Hallway decor ideas: how to make an entrance

Before diving into decor ideas, it’s important to understand your hallway’s function.

Your hallway is a transitional space between different rooms in your home. It can also become a real decorative asset, however, if properly planned and laid out.

You need to strike the right balance between aesthetics and practicality to create a functional and stylish space.

Start by measuring your hallway’s dimensions to understand how best to use its floor area.

Choose appropriate furniture for the space and make the most of the layout, while avoiding clutter.

The colours used in a hallway have a huge impact on the perception of the space, in terms of volume, depth and brightness.

Here’s how to use colours to play to the strengths of your hallway:

• Enlarge a narrow hallway: Use light tones, such as white and cream, on the walls to visually enlarge the space. Paint the ceiling and choose flooring with slightly darker tones to add depth.
• Make a long hallway appear shorter: Apply a darker colour to the back wall to visually shorten the hallway. Use intermediate shades on the side walls to reduce the perceived length.
• Add height to a hallway with a low ceiling: A white or light ceiling combined with vertical patterns on the walls will add an illusion of height and visually expand the space.
• Brighten up a dark hallway: Use satiny or glossy light colours, like off-white and pearl grey, to maximise light and increase light reflection.
• Widen a short hallway: Paint a side wall in a bright or dark colour to enhance its width. Apply horizontal patterns, such as stripes, to visually enlarge the space.
• Warm up a cold hallway: Use warm, natural tones, such as terracotta, dark beige, browns or greens, to make the space appear warmer and cosier.

Well-designed lighting can bring life to a dark hallway. Ideally, combine natural light with artificial lighting solutions.

Here are a few ideas to solve your hallway lighting challenges:

• A hallway devoid of natural light: If possible, integrate sun tunnels or roof windows to bring in natural light and add a glazed front door. Complement this with built-in wall lamps and spotlights for discreet and uniform lighting.
• Dark, narrow hallway: Install wall lights to illuminate the walls and soften the space. Wall lights are now available with hard-wired and battery-operated fixings and some can be operated remotely. LED strips along skirting boards or alongside woodwork provide discreet, modern mood lighting.
• Excessively high hallway ceilings: Pendant lights or chandeliers will visually lower a high ceiling. Consider indirect lighting focused on the ceiling or the walls to visually reduce height.
• Busy hallways: Install motion sensors for practical, energy-efficient lighting. Combine these with directional lights to illuminate areas that people pass through frequently.
• Gallery-style hallways: Use accent lighting and directional spotlights to highlight works of art. Consider creating light niches to add depth and focus on specific areas.
• Long hallways: Deploy area lighting to create variety. Try installing lights at various heights to add dynamism to the space.
• Finally, choose bold statement lighting, such as pendant lights or chandeliers, to bring character to your hallway. A dramatic light in a large hallway will create a strong, bright visual impact.

Wallpaper is great for adding character to your hallway without major renovation work.

Wallpaper is available in a wide variety of patterns, textures and colours and can transform the look and feel of any space.

Here are some hallway ideas for wallpaper:

• Accentuate a wall: Apply wallpaper with bold motifs to a feature wall to add an interesting focal point and visually reduce the hallway’s length.
• Create visual continuity: If you have a long hallway, choose a wallpaper with a repeating pattern for visual continuity and rhythm.
• Textures and effects: Textured wallpaper that imitates cloth, wood or stone adds a touch of sophistication and warmth to a hallway and helps it to feel cosy and luxurious.

Innovative furniture and hallway storage solutions let you really make the most of your space.

Look for multifunctional hallway storage accessories to help keep your entranceway organised and uncluttered.

Here are some examples:

• A bench with integrated storage gives you a place to sit down and put your shoes on and to store everyday items, like scarves, dog leads and handbags.
• A coat rail combined with shelves provides additional space for storing hats.
• A shoe cabinet with an integrated mirror lets you discreetly store your shoes, while the mirror will visually enlarge and brighten your hallway and give you a chance to check your appearance before heading out.
• Wall-mounted shelves are perfect for adding storage without taking up floor space. Use these to store books, display decorative items and organise keys and other small everyday essentials.
• Built-in wardrobes are also excellent solutions for coats and other outdoor clothing.
• Finally, if you have a particularly spacious hallway, consider installing a thin console table along the wall to display decorative items and provide extra storage

Flooring is another key element in hallway decor. As it’s a busy area, you will want to choose durable, water-resistant flooring that also looks good.

Durability is essential for hallway flooring. Materials, such as solid wood parquet, laminates and ceramic tiles are popular options, because they’re easy to maintain.

Consider the colour of your floor too. Lighter shades will visually enlarge your hallway, while darker floor tones add an elegant touch and do a better job of hiding footprints.

Rugs add warmth, colour and texture to a hallway. Choose a rug that complements your hallway’s colour scheme and ensure it is durable enough to withstand daily wear and tear and can be easily cleaned.

Enhance a long, narrow hallway with a coloured floor runner that visually elongates the space, while defining the floor area.

A patterned rug can also liven up the room. Be careful not to visually overload the floor, however, especially if the walls are already decorated in a striking way.

Mirrors are a key ingredient in hallway decor, especially if the hallway is narrow, small or poorly lit. Here are some ideas for incorporating them into your scheme:

To make your hallway seem wider, place mirrors strategically.

If your hallway has a source of daylight, such as a window, place a large mirror across from it. It will reflect the natural light and make your hallway appear brighter and deeper.

You can also align several smaller mirrors to create multiple reflections and draw light deeper into the space.

If your mirror doesn’t have a natural light source, place it next to artificial lighting, like a wall or table lamp. It will subtly diffuse the artificial light and brighten the room.

Finally, install a mirror at the end of your hallway to create the illusion of depth and capture light from the doorways that lead off your hall.

Bring the outside in by integrating plants into your hallway decor. They will help soften this confined space and make it feel fresher and more in touch with nature.

Not all plants are appropriate for a hallway, especially if it is narrow or lacks natural light.

Choose indoor plants that require little care.

Succulents, ferns and ivy are excellent choices.

If your hallway is poorly lit, choose plants that don’t need much light, like a Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, more commonly called a ZZ plant, or a Sansevieria Trifasciata, or Snake Plant.

Hanging plants in pots will add a touch of greenery at eye level.

In a long, narrow hallway, place small plants on wall shelves, a console table or windowsill to decorate the space without cluttering it.

If you have a larger space, a bigger potted plant on the floor makes an attractive focal point.

Artwork, photos, illustrations and other unusual objects picked up at antiques fairs or flea markets make unique wall decorations.

Create a gallery wall with different sizes of framed paintings and photos. This wall art can make an interesting visual impact and tell a story.

Decorative hooks are a practical and stylish option for hanging coats or bags.

Wall sconces that hold candles or vintage wall pockets filled with dried flowers can be cute hallway decorating ideas. Wall-hung display cabinets can be useful hallway storage options too.

You pass through your hallway dozens of times a day, so you don’t want any accessories to obstruct your way.

A decorative mirror, stylish wall clock and sculptural objects can transform this transitional space into a stylish entrance.

For a warmer effect, place textiles, such as cushions, on a bench or add a colourful rug.

When you consider hallway ideas, keep functionality and style in mind.

Your choice of artwork should enhance, not overwhelm, your hallway.

Look for pieces that match the style of your interior and place them at eye level to attract attention.

Framed family photos, contemporary art and wall textiles add character and depth to the room

Once your hallway has had a full makeover, you want to keep it looking and working brilliantly.

With the right maintenance and regular style updates, you can keep your hallway looking welcoming all year round.

Here are four tips to ensure your entrance hallway always looks welcoming:

• Floor cleaning: As the hallway is a high-traffic area, floors can quickly become dirty. Vacuum or sweep regularly and clean stains as soon as they appear, especially on rugs.
• Dusting: Regularly dust shelves, picture frames, furniture, plants and accessories to keep the space clean.
• Textile care: Routinely shake out and clean rugs and cushions to eliminate allergens and dirt. If possible, select machine-washable textiles.
• Lighting maintenance: Keep your lighting well-maintained to keep the space well-lit and welcoming all year round. If you have dimmable lighting, adjust it to create the desired ambience.

A well-decorated hallway can look great throughout the year with a few regular tweaks. Here are some seasonal-based ideas to keep it looking fresh:

• Spring: Introduce fresh colours and bright decorative accessories, like pastel vases filled with spring flowers or cushions with floral motifs.
• Summer: Add accessories made from natural materials, like linen or rattan, and add bright colourful accents to reflect the summer’s energy.
• Autumn: Bring in warmer textures, such as wool throws or a rug, and incorporate decorative elements in autumnal shades, like brown, orange and red.
• Winter: Go cosy by adding a thick pile rug, scented candles and seasonal festive decorations.

Last, but not least, think about improving your indoor air quality through natural ventilation.

If you have windows, open them regularly to ventilate the space and prevent moisture build-up or unpleasant odours.

The intelligent VELUX Active with NETATMO app home automation system automatically manages the opening of your roof windows to ensure optimal air quality in your hallway at all times.