When we think about home renovation, we often focus on our kitchens, living rooms, and bathrooms.
While these are all valid areas to hone in on, the hallway is often overlooked, despite being the first impression of a home.
We have outlined many effective ways you can give your hallway more character.
Skirting Boards
Skirting boards can make a major visual impact. We suggest sourcing premium options from a reputable company like The Builders Supply Company Limited.
You can also paint the skirting a colour that will complement the overall theme of your home. Whether it’s crisp white or darker shades, skirting boards protect your wall from scuffs, while also giving you a base on which you can paint, customise, and inject character into your hallway. I have a whole post on how to choose wall vs skirting colours effortlessly if you’re looking for some more inspiration.
Skirting helps frame statement walls. You can even add subtle moulding or decorative detail on skirting boards to create some depth.
Decorate the Walls
While skirting offers a base for decoration, walls provide a much bigger area for paint and wallpaper.
The colour scheme again comes down to your personal taste, but we suggest that the style is in keeping with the rest of your home.
Patterned wallpaper works very well in hallways, particularly floral, geometric, or textured grasscloth. They add interest and character to hallways without being too overpowering.
When it comes to paint, deep colours like inky blue, olive green, and terracotta are capable of making a long corridor feel stylish. On the other side of the coin, soft neutrals such as cream, muted blush, and dove grey can open up a small hallway.
Lighting
Hallways are often dark, but the tactical placement of the right lighting can be truly transformative.
Statement pendant lights in brass, black matte, or glass create clear focal points, while wall sconces offer soft, ambient lighting.
You could enhance features like skirting by installing LED strip lighting along your ceiling or underneath a console table.
When it comes to lighting, things don’t need to be too overcomplicated. A small tweak like swapping a dated ceiling light for a modern globe texture can go a long way to creating a more inviting hallway.
Flooring
The floor is a crucial component of the hallway. We recommend investing in timber floorboards, which can be enhanced further with a patterned runner, such as a Moroccan kilim, striped cotton, or plush wool, to add warmth and texture.
You could consider layering textures, such as a sisal runner over polished timber flooring for depth and interest.
To maintain a consistent theme throughout the hallway, we suggest coordinating the floor colour with the skirting and wall tones to achieve a cohesive final appearance.
Decor
You can add practical items that don’t just help functionally, but also aesthetically.
Consider a slim console table with storage baskets to hold keys while elevating the look of the hallway. Hooks and wall-mounted coat racks in brass, black, or wood also add style and practicality simultaneously.
You could also consider investing in a vase, tray, or small lamp to inject colour, depending on the overall look you’re going for.
We hope that this guide has been useful for you. Hallways may not be an area you spend much time in, but we certainly recommend upgrading yours to create a more inviting home.
Start using our suggestions today!
