It's taken two years of un-decisiveness, moaning and ignoring it to finally sort the hallway out! It was on my New Year Resolution list and I'm actually proud of myself that it's on resolution I've kept! We also set a goal of April which I think helped, wanting it finished for my birthday party was a real catalyst.

The hallway is a really big part of the house - it's the first impression people see when walking into your home but it's often the thing that gets forgotten about amongst the bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms. Ours was basically holes in the walls and random paint testers on the walls since we moved in which wasn't ideal. So here's the progress so far - there's probably a radiator cover needed and a couple of touch ups here and there but I'm really pleased with the results...

Before...

...After!

One of the reasons it's taken so long to do is because it's not something I could easily do myself. I've painted every other room in the house but balancing on ladders on the stairs was not on my wishlist! We found a really good decorator through a family member and he was ready to start ASAP. Cue mad dash to B&Q for paints!

Originally I had my heart set on Farrow & Ball colours but after adding up how many litres we would need, the cost got ridiculous. There was the option of colour matching at a local paint shop but we had left it way too late. So I spent my Friday night in B&Q matching colour cards and hoping my eyes were up to scratch.

Dulux Polished Pebble & Valspar Moonlight Dance

We went for Dulux Polished Pebble as the main wall colour which is a really soft neutral. The hallway doesn't get much daylight so as much as I would have loved to go bold and dark, it would have been like walking into a cave everyday.

The banister and spindles are Valspar Moonlight Dance, which is my compromise for the dark side. It's actually quite a green-grey in some lights but it's lovely and rich. We left the handrail the dark wood stain which was there originally - I think it goes really well together.

Figuring out the gallery wall - practise makes perfect.

It was hard for a control freak like me to leave a stranger in the house for 3 days and paint colours I hadn't even tested but after 3 days, the decorator was finished and it was time to add the finishing touches.

I have been lucky enough to collaborate with Desenio and was able to choose a number of prints for the house. I chose this world map as I wanted something quite big as a focal point to the gallery wall. It then meant I could plan the other prints and pictures around it. Most of these are my own photos from our travels which fit perfectly with the map theme.

It's also the perfect place for my SL Scott Manchester print to hang which I have also been lucky enough to have been gifted.

I planned the gallery wall on the floor first, it helps to see it first and make any changes before committing to the holes in the walls and realising you've made a mistake!

Next was choosing a carpet. We went local rather than a big carpet retailer and it worked out about £300 cheaper! Personally I hate carpets - living with a big fluffy cat means constantly hoovering up clumps which gather on it. The floorboards underneath the old carpet were just in too bad of a state so it was the much simplier option to stick with carpet. I went for a berber style, I didn't want fluffy or soft. Hardwearing and sturdy are more up my street!

We got the lights from Made, I love how the brass really pops against the grey. It's a classic combination and the cluster pendant style of the lights creates a bold statement. Note to self though : get an electrician or someone who knows what they're doing - it took us bloody hours to get two lights up!

Made.com  Cluster Lights — Made.com Cluster Lights

We have had the mirror since we moved in - one of those gems found in the depths of Homesense one day at the Trafford Centre. The coat rack is West Elm from John Lewis. I love all things mid century modern but rarely get any pieces for the house so this caught my eye immediately. I have inherited Ben's coat obsession and between us we have way too many coats to count. It's embarrassing really! It means we need something really sturdy and big to hold everything, stopping us from piling them all up on the banister post. The dark wood is a perfect match with the handrail also.

So that's it - I love walking into this space everyday now and I can't wait to hear what you think! Bojangles gives his seal of approval too which is always a bonus!