Hallway ideas – great ways to make an impression with decor
Planning great hallway ideas can be one of the more challenging aspects of designing interiors. But facing the task means that rather than an area of the home everyone passes through to get elsewhere, the hallway is elegant and stylish as well as welcoming.
There may be additional issues to tackle along the way, including a lack of daylight and, in some, awkward dimensions, yet there are plenty of ways to make it a destination, including hallway paint ideas, wall decor choices, furniture, flooring and more.
Here we’ve selected the best to stimulate your own choices, and asked the experts to contribute their advice.
There are so many reasons for making the effort with the hallway. After all, it’s the first part of your home that family and friends encounter when they visit, and the one you see after a hard day.
Whether you go for something fun and colorful or calm and soothing, here are some stylish hallway ideas to get you started.
By Jennifer Ebert and Ailis Brennan
(Future)
A hallway can be too small a space to be filled with pieces – so make what you do include really count in the design stakes.
A console table can not only work as a landing pad for keys, wallets and post, but as a stylish piece to set the tone for the house’s decor – and will fit in with narrow hallway ideas too. Or, opt for a buffet, which will be visually bulkier but take up no more floor space, and provides plenty of storage, too.
Here, space has been enhanced by soft tones of parchment, truffle and mole set against peach blush plaster walls. Don't forget to use entry table decor ideas in any hallway wide enough to take a table: a collection of lovingly curated objets is the star of the show, here, set above the rich black tone of the fluted buffet.
(Jake Curtis / Alyce Taylor)
Add decorative detail to an all-white hallway with patterned flooring. It’s a tactic that doesn’t require a space this grand.
A small scale tile design like this is top notch as it’s light and breezy with a hint of color, and creates interest as soon as you walk in. If your hall is on the larger size then using small tiles can make it more intimate. Conversely, if the hallway is compact, opt for larger tiles with fewer grout lines to avoid a busy effect.
The rest of the scheme here is white, including all of the woodwork and ornate detailing around the door and the original flooring and wood pieces add warmth.
(Bert & May)
Checkered flooring has an interior design history that stretches back not hundreds, but thousands of years. Its place in foyers and hallways is particularly storied – if planning on using it to help your home make a grand entrance, think about how you can make it modern.
In this Bel Air home with interiors by Evens Architects and Windsor Smith, the traditional black and white pattern is swapped for a gray and white design, giving a light and airy feel to the space. Alternatively, opt for marble slabs with speckled patterns for added interest.
(Evens Architects/Windsor Smith/Karyn Millet)
A hallway can feel like a hug with snug and smart fittings and furnishings. In this space, plank paneling and brick flooring is softened with cushions and seasonal flowers.
Seek out an antique bench and team with soft textures, such as natural rug. Accents of color come from the Dirty Orange velvet cushion from Oka.
(Dan Duchars)
Opt for hallway runner ideas to add color and pattern to the hall and lead the eye up and down the space. It can reduce noise, too.
Note the books and pictures in this space – even small hallways can be furnished to feel like a room, not a thoroughfare, to make them feel far more welcoming.
(Kersaint Cobb)
Generally, we recommend using a darker wallpaper below the dado rail, and a lighter one above. This hallway is the opposite.
It works for several reasons, however. The wallpaper design from Little Greene is the same but in different colorways, so this creates a sense of cohesion. And the color of the lower wallpaper matches the stone flags, creating a light feel. Note, too, that the woodwork paint shade matches the wallpaper and tiles to make this a beautifully executed combination.
And while this is a look that suits period homes, consider it to bring character to a modern hallway.
(Little Greene)
Hallways come in all shapes and sizes, and depending on the era of the property, can have low ceilings. White is generally the go-to in this situation as it will brighten the space, but if you prefer more subtle yet still uplifting color, then consider gray hallway ideas, such as using Dimpse by Farrow & Ball, seen here.
It’s a delicate gray that has elegance, and won’t be as harsh as a brilliant white. Be consistent and use it for walls and woodwork; that way you’ll achieve an all encompassing feel.
(Farrow & Ball)
Think pink to elevate the look of a hallway. We love the way this shade follows through from the flowers, runner and up to the curtains at the top. As a side note, the glass on the top of the console also works to add reflection and life.
‘Mirrors are always a good go-to in a hallway but nothing beats a vase of flowers on a console to add life,’ advises interior designer Samantha Todhunter. ‘We used a vibrant pink stair runner to create a focal point at the end of the hallway.’
(Samantha Todhunter)
This farmhouse hallway has been given a pop of brightening color with a coral bench and multicolored cushions.
'Your entryway serves as the introduction to your home and the wonderful characters that reside within,' says Mary Maloney, owner and designer at Bees Knees Interior Design Studio.
'Your entry should suit the architecture of your home, along with the functional needs. The church pew in this entry holds sentimental value, along with a bit of family history, all of which suits this reproduction style colonial perfectly.
'Details count: the bright color and fabric add to the charm and welcome all who enter!'
(Bees Knees Interior Design Studio)
Apartment living means hallways don’t lead to stairs, so you can often end up with long narrow spaces that have a tendency to be gloomy. We asked Betsy Kasha, co-founder of Paris based interior design studio Kasha Paris for her top tips for lightening up hallways.
‘We tend to use soft white paint in hallways; not only does this brighten the space, but it is also a perfect background for art. Depending upon the ceiling height, we will either install gentle recessed lighting or simple, bright hanging lights.’
A design faux pas that’s often made in hallways is to only have a single pendant light, whereas in fact, you need at least three if your hallway is long and narrow. Make sure they’re a good size, too. The lights shown here are well proportioned within the space and also illuminate the artwork.
Hallway carpet can reduce sound transmission in an apartment, or lay a runner over hardwood flooring.
(Kasha Paris/Idha Lindhag)
In a narrow hallway with very little space for furniture or bulky decor, make an impact with without straying more than an inch from the wall.
In this Lake Michigan home by M. Lavender Interiors, a small arched hall is turned into a space inspired by the owners’ travels in Africa. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball's Sudbury Yellow to echo the color of the grasses in the Serengeti, while one is bedecked by framed photographs they took on a trip there to create a stunning gallery wall.
(M. Lavender Interiors/Chris Bradley Photography)
Using two shades of one color can add subtle interest to a hallway, but keep the look restful. Go for green, as in this space, to maximize the calmness of the atmosphere.
The top part of this wall features Acorn from Little Greene, while Hopper below the dado rail adds depth and is what your eye sees first.
The tiles act as the perfect foil to the flat wall color and create a lighter feel.
(Little Greene)
It’s not unusual to want to make a small hallway space feel bigger. This corridor, in a house with interiors designed by Marlaina Teich, shows not only how lighter colors are a great way to help make the space feel brighter, but that a little optical illusion goes a long way.
White shiplap arranged in horizontal lines creates a sense of distance between one end of the hallway and the other, as they disappear towards a vanishing point. This makes the space feel both longer and grander.
(Marlaina Teich Designs/Patrick Cline)
Note the paint finish in this stunning gray hallway – it has a soft sheen, specifically chosen to reflect light and to create a smart look in this roomy entryway. This trick, though, will also work really well in smaller hallways or those starved of natural daylight, enhancing light levels and make the space feel larger.
'Don't forget about the entry walls. Sometimes even after furniture and art an entryway can feel incomplete, so your entry may be calling for wallpaper or architectural wall paneling,' says Etch Design Group's principal interior designer, Stephanie Lindsey.
'We provided 2D elevation drawings for the paneling design. A classic traditional element, the wall paneling created sophistication at the entrance to the house but we painted it gray to modernize it.'
(Etch Design Group)
A hallway is the perfect setting to embrace your love of wallpaper. If you are looking for inspiring hallway wallpaper ideas, illustrative designs are eye-catching and create a fabulous welcome for your visitors.
It can really frame an entrance to another room too, which can look quite spectacular: it’s worth using the same colors within the room you can see in this case so the look is cohesive, and consider using the same floor so there’s flow from one space to the next.
(M. Lavender Interiors / Chris Bradley)
For sheer fun, match your skirtings to a color from your wallpaper, and don’t be afraid to go bright like in this exquisite hallway from Little Greene. Featuring the striking Loriini Dorian wallpaper, the reasonably traditional design – albeit in bright colorways – contrasts against the ultra modern paint shade, Trumpet (196).
It’s not for the faint of heart admittedly, but if your hallway is light and bright it can take it. Keep the rest of the scheme lower key and let the walls and paintwork do the talking.
(Little Greene)
Plain walls give you room to be creative; they’re the original blank canvas to which you can add interest – for example with a hit of pattern.
Runners are excellent for this as Tasha Green, director of Weaver Green explains: ‘Runners allow you to instantly update and change the feel of a hallway. A statement runner can be the main design feature from which you complement other interior elements in your entrance. For example, a simple herringbone helps to create a classic timeless look, from which you can add vibrant or strong patterns and prints with other accessories.’
(Weaver Green)
It’s the first place anyone sees when they arrive at your home, but a hallway is also a magnet for everyone’s stuff. Tidy it up with a few key buys and keep the everyday essentials close at hand.
Many are narrow, so keep all of your hallway storage along one run of wall. A high peg rail can be home to a variety of items, and keeps items off surfaces. Or, if space allows, a row of built-in cabinets is a neat and tidy alternative.
(Future / Richard Powers)
If you are planning a scheme with no, or few, windows, hallway lighting ideas are critical.
Try to include ambient or background lighting, tasking lighting for areas such as a post table, and accent lighting to pick out features, such as a mirror or doorway.
This hall includes LED spotlights, a table lamp and fireplace, for good measure.
(Future / Jonathan Gooch)
If your entrance is on the larger side, it’s a good idea to create a design statement so the space doesn’t feel too cavernous.
A beautiful antique table will do the trick; round is always best so you glide around it rather than getting caught on corners. Use it to display fresh blooms and groups of trinkets.
The color you choose is also important, as Henriette von Stockhausen, creative director at VSP Interiors, says:
‘I love how this color, Worsted by Farrow & Ball, together with the warm tones of the antiques and the beautiful damask print by Pierre Frey makes this room cozy and welcoming.’
(VSP Interiors)
A classic that never dates, a monochromatic scheme is bold and beautiful. Irene Gunter, founder of London based design studio Gunter & Co, explains her design choices with this hallway:
‘In areas that tend to be dark, like a narrow hallway, a reflective floor combined with large wall mirrors will bounce the light around. A design in classic black and white marble is not only timeless, but also makes the hallway feel less long and narrow.
'A patterned floor, when designed carefully, is the best way of making a room seem bigger. A good patterned floor doesn’t show where each tile starts or stops, which gives a very homogenous effect, tricking the eye into making the space feel bigger.’
(Gunter & Co)
If your hallway is large enough, you can get away with painting a wall with two dark and vibrant shades together. Olive green is on a roll currently, and Farrow & Ball’s version, Bancha No.298, looks rather fabulous with fresh white woodwork and their Studio Green painted on the panelling of the stairs.
The neutral runner up the stairs creates a striking contrast right in the middle of the two shades, an intentional feature that’s worth copying.
(Farrow & Ball)
The larger the mirror, the more light you can bounce about, and a floor standing design can easily be propped up against a wall. It will also be an impressive focal point for your hallway ideas.
‘Mirrors are interior designers’ magic tool for creating captivating optical illusions,’ says Lou Graham, co-founder of Graham & Green.
‘They create the illusion of more space, of brightening up dark corners, of bouncing color from one side of the room to the other. They can even imitate doorways, like portals into other worlds.
'Hallways can be elongated into endless pathways with elegant floor length mirrors, and blue skies can be brought indoors with window-like wall mirrors.’
(Graham & Green)
'If you have gone for a pale paint color in a hallway, it's important to work in texture, whether via natural materials or pattern in upholstery,' says Homes & Gardens' Editor in Chief Lucy Searle.
Paneling for walls is one way to do this; aesthetically pleasing, practical and space-enhancing, paneling can be a real bonus in a hallway. We love how the material used here has been continued into the storage, while providing seating in what would usually be a thoroughfare given little pause for thought.
(Future)Discover hallway ideas and expert advice to make it a stylish destination