Hallway decor ideas to elevate your entryway
If you need narrow hallway ideas to suit a small space or want tips for colour schemes to give the perfect welcome, this article is for you. Persimmon brand ambassador Lucy of @our_hanbury _home shares her tips for creating a stylish hallway to welcome you home.
The hallway is the first thing a guest sees when they step through your front door, so it’s a chance to make the best impression possible.
Think of your hallway as you would any other room in your home. It’s not just a place to hang up your coat; a hallway should be inviting and include practical features too.
Of course, it's your home so it’s also important to go with décor you love, that shows off your personal style. This could be an eye-catching maximalist look, using bold patterns, colours and a ‘more is more’ approach. Or, you could take the more minimal route and keep the space clean and modern. Either way, your hallway decor sets the tone for the rest of your home.
I would say my personal style is more minimal, but in some cases we do gravitate towards bold patterns as they're more impactful. Our hallway reflects that, with a mix of both styles. We've gone for a bold monochrome wall mural, but kept the rest of the furniture and decor simple and minimal.
Decorating our Hanbury hallway
When we moved into our Persimmon Hanbury in December 2020, the house was a total blank canvas. At first this was quite daunting, but we knew we had a little while before we could decorate while the house settled. This gave us more time to decide on colours and wall decor.
We purchased the main furniture for the hallway before we even moved in. We knew we wanted a large mirror with a console table below. I had seen this in other homes, and think it really makes the entrance welcoming and homely.
Because the mirror we chose was so large and filled a lot of the wall, we knew this would be a great chance to create a feature wall, so I began looking for wallpapers we liked.
Our main aim was to keep the entrance neutral, as we’re personally not big fans of bright wall colours. Instead, we chose a bold, monochrome pattern that we knew would be a great talking point.
Our console table always gets a lot of attention too! The hairpin legs and chunky oak top give a warm and welcoming feel but with a modern twist. We love it, and it's a definite focal point in the hallway.
We finished off the space with some houseplants. I find adding house plants to any room can instantly lift your mood and help soften harsh lines. They are also a great way to add more interest to a room.
Planning your hallway décor
If we were to look back, I would have decorated the hallway a lot sooner than we did. It ended up being one of the last spaces we fully finished in our home, as we couldn't decide on the perfect wall decor. Now that it’s finished, it makes me smile every time I walk downstairs and I feel proud to open our door to guests.
There are no rules when it comes to decorating your home, as long as it makes you happy. However, if I could go back to when we first moved in, I would have thought more about planning ahead.
Generally the best place to start is with the walls. In our case this was the wallpapered feature wall, but you might choose paint or panelling. Then you can build up an idea of what else will fill the space best.
Luckily hallways tend to be smaller spaces, meaning you have fewer decisions to make around what to put where. For us, there was only one place the mirror could go, so it worked well in the end.
If you struggle to visualise your ideas, a tip would be to search on social media for others with similar homes to you. There will most likely be home accounts for your exact Persimmon house type! Then you can see what would fit well in the space you have and what decor suits your style.
This is exactly what we did before moving into our Hanbury. It gave us a good idea of where to start with each room and what end goal we were aiming for.
Remember, this is your home, and ultimately you go with the style you like most. That being said, here are some general hallway decorating ideas to give you the foundations.
Hallway colour ideas
Your hallway paint colour sets the scene for the look you want to achieve. For example, dark colours can work well in small spaces if there is a lot of light pouring in. If your hallway has large windows or a skylight, a deep blue or black doesn't necessarily have to mean dull and moody. With clever lighting and the right accessories, it can work beautifully.
If you're wondering how to lighten a dark hallway however, avoid a dark colour palette as this could make it feel even smaller. In this case sticking with white, beige and lighter colours can help reflect the light, making the space feel bigger than it is.
For more inspiration and tips, read our article on how to use colour in your home.
Using wallpaper in hallways
Wallpapering is a quick and easy way of totally transforming a room. It can be inexpensive, yet give a luxury feel.
Vertical striped wallpaper will elongate hallway walls, drawing the eye up and creating the illusion of higher ceilings. This combined with pale colours will help open up the space, especially if you have a small or narrow hallway.
Wallpapering doesn't have to mean big bold patterns; it can also add subtle textures to a wall which add depth to the room. Keeping the wallpaper subtle allows you to add more accessories without looking overcrowded. Most flooring options will also work well with it.
Flooring for high traffic areas
People constantly come and go through hallways, bringing in the outdoors and taking off shoes at the end of a busy day. This can result in stained carpets and marks on rugs.
One thing I would change in our Hanbury would be the carpet in the hallway. I personally think hard floors are the best option for even the busiest of hallways. They are super hard-wearing and more resilient, making it easy to clean and maintain.
We have two dogs and we find ourselves using the back door for this exact reason. Durable options like hardwood, porcelain and LVT (luxury vinyl tiling) will work well in a hallway. Browse Persimmon’s Finishing Touches options to see what you could choose from.
Hallway lighting options
Small hallways can sometimes have little natural light, so you want to create as much light as possible. Ideally, there should be a light source every 8-10 feet, at least 7 feet from the floor. If you’re struggling to incorporate sources of light, a mirror will help bounce light around the space, giving the illusion of a bigger room.
Wall lights can help draw your eye into the house, but go generally work better in wider spaces. For a hallway, pendant lights are my favourite. They’re elegant, timeless and you can add character with an interesting lampshade.
We’ve recently updated our lampshade to an industrial-style pendant as it ties in well with the console table. The glass also helps bounce light around the space.
Hallway furniture ideas
Console tables are especially popular in hallways now, but they have always been a classic piece of furniture. Not only does a console table look welcoming and inviting, but it also serves a practical purpose.
Console tables are designed to be slimmer to suit a narrow hallway, and are convenient for holding keys and mail. They can come in all shapes, sizes and styles – from rustic and industrial to modern and glitzy.
Decorate a table with your favourite candle and vase to make it an attractive focal point for visitors. I’ve added a family picture and reed diffuser to our console table. Whatever you choose, it’s best to keep these decorative items to a minimum as you don't want the space to feel cluttered.
If we had more space I would add a bench to our hallway, which could be an option for you. Benches can be great if you have young children – providing a space to sit and put on shoes, whilst doubling up as storage.
Maximising storage in your hallway
Storage can be a struggle in many homes, but utilising hallways for storing shoes, coats and bags can be a real game changer. Luckily, in the Persimmon Hanbury there is a slight bend in the wall where we can hide away the coat hooks. I love this feature, and it’s something I spotted on another Hanbury Instagram account before we moved in.
You could also make the most of storage under your stairs. Most Persimmon homes come with a storage cupboard under the stairs, but we’re also planning to add storage accessed from the front of the stair.
It's a unique way of adding secret storage and using what’s normally a wasted space. I'm looking forward to being able to hide away the shoes in there and keeping the hallway free of mess.
DIY hallway decor ideas
If you’re decorating a hallway on a budget or want to put a truly personal stamp on your home with DIY projects, here are some great ideas.
- Wallpapering is an inexpensive and quick way to transform your entryway. You can finish it in a few hours, and you can do it yourself easily.
- Wall panelling is great for hallways. Both on-trend and timeless, the elongated lines can make the space look longer and bigger than it appears. Pick up a budget-friendly panelling kit or do it completely from scratch by measuring MDF and bead mouldings.
- Create your own rustic console table by upcycling a piece of wood such as a plank or timber sleeper. All you’ll need is sanding paper, a lick of varnish and some hairpin legs.
- Simply adding wall art such as large, framed pictures can elongate the space and draw your eye down the hallway. Here are some wall art ideas that might give you inspiration.
- Upcycling old and unloved pieces of furniture can add lots of character to a space. Older pieces are usually better quality, too. Search Facebook Marketplace and local charity shops for old drawers and benches that could work well in your hallway. Generally they’ll only need a light sanding and new layer or varnish and paint to give them a new lease of life.
With these modern hallway ideas in mind, you’ll be able to design and create the perfect entryway to suit your new Persimmon home. When you finish, send us a picture! We love to see our homeowners transform their spaces.
You can see more of Lucy’s beautiful home on her Instagram account, @our_hanbury_hideaway.
