Before and after: the tiniest landing space becomes a stylish nook

It's no secret that hallway decorating ideas can be some of the trickiest to get right. The hardest room to style – especially if you're not blessed with a grand entryway – and don't get us started on that tiny landing space at the top of the stairs... Often home to several doorways and not a lot of room in between, making the most of this area of your home is easier said than done. For one Instagrammer, though, this 'dead space' was simply an opportunity to add a splash of color and some much-loved art.

Debbie Goodwin, of Instagram account @fixingupfarnley, has transformed the small area at the top of the stairs of her renovated bungalow into a quirky nook that displays some of her favorite art prints – as well as adding drama with a splash of pink.

• Check out our hallway paint ideas to add colour to your space

The before

When Debbie bought her 1960s Cheshire bungalow, the house hadn't been updated for a long time. 'It had brightly patterned carpets and although the loft had a dormer conversion, the layout was bad and there was no insulation,' says Debbie. The landing space at the top of the stairs was cramped, with a sloped roof limiting head height and making the area feel dark and enclosed.

The process

As part of a wider renovation of the bungalow, Debbie replaced the roof and converted the loft. 'We created space by opening the ceiling up to the height of the roof,' says Debbie. She also took out the stairs, repositioned an internal wall and installed new stairs in the new position; doing so left her a little more space to play with out on the landing.

A staircase with a glass balustrade helped open up the room further, so Debbie decided to create a nook to display some of her favorite art and accessories to make the most of the new space.

The after

Though the foundations are neutral, with wood flooring and white walls, Debbie brought her personality in through color and art. The pink stripe across the walls ties the space in with the rest of her home, which also features shades of pink. This color was brighter than she originally planned, but it worked out well: 'It verges on neon, but it picks out the brighter pink in the wallpaper I have in the hallway below.'

She painted an old console table with Frenchic paint and added tiles from Topps Tiles to the top. A black and white print from Rockett St George takes centre stage overhead, while a yellow stool from Home Bargains adds a sunny pop of color to the space. 'My original plan was to keep my home quite simple, even minimal,' Debbie says. 'But I love stuff, so minimal was going to be impossible for me long term!'