The humble hallway deserves more attention than it gets. It is the very first room that you step into in your home and the last glimpse you see as you leave. The hallway fulfils an important function, acting as the entryway and exit for a house while providing a barrier between the front door and the main living space. But people may neglect the look of their hall because it is not somewhere you spend large amounts of time.
Make your hall somewhere that makes you smile every time you come downstairs in the morning or get home from a long day from work with these design tips.
Choose a Light Colour
Quite often, halls can be the darkest places in your house because they are generally quite small, and it is difficult to incorporate windows if the only external wall is the one with the front door. To give the illusion of space, choose a light colour to paint or wallpaper your walls. Pastel colours such as pink, lime green, and yellow look good in a hallway, and they can also lighten your mood.
You can even get away with white walls if you add colour in other places, such as paintings on the wall or a coloured carpet or patterned runner rug. Hanging a few mirrors can also be a clever way of giving the illusion of more space by reflecting the available light.
Utilise the Space
It is very important to consider the layout of your hall. Think about the space available and what you will need to put in there. Things that generally belong in a hall are shoes and coats, so you could think about building a cupboard or buying a dresser to store bits and bobs like gloves and umbrellas. Think about getting an alcove installed for coats, so they are not cluttering up the small space you have available.
Never neglect the space under the stairs: this is the perfect opportunity to build a storage space, and some people even create tiny bathrooms or workspaces under there. As staircase suppliers, Darcy Joinery can design staircases to your specifications, and you can choose to have an open space under the stairs to open up your hallway and create more liveable space.
Make the Stairs Stand Out
As staircase suppliers, we are passionate about making staircases that stand out, have character, and add beauty to a home. If you are looking for a new staircase to truly refresh your home, we can design staircases that suit the whole style of the property to your exact specifications.
Stairs should not be boring. You can do so much with the type of timber used, the carving, and the shaping. Once your staircase is complete, you could even paint it to the exact colour you want and add additional elements like a stair runner. You can choose décor for the stairs that really complements the hallway design, such as incorporating the same style of carpet or hanging picture frames in matching timber.
Add a Lighting Centrepiece
To cope with the lack of natural light, make sure you pick some hallway lighting that is not only practical but really stands out and illuminates the room. Consider something decorative like a pendant light that can add height and texture to a space. The hallway has limited space and adding furniture pieces or artwork as the design focal point can create clutter. But when you choose a stunning light fixture that acts as the design centrepiece, you get the benefit of a beautiful hallway without needing to compromise on space.
A Gallery Up the Stairs
If you want to add lots of pictures to the hallway, the wall that climbs up the stairs is a great place to hang photos and art pieces. You can create a gallery wall in your very own home. There’s no need to be strategic or careful with placement, as the unusual shape of the blank wall as it slopes up the stairs makes the perfect place to hang lots of pictures.
Spruce Up the Door
Your door can be used as a focal point in your room, or it could be used practically to hang things on. Whatever you choose to do with your door, make sure it fits the style of the house. If you own a period property, never go for a PVC option. Darcy Joinery is also a door supplier in Manchester, and we can design a fantastic door to suit your property from a wide range of timbers and in endless styles.
If your property has ornate features or you want a vintage look, we can make doors with moulding for added detail. You should also consider having panel windows inserted either into the door itself or around it to add light to your hall.
We hope this has given you some great inspiration for maximising the space that is so easily forgotten in a home. Your hall can be so much more than a passing place, but somewhere that visitors will admire. It is highly possible to have a beautiful and practical place rolled into one. For further information on our internal doors in Manchester, bespoke joinery in Manchester, or to discuss project requirements, please contact us.