Designing hallways that balance function (why are there always so many shoes and coats??!) and style to create a welcoming first impression every time you open your front door, is a part of your interior design that you don’t want to leave as an after thought. The right colours, lighting and textures can transform your hallway from a passageway into a part of your home that sets the tone for whats to come and really shows who you are.
Design by Studio Rhonda
LIGHT
Hallways often struggle with lack of daylight, but you can fix that with a few simple things.
Maximise reflection - Add mirrors to reflect light to widen the space and change wooden panels in your front door for glass.
Layer lighting - Use ceiling pendants and wall sconces together for depth.
Create contrast - A lighter ceiling draws the eyes upward, making a narrow space feel taller.
Design by Kate Guinness. Image by @james_mcdonald_photography
COLOUR
Your hallway sets the tone for the rest of your interior.
Paint - Pick one colour for above and one for below the dado rail (add one in if you don’t have one) and use a paint with a bit of shine to help with the light issue above, and also to make it easier to clean.
Staircase - If this is the first thing you see when you open the front door make sure it’s a good one. Paint the banisters, or sand back and treat the wood if you’re lucky enough to have something beautiful under there. And then add a runner. Edge hessian with a coloured trip or choose something bold and brilliant that makes you smile every time you step into your house.
The details - Paint the inside of the front door, add a statement console table and choose beautiful lampshades.
Design by Stella Weatherall. Image by Christopher Horwood
ART
Hallways make perfect gallery walls. Combine styles using photography, oils, prints, collage and plates, always plates. We love Collins & Green for sourcing unique artwork and don’t forget coloured frames make a great statement too.
Margate House
STORAGE
Literally our biggest obsession. Plan where you are going to hang coats, leave shoes and throw your keys. Make the space work for you. There is no point in it being beautiful if its not practical.