6 Hallway Decor Ideas You Have Never Thought Of

Not only do hallways create a bridge between all the rooms in your home, but they make a crucial first impression on your guests and more importantly - on you and your family! So, we can’t help but wonder why hallways don’t get more of the attention that they deserve?

We pass in and out of them without blinking. It’s where we flip our shoes off and plonk our bags down. With all that mistreatment, don’t you think it’s time we gave our hallways a bit more attention?

To discover new, exciting ways to update the entrance of your home, read our 6 hallways décor ideas. It’s time to give your hallway the love and care it so rightly deserves.

1. Clever hallway décor storage solutions and organisers

Mural in photo - Pale Green Terrazzo

As soon as you step through the door after a hard day at work, you want to feel totally relaxed - having a clutter-free hallway is key. No one wants to open the front door and see an assault course of shoes, bags, coats and mail scattered before them. So, here are the key items that you need to be organised in your hallway.

Cupboard space to keep your shoes safe and sound

There’s a huge range of shoe storage out there which is designed for the hallway. We recommend choosing slim drawings or closed shelves which are tall enough for you to fit all your shoes inside - from your floral flip flops to your winter boots. We think that the above natural wood and white storage with our beautiful Pale Green Terrazzo wallpaper looks perfect. Not only are these drawers functional but easy on the eye! Don't they just look great with this stylish terrazzo wall mural?

Tip - Try to opt for covered shoe storage. This will stop your footwear from getting dusty if you haven’t worn them for a while!

Coat hangers to keep your coats away from the floor

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It is so important to have somewhere to hang your coats, hats and scarfs as soon as you walk through the door. After all, it’s one of the first things you take off when you walk in. Fit coat hanger rails onto the wall, or if you have a large hallway, why not opt for a coat stand? This would look great in a period style property!

Organisers to hide away keys, mail and random trinkets

For some reason, the hallway always seems to be bombarded with junk that passes through on a daily basis. Whether it’s that rubbish mail that you know you never need to open, your hunks of keys laden with key rings, piles of sunglasses or that book that needs to go back upstairs - there is always something lying about in the hallway! Los Angeles Interior Designer, John Linden, has some fantastic ideas on how to organise your hallway junkyard.

Decluttering starts with organizing and hallways are great places for wall hanger organizers. Post boards, key and purse hooks, all sorts of these organizers are available.

2. Welcoming wall art and colours schemes to open up a small hallway

Often, the hallway is the smallest area of the house. After we have placed shoe storage as well as somewhere to hang our coats, it can often become quite cramped. Read on for our wall art and colour solutions to maximize your hallway area.

Space-enhancing striped wall murals

Whether you want to elongate your hallway vertically or horizontally, opt for striped wall art. Now don't be scared. Striped walls don't have to resemble a clown's pyjamas. Opting for a wood panel effect wallpaper or designs with simple touches of lines work wonderfully in a hallway. Vertical lines will create the illusion of high ceilings whilst horizontal lines will draw the eye forward, making the room appear much longer.

This is what makes this Horizon wallpaper ideal in this small hallway. Not only is this designer wallpaper artistic, but the tones are classic and unimposing. What a fantastic wall statement for the entrance of your home!

Light colour schemes

Choose wall paints and furniture in neutral colours to open up your hallway. They will help the natural light bounce off the walls and make the room appear much brighter and bigger. Interior design blogger, Sarah from Dream of Home, tells us how she updated her own hallway.

The glass front door makes the space feel very light, and we've used neutrals/pastel colours to make the space inviting.

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Maximize the space with mirrors

Another option is to use mirrors instead of striped  designer wallpaper. Not only will using mirrors in your small hallway reflect more light, but they extend the eye and enhance the space. GHID Design gives their advice on how they used mirrors to create more space in one of their client's homes.

To help open up the space we used four different sizes of mirrors scattered across the long hallway. The mirrors create interest and also help to bounce light throughout the space.

3. Funky flooring hallway décor ideas to make a welcoming statement

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If you want an instant transformation in your hallway, opt for funky flooring. There’s such an amazing range of styles available in a choice of materials from tile, linoleum or LVT. Choose vintage tile patterns, terrazzo speckles, marble-effect or even fake grass! Funky flooring is certainly an easy way to make your hallway more interesting and atmospheric.

Tip – if new flooring is out of your budget, buy a patterned carpet runner instead!  

4. Tricks to deal with an open-planned hallway

Do you live in an open-planned apartment or walk straight into your living room from outside? Just like this Black and White Marble wallpapered hallway, it can be difficult to partition the entrance area from the rest of the house. Here's the answer...

Box off the hallway area with furniture

The issue with an open-planned hallway is that you don’t really have a hallway! But that doesn’t have to stop you from trying to create one.

I created one in our lounge by laying out my furniture in such a way. As you walk in, there's a sideboard on your right with the stairs right in front of you. The back of the sofa is in line with the front door on the left, creating a fairly wide walkway - Sarah from Dream of Home

Another way to box off the hallway area is to install a wall mural on the wall as you come into the room like the above marble wallpaper. It breaks off the entrance from the rest of the room, giving the area its own sense of style which is different to the rest of the room.

Tip – Hallways are great draught stoppers, but when you don’t have one, things could get a bit chilly! Fit a brush draught excluder at the bottom of the front door. Avoid sausage dog style draught excluders. They block the entrance to your home which is not only annoying but dangerous if you need to get out quick.

5. Hallway décor ideas to suit the era of your home

It is always good to know the period in which your property was built so that your interior design mimics that era. Of course, we don’t want your home to look like a museum. But by adding vintage décor that gives a gentle nod to that time in history will bring the periodic features of your home to life. It doesn’t matter if you live in an Edwardian townhouse, a '70s building or a millennial flat, every home holds its own sense of historical character.

The above Vintage Tones wallpaper fits like a glove in this early 20th century home. The high ceilings and touches of antique furniture really revel in this vintage  tile-effect wallpaper.

We also want to take this opportunity to tell you about one of our latest designers, Tashi Tsering. His beautiful designs are intricately detailed and abundant with luxurious colours which are reminiscent of Victorian chinoiserie wallpaper. We love this Luxe Kimono Green wallpaper. The chintz style of the herons and flowing florals would make a beautiful feature wall in any hallway - especially in an older property.

Tip – When taking off old wallpaper, have you discovered the original wallpaper of the property lying underneath? Use this style to inspire you on your new wall mural choice!

6. Choose black and white hallway décor ideas if all else fails

If you’re stuck on a colour scheme for your hallway, the easy way to achieve a striking and stylish look is to opt for black and white décor. After all, this two-toned colour scheme is a classic and will suit any style of home. Don’t think that these tones will darken a room. By choosing the right monochrome décor, you won't cast your hallway into darkness.

We adore this Antique Illustration of Indian Jungle wall mural in this period property. The light and shadow, as well as the intricate detail of the drawing, making this design a truly beautiful wallpaper.

Tip – reds, mustard yellows and forest green shades all look fabulous with black and white. Choose one of these colours and find a select few ornaments in this shade to make the mural really pop!

If you have any tips or questions about hallway décor ideas, please leave a comment below and we will respond.