High-Design Hallways

The narrow entrance hall faces another door, which opens seaward. Built-in cabinets serve as both storage and display. The porthole mirror is by Jacques Adnet.

You may think that a library has to be its own room, but books can be stored and read just about anywhere. Lining a hallway with books turns it into a library that you’ll walk through, and be inspired by, every day. Cabinets below provide extra storage and even a place to sit and read.

Dramatic floor lighting on this glass wall, custom fit within the curve of a carved-out stone wall, provides simple beauty in material contrast. "In such small spaces, it's often better to integrate the furniture and fixtures into the room," says de Meuron.

Shelves from Danish company We Do Wood, pendants by Uno & Osten Kristensson, a rug by Pappelina, and a vintage chair adorn the entry hallway. The wood doors and frames are original.

Flournoy’s favorite aspect of the design is that “every space in the house is used and appreciated.” This light-filled hallway overlooking the staircase connects the home’s two bedrooms to an upstairs living space, and provides the ideal spot for another bookcase. Flournoy and his partner found the hall chandelier, along with the salvaged mill table that they repurposed as their kitchen island, on a trip to Chicago.

“I believe that the interior of a home is a personal choice of color and furnishings, and an expression of the people that live there,” says resident Julie Brogan.

The house that architect John Wardle designed for a couple in coastal Fairhaven, Australia, twists and bends to comply with local laws that prevent buildings from disrupting the ridgeline views from the Great Ocean Road.