Hallway decor ideas for your new home
First impressions can be everything. Here's some inspiration and tips for transforming your hallway space, to set the stage for anyone entering your home.
From the minute you step through your front door, it's down to your hallway to create a warm welcome to the rest of your home. A sub-conscious feel-good factor that encourages us to relax. It also needs to offer all the storage you need, and the practical side of being a well-trodden walkway for yourself and guests. Sounds like a lot to ask, of what can sometimes be a small and somewhat narrow space!
A good way to approach hallway decor is in four steps: flooring, walls, storage and lighting. Start with these, and you'll soon be on your way to transforming your entryway. Read on for our top hallway ideas.
Top tip: Think of your hallway as another room in your house. It’s a statement about what you like, a glimpse of what makes you feel at home. It’s not just about slimline furniture and coat hooks, though of course you need to make the most of an often limited space in a practical way.
Hallway flooring
Hallway flooring can be vibrant to catch the eye, or neutral to keep things clean and relaxed. Either way, it should be practical to stand up to the footfall that will pass through.
- Stop muddy shoes in their tracks with an inset doormat, fitted from wall to wall, that won't slide around. If you have space, it's also a great idea to add a small bench to invite people to sit down and take off their shoes. Some pretty baskets underneath can provide additional shoe storage.
- A heavy-duty jute hallway runner will also keep your floors clean while adding some texture. Why not continue the theme with a stylish matching stair runner, kept in place with brass rods?
- When it comes to your choice of floor in your hallway, tiles, wood or laminate flooring will stay the course. In our Select Options you can choose from a range of beautiful hard-wearing LVT (luxury vinyl tiles). These give the same effect as a real wood floor, but in a much more practical way. Or, eye-catching Victorian-style tiles, perhaps in a timeless black and white design, will certainly draw compliments.
Whatever your preference, thinking carefully about hallway flooring is always going to be a step in the right direction.
Decorating hallway walls
The rule on wall colour in a small room used to be the paler the better, to create the illusion of more space. Recently however, we’ve all become brave and bold with signature walls in our homes, with some stunning results.
- There are some stunning patterned wallpapers that are a great way to instantly establish a decor scheme in your home. You could go elegant and floral, or for something more dramatic and illustrative. For endless hallway wallpaper ideas, Pinterest is a fantastic source of inspiration.
- When choosing a colour for your hallway, the world is your oyster. A neutral scheme creates an instant feeling of calm, or you could paint the walls a dark, rich colour to draw you in.
- Also think about how much of the space you want to paint. A wall colour that contrasts with a paler ceiling and skirting boards creates clean lines and dimension. Or, opt for a floor to ceiling colour to create a feeling of height. You could even go one step further and paint the skirting boards, walls and ceiling all the same colour, for warm and enveloping effect.
- Hallways are also perfect spaces for hanging your favourite pictures. One large statement piece of art can be really effective. Or, you could create a gallery walls of all your favourite pieces on either side of the hallway. Read our tips on creating a gallery wall here.
Top tip: If you want to keep colour to a minimum, don’t forget the greens. A little house plant on a hallway shelf, or a tall one between two doorways, is a perfect finishing touch.
Hallway storage
Many of our Charles Church homes benefit from handy under-stairs cupboards to conceal coats, shoes and the usual hallway clutter. However, you can never have enough storage, and coats, shoes and school bags do seem to magically multiply.
- Hanging hooks on the back of a door will leave the hallway walls clear. Or, you could make a feature of it and install a long row of pretty hooks along the wall to hang scarves and bags.
- If you're looking for clever storage solutions, fitting a pull-out hanging rail in the cupboard under the stairs will save you any hang-ups about clutter.
- There’s also a whole range of free-standing hallway storage furniture to choose from. From natural woven seagrass baskets, to sleek space-saving cabinets, there's something to suit every style. A slim console table is a classic choice, or even a decorative radiator cover that you can place catch-all bowls on.
Hallway lighting
At last, it’s time to shine a light on all your ideas. Hallway lighting is important to get right, especially if you have a narrow hallway which might not be the most light-filled.
- Treat a ceiling light as you would a stylish clock or mirror on the wall. It’s a focal point whatever the time of day, so splashing out on a shade is money well spent. A pendant light works beautifully in a hallway with high ceilings, just make sure you're able to reach it to change the bulbs.
- Wall lights can create a different atmosphere, and look particularly good against a statement wall to show off the depth of the colours.
- Finally, you could make the most of a console table for a stylish lamp on a time-switch. It'll make an attractive accessory for the space, and light the way if you come downstairs at night.
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