Just for fun because painting the hallway is probably not for fun until the Spring...
What colors would you paint in the hallway? I am totally stuck. And the same colors are in the 1st and 2nd floor hallways. And then the top color (beige) is in the stairway and hallway of the 3rd floor.
First floor hallway:

Second floor hallway:

On the second floor, this is the landing to the steps to the 3rd floor. You can see that on the left, there is still the purpleish under the chair rail, but the top color carries over...

And up the steps to the 3rd floor.

I am also wondering if I should try to pull a color out of the carpet on the stairs? I have no idea.
Re: S/O Paint Colors
You can totally do a darker color above. I did that in a bathroom (white on the bottom, midnight blue on the top) because it helped the toilet blend in.
I'd try and keep your colors light so you don't make the hallway feel too narrow. Do you have any ideas in mind for colors? You could really go in a million different directions. Silvery gray to blend in with the radiator, taupe, soft blue or green, heck, even a honey color (still want to use that in a room).
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
Don't drink the water.
Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
I agree with lighter colors in the hallways; dark colors will make you feel closed in given the narrow space. I'm partial to pale yellows and soft greens myself.
I don't think you have to paint two different colors above and below a chair rail. I've seen it done well, but I also think it can look really nice to have one color on the whole wall and just let the chair rail stand out. I think that's how it is in my dining room, which also has wainscoting (PIB).
I actually think the neutral tan color going up to the 3rd floor isn't bad.
The radiator is actually gone now. This is what the entry hallway looks like now:
I just didn't use that picture before because you can't see the color as well.
The beige I actually like, but I hate the purple, it's nms. I would do the top and bottom the same color, but I don't know the color of the top, so I'd have to repaint everything anyway. And if I'm repainting everything, I can't bring myself to just do another shade of beige.
Would it look weird if I painted the bottom white? That's kind of what I want to do.
Ah, I see. It's hard to see the purple as purple on my computer. It looks more like a darker brown.
I think it would be nice to do white underneath, or even a nice cream, just to give it a little warmth.
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
Don't drink the water.
Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
I think it'll look kind of blah with beige on top and white on the bottom. But then, I really like color and kind of hate the oatmeal beige that's in a couple of our rooms (but DH won't let me repaint--boo!). You can see in my bio how many colors there are on the first floor. I didn't pick 'em, the previous owner did, but I love 'em.
I agree that the mauve-y color has got to go. I suspect you're going to have to repaint it all though as I can't think what color would work well with the beige up top.
You might want to ask on D&R for suggestions. Those ladies are all over this kind of stuff.
Rock, I'm with you on the color. You've seen the pictures of our new house- every.single.room is beige. All different shades of beige, but beige nonetheless. The ugly color in the hallways is the ONLY non-beige in the house.
Right now I'm just brainstorming because I don't want to start painting til Spring when I can open the windows and air the house out, but I'll probably post on D&R when I'm serious.
Good call, I think I'll do a cream for now, just to get rid of the ugly color. I'm planning on bringing actual color to every room of the house, so the blah hallway won't bother me (especially since it'll be such an improvement of the shade it is now).Thanks ladies!
Another thought: it looks like colored glass on that entry door? Maybe you could pull a color/shade from there and use in the hallway.
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
Don't drink the water.
Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
I love Latte as well! However, in that space, Latte might get a bit washed out, so I might do Cappucino, which is what I have in my living room/hall way.
If you wanted to do a color, I think a deep slate blue would be beautiful in the space.
Two gray tones would work.
I'm having a hard time picturing the lighter color on the bottom in this space, but that's just me...
I like the idea of looking at the glass on the front door and pulling on of those colors. I also think that a hallway is the perfect place to play with color. My front hall (technically a common area for our condo,) is a deep red color, and I love it!
What colors make you happy?