks more delicious.
http://www.isshicare.com/rat-control-products.php

Sharon Kaufmann In order to give any advice one would first need to know what is on the other end of the passage, as well as if it is just a ceiling with a roof structure or if it is a concrete slab. You could put a wooden door frame in at the garage end with a frosted glass insert, if your garage would create light into the passage. A light wood flooring such as beach wood or oak would accentuate the light.

Sharon Kaufmann In order to give any advice one would first need to know what is on the other end of the passage, as well as if it is just a ceiling with a roof structure or if it is a concrete slab. You could put a wooden door frame in at the garage end with a frosted glass insert, if your garage would create light into the passage. A light wood flooring such as beach wood or oak would accentuate the light.

olldroo It is a service hallway and needs to be kept practical. If you want to add some warmth to it and take away the blandness, I would put a nice patterned hall runner on the floor to add warmth and stop any echoing and paint the end door a solid colour from the runner as Bobbi suggested. If you wanted to add interest to the walls, I would create 5 large rectangles approx 3 ft x 4 ft using beading and space them on the upper part of one wall and paint each one a different colour from the runner or one colour or shades of one colour, whatever suits your taste. Alternatively, you could use a plain runner and put some bold, colourful fabric on the wall within the frames. I would just use some simple downlights if you can instal them.

Waynedale Mill Try this barreled ceiling. We did this in a hall outside a basement wine cellar.

goosefairy The problem with using this space as a gallery wall is the possibility of knocking things off the wall every time you would walk through there with anything in your hands. 3 ft wide is extremely narrow.

decoenthusiaste I am sure the hall attached is the narrowest, longest I've seen in a while and there is no doubt it makes a great gallery. Fasten art to the walls and go for it.

eztia kimbergarden, you have received many suggestions. What are your thoughts?

ct design studio When I suggested a gallery wall I should have been more specific (was in a hurry last night, sorry). No you can't have bulky frames or great art that no one will see back there but you can get some very nice prints in shallow frames, hang tapestries, try some of the color blocking techniques that have been suggested or get some great wallcovering. There are also a lot of fun wall decals out there. A gloss paint will show everytime you scuff the wall with a bag of groceries and I'm concerned about the mirror idea. I'm afraid you will go from bowling alley to funhouse.

kimbergarden Excellent ideas, all, thank you so much. Elbert Associates, loving your idea for the ceiling!! and very much enjoy the last picture posted by decoenthusiaste. Thank you all so very much. I can visualize light at the end of the 'tunnel' !!

Michelle Miller Interiors I have a current client with the same type of hallway dilema; so you are not alone! I would recommend wallpapering the walls with a durable but light reflective paper that will add intrest in your narrow space. Second and more importantly is the lighting. You don't want you hallway to feel like a tunnel. I would use wedge sconces, mounted about 18" from the ceiling which will bounce light from the ceiling and make the space feel so much larger.

Good luck and can't wait to see you after photos!

goosefairy I love the idea of the wedge sconces bouncing light to the ceiling. You could also consider painting the ceiling with a very reflective paint to further brighten up the space. Maybe even a metallic?

lisianthus Whatever you do with artwork or galleries on the walls, keep the colors light! Some earthquake putty applied judiciously to the back corners of frames will secure them to the wall so you won't have to worry about bumping them.

Elbert Associates Re: acaba "?" and photo: Yes; however, I would continue the 'furred down' ceiling from pilaster to pilaster. In the subject 28' long hallway, I'd suggest a furred area of about 10' to 12' in length (lay out proportions in the hall to determine the 'right' length). Of course, no pilasters should be installed within the 3' wide hallway so that we don't reduce available width any further.

Also: yes, framed photos on walls could be 'knocked' out of plumb by hallway users. There are 3-point framed mounting systems available (we use on restaurants to keep photos in place and level) that can be sourced from a frame shop or on line.

Rose Construction, Inc. Some excellent suggestions here, I can't think of anything to add, as my suggestions are already here! My fav are the ones about breaking up the length of the hall with rectangular sections of contrasting paint, and the comment about wall sconces bouncing light off the ceiling. Lots of excellent ideas. I do wonder why the architect felt the need to build the structure this way. A 28 foot long hall from garage to house seems excessive. I'd smack the architect if I could!

eztia The walls of this hallway border garages of neighbors on either side. Even though it is a functional space, I agree that the architect could have done SOMETHING with the lighting or ceiling to "humanize" the space.

momsy I, for one, want to see something whimsical. Hardwood floors with shuffle board markings? Lighting can really go a long way to setting mood and pace in this area. Look for some inspiration in landscape elements of allees. You could make this hallway look miles long by painting the far walls darker and visually narrowing the floor line. Doing the opposite by using a darker paint in the foreground will visually shorten the space. If you went geographic, taking the floor color and extending up the walls with diagonal wedges will bring the distant space forward

celticcats Mirrors, mirrors and more mirrors. Some with mullions would look great. Chair rail could help. Space may be too narrow for wall sconces. Yes paint color is everything. And something vertical one the walls. Small pictures arrangements, vertical artwork, and vertical and horizontal mirrors. Don't forget the crown molding and at least 3 inch baseboard.

decoenthusiaste momsy's paint tricks would be the cheapest way to go. If we're in to whimsy, I might like to see the floor painted to resemble a lap pool!

eztia I was thinking about momsy's post. Thought of painting the hall floor to look like deck plates on a spaceship. Walls also, with trompe-loeil. I went to Houzz photos and entered trompe-loeil (fool-the-eye painting) in the search box. 410 photos. A few, that showed other hallways leading off a plain wall looked like they might be good for this space.
I will try to attach some pics...

eztia Here are some photos. Artist's name is Eric. I do not know how to attach the e-mail to this spot.

All of the "after" photos were painted on plain, blank walls at a brewery. Will go back to e-mail to get more info for you...

eztia The photos were of the hallway of the Miller Brewery. Artist's name is Eric. His wife's name is Kathy. Sorry I do not have more information.

momsy Eric is either a genius or a sorcerer! Those pictures are incredible. Hmmm, where could I close off something to make a hallway...

eztia Here are a couple of photos from Germany...

If I had a hallway such as yours, I think I would like a huge aquarium on at least one wall. Shiny coat of protective paint over the artwork to resemble glass, and bright lighting, but with no glare.

eztia I will post this and then go away so others can get a word in edgewise.

Two sites for you:
www.kirtwenner.com/
www.pinterest.com/dmadden14/3d-wall-sidewalk-chalk-art/

You may also be interested in the art of Julian Beever in the UK, and Edgar Mueller in Germany.

ct design studio 2 other thoughts for the walls, a pretty pinboard, you can change out the photos as you like and would have a thin profile. You could even make it by wrapping the core with fabric of your choice and trimming the edges.

Decorative Bulletin Board, Large by Only Lally

You could also use chalkboard paint on a section of the wall, not the whole thing of course because that would be too dark. If you have kids they would probably love it. This would be too much for you, but you get the idea:

Back Entry Hall

NetZero Energy LLC If it works with the style of your home, try picture molding and chair rail, painting the space above and below the chair rail different colors (much like ct design's good idea). Alternatively, try the gallery idea but with a twist: fur a couple of floor-to-ceiling rectangular 'boxes' about a half inch out from the current wall. Cover them with drywall and tape and mud the joints. Painting the 'boxes' dark and the existing wall a light color will give your eye somewhere to go and provide some concentrated real estate for hanging art. Two of these on one side and three on the other is more than enough. Spots placed over the art would be practical and only improve the impact.

judyg white hot

Possini Euro 16" Wide Ivory-White Flushmount Ceiling Fixture
Repaint the hall with a beautiful white of your choice. I can't see the ceiling lights but make sure they are gorgeous. Floor looks interesting and if you paint that door and trim a high gloss (black, red, bright yellow…whatever) I think it will be your best bet. Too narrow to appreciate any artwork.

Elise Hi Kimbergarden,
Definitely paint out the mural lady! Consider using the wall space by creating art niches to break up the hallway length. Walls paneled with moldings and vertical striping can also break up the length of the hall. I really like the sculptural look of the walls in the 2nd picture. Check out the plastic, sculptural wall tiles that are paintable and easy to apply as a wall treatment.

http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2011/11/15/wall-covering-design-trend-3d-sculptural-surfaces/

Open your end of the hallway wall for light to flow through and hang some great light fixtures up to brighten the space. Change out the flooring to large format, horizontally or diagonally laid flooring across the width of the hall. Also if you are a cyclist, or own a bike, they are great sculptural art pieces when hung on a wall. I love hanging storage as a very practical option. It can also look very attractive when done well.

http://www.houzz.com/photos/products/bicycle-storage

Good luck, hope to see more pics in the future.

Gail Kochie This is so weird! I am working on the exact same hallway right now. Hall from my townhome to the garage. Reminds me of a cattle shoot. UGLY! Here's my plan: Yesterday I painted the top third of the walls gold. Today I painted the bottom 2/3 bright glossy white. Next I'm going to install 1"x4" boards between the 2 colors all around the perimeter, around the base of the floor and vertically every 25-30" to resemble board & batten, similar to the pix above 'Restyled home'. Gonna put a few metal coat hooks near the house (but no shelf above, they're just junk collecters). Saved the best for last. I found some 3' x 3' carpet tyles at the overstock store that are awesome, red/hot pink/green with gold designs running thru. They are HOT! The gold paint is cheerful, the bright gloss white bounces the bad light around. Can't wait to get those carpet tiles in. So much more cheerful to come home to!! Gail

Mint Design I like the trompe l'oeil which is also available in wall coverings as well as having it painted directly on the wall...if too expensive, consider long strips of adhered cork for notes or a long strip of chalkboard for notes, lists, things to remember on your way to the garage...kind of tongue in cheek but I have to return from my garage an average of 2 times because I have forgotten a list or something...you have a long walk to remind you!

goosefairy @Gail Kochie - I'd love to see a before and after of that!

tsudhonimh I like the idea of chalkboard panels for kids (excepot for the inevitable rubbing off onto your best clothing) and painting kid's games on the floor. Hopscotch, shuffleboard and bowling? A long skinny town with roads (you can play Godzilla and stomp on the streets)

When it's not a hallway it can be a games center.

kimbergarden wow... what an awesome bunch and so many great ideas... I may be changing my mind about murals and whimsy (I'd original thought that's what I was to break away from!) Gail@Kochie .. I would love to see that too!

eztia Hopscotch painted on the floor! With no little pieces to mark the squares, of course. What about a maze - 18 inch wide spaces to walk on, with 1/4 inch lines to mark the maze? If one has children, it would be dangerous to have little cars on a painted or carpeted roadway, same with the shuffleboard equipment or bowling. Kids forget to put things away.

I like Gail's idea of 3x3 carpet tiles as well. Carpet will keep sound from echoing.

The light globes in The Grunfels Shafer photo above caught my attention a while back. I like the way they are not lined up in a row, but undulate along the ceiling. Kimbergarden, is your ceiling high enough for something like this?. Otherwise, I like goosefairy's idea of wedge shaped sconces shining upward and bouncing lightnoffnthe ceiling - I have this kind in my long narrow hall, and it really does brighten up the space more than a regular fixture on the ceiling.

Rose Construction, Inc. Pretty funny! Hopscotch!

kimbergarden I too loved the light globes on the ceiling, and may experiment with Japanese paper lanterns to get the overall effect first! I am going to use a combination of a number of these ideas -- Elbert's idea of furring the ceiling (lovelovelove) carpet squares and simple black and white photos; combined with the dark ceiling, end wall and lit sculpture beckoning at the end. Very classy. I am pretty much over the days of Hopscotch and whimsy as my children are older and I am now ready for quiet, although I think the ideas are incredibly creative and fun. (hmm but what about a red carpet and classic b/w Hepburn/Munroe photos, and star lights...?? see what you've done! lol) I am actually excited about starting this project now (and primed over the mural last night.. bye-bye!) Thank you all. Awesome response!

eztia Please post "after" photos! Please? I would very much like to see your completed project. tipi

Paradise Restored Landscaping & Exterior Design I have to stretch after this great read! So many ideas - now I need a long narrow hallway! kimbergarden - excited for you after reading your post 8 minutes ago when I was deep in my reading of this discussion - Like where you are going and think you are fun! Enjoy and take photo after photo during and after!

lisianthus How about hurdles? You could serve two purposes, and really get in shape as you travel to and from your garage! ;-)

lisianthus I think that, while whimsical ideas are fun to think about, you may not be happy living with one over the long run. After all, that is what got the previous owner to the current situation. I think if it was me, I would do something like these examples but I would use light colored flooring and run it sideways. I would add track lighting to light the whole area, lighting up one wall, on which I would hang a modest number of photos or artwork, things that made me feel happy to see them when I passed. I would keep the colors light and simple, to create the most illusion of space. I would use frames that hang close to the wall and secure them well. A wall sentiment lettered on the wall above the photos/artwork might be nice.

lisianthus Oh- and if the budget allows, you could replace your plain doors with some doors that are lovely to look at, that would change the feel of the space quite a bit. Crown molding along the ceiling and nice molding at the base would add to that effect as well. Good luck with your project! Let us know how it goes!

janbeaver I have the same problem...not 28 feet long but sure feels like it. And I have an active family so putting pictures or mirrors on the walls only seem to be constantly hit, damaged, or crooked. I put down wood flooring with very tall molding on each side and painted the molding the EXACT color of the floor. That widened the look out tremendously and wasn't that expensive. Then I hung pendent-type lights down the length that hung several feet down (I have ten foot ceilings). So when your eye looks up it stops at a lower point which also 'widens' the effect. The flooring/molding is a lighter golden brown and the walls are a very soft yellow peach. At the very end I painted a darker color to bring the end 'closer'. I have been very happy with it.

ResaleDesign Before you start painting I think you should take pictures of your mural, you like it! You can use these photos as artwork for a galery wall. They can be enlarged at a copy store, framed with white matts in a square brushed metal frame from IKEA. They cd be hung on a Z bar to secure them to the wall. Installing a picture rail at 82" will allow you to mount picture lights by running the wire above it. I would as well install a high baseboard and paint the mouldings in a high gloss the same light colour as the walls. I like the carpet tile idea as it can be changed up easily but no bright colours or patterns. Good luck with your project!!

mathomson5 Growing up in a contemporary with a butterfly roof (!) the main hallway was at least 28 feet long, but may have been a few inches wider than 36. The ceiling was slanted -- large globes (now available new from a well known retro lighting store) designed to be hung on a slanted ceiling broke up the 8-9 foot height and 30 foot length. Dark floors, light walls, with hardwood molding, and a focal point at the end -- so classic for so many years. And the basis for everyone's comments.

My only added thought is for safety first -- carrying things from the car -- keep the glass shoulder height or above -- whether mirrors (my favorite design basic) or black and white photos (again, always works someplace else when you tire of its first use). Lighting is expensive to install but more light is the best investment.

Consider that the Asian design style feng shui avoids outdoor walks leading straight to the front door in favor of curved approaches. How would these ideas translate outdoors?

As for the detail along the floor and ceiling -- I actually liked this although it is hard to see what it is -- if pictographic -- paint it over -- but if just a graphic stencil -- might have been nice to work it in. Hard to imagine the rest of the decor -- ?

eztia Just as the globe lights undulate along the hallway, one might also install a carpet with an undulating pattern.

fnstf only idea not mentioned was to put in another door to shorten the hallway. There's no side interference and you could simply put the door to the garage 15' or 10' from the living space. Nothing lost in function and could still employ any of the lighting, flooring, decorating ideas. Just a thought. Visual ease. Inexpensive. Functional. You'd still have the hall from the garage side, but you wouldn't have the "alley" feel.

jmorde I solved my long hallway problem by adding a solar tube. They are inexpensive, and you can get them with or without lighting for night light. I thought I would need two of them, but the rafters were such that they could only install one. It was more than enough. My hallway is always bright and cheerful.

henry111 Got kids? Try this. Chalkboard paint comes in a variety of colors - not just black and green.
Eclectic Hall design by Chicago Interior Designer Branca, Inc
[houzz=
]

Rose Construction, Inc. The owner stated there are garages on each side to other units. I don't think side doors are possible.

eztia fmstf, are you thinking of adding a door in the middle of the hallway, similar to a - oh, can't remember the word - to make a space for cold air before you enter the house?

kimbergarden To clarify and confirm- definitely fire walls on either side .. mine is the middle garage so blasting out any part of those walls is not possible. Also this is ground level (theree more storeys of architectural nightmare above .. on no, it doesn't end here), so it's a long way to the sky...

ResaleDesign... your post made me laugh. I think the mural did it's time (whenever that was) but I hope I haven't just primed over a masterpiece.

mathomsom5 .. are you able to refer to the "well known retro lighting store" by name?

olldroo Another Senior Moment tipi??? Do you mean an airlock?

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Paint it white, add some great lighting and art. Add a runner with great color, that's all you need.

victorianbungalowranch Adding another door could create what is called an airlock entry, to keep the cold out. They are a valued feature in my neck of the woods. Could be a hassle in a long narrow hallway though.

jmorde I don't know what an airlock is. Here we call them solar tubes.

Elise It's a double entry, keeping cold drafts from entering the living area and heated air from escaping. :)

madilynshouse Are you the only person who has access to the garage at the end of the hall? Is there any reason the entire hall has to be inside your living space? Could you move the door so some of the hall is in the garage? You may find even 10 feet (in combination with any of the previous suggestions) makes a huge difference.

Southern Patina Interiors Think your best option is to use the space as a picture gallery. You don't have to fill the entire wall with art, I suggest centering it. Keep color of frames and style uniform, but different sizes. Another way to add interest to the space, depending on your decorating style is wainescoating. You can purchase "panel" size sheets at Home Depot that install easily on the wall. Top off with moulding and paint.
You can paint the top part as an accent. Change up your lighting with something modern that points towards the art work. Don't forget to balance the look on both sides. You don't have to add photos on the other side, but some wall sconces - otherwise the other wall will look unfinished. Any way you can change that floor? Also, look on Houzz for pictures of wainescoating in hallways - there are tons.

greenthumb2 Lighting. If ceiling is accessible to roofline, tubes rock for indoor daylight. saves on electric. Yeah! Door placement for breaking up space = great ideas. Moving doors can often solve odd floor plans and long hallways. Besides, you can use the hallway on the other side of the door as: mud room, with hooks and shallow shelving (canned goods, potato/onion/garlic storage) that kind of thing if you need such a thing.... Flooring: for quiet and warmth carpet. For cleanliness, tile it. Throw rugs with skid stoppers underneath.

Promos10 such a creative painting should be on both right and left side with different design and then looks beautiful.
http://www.promos10.com

jupeter41 You can take both if its looking match and colorful but some are here,
http://www.jupiterelectronics.com

sacapuntaslapioz 2 words for you: wall mural. paint the rest in a light sheen. add a carpet, paint the ceiling glossy brown.

[houzz=PAISSIN interior design]
[houzz=Flea Market Chic]

orangecamera Here are my thoughts:

Assuming you need to carry groceries and other things from one end of the hall to the other, what about some sort of system on a track or wheels (or something) so you can load up a cart and push/pull it from one end to the other?

Is the space directly above the hall's ceiling in your apartment? Can you punch a hole in the ceiling for a dumbwaiter type of thing? (in concept, like a bucket on a rope in a treehouse).

If you have a ton of money, one of those people-movers like they have at airports would be nice :)

I happen to be a legomaniac, if that were my space I'd do something like this bridge in Germany: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/07/street-artist-megx-creates-giant-lego-bridge-in-germany/

olldroo orangecamera - you are a hoot!!! Great idea and would keep the kids amused for hours.

apennameandthata Have 40-60 lux in the hall and light the end much brighter. That way people will be drawn down the hall and won't care what it looks like.

Pls post after photos!!

www.opportune It is looking awesome design and looks shine on one-side wall.Thanks for the post on such designs.
http://www.opportune.in/opt-hrms-software

kitasei I would find it irritating to have to turn on a light switch when I entered and turn another one off at the other end, which seems inevitable unless you pipe in a constant source of light. So I'd think about having the lighting go on and off automatically with the opening/closing of the doors at either end.

Donald I'd add chair railing and wainscoting on just one side, the other side a really graphic wallpaper, maybe something textured or with a little metallic. Then paint according to the colors in the wallpaper, a little darker from the chair rail down and lighter above. It'll break up the big expanses, give you something to look at while walking but not get in your way.

linamae Paint first! Installing track lighting goes a long way and can be reasonably priced...try Ikea. For me, this is a hallway for my art work. Make sure that frames are similar in color or style.