6 design tips to brighten a dull and dark hallway
If your hallway is narrow, dark and dull, it can be tempting to write it off as a transitional space, and neglect its decoration altogether. But hallways set the tone for our arrivals and departures, and it's likely far easier than you may think to transform your hallway into a bright and welcoming haven packed with purpose.
For a bright entrance, move away from cumbersome furniture and dark colours, and instead, bring your space to life with large mirrors, layers of lighting and a smart approach to flooring.
Lighting is one of the easiest ways to brighten up your hallway, and there are plenty of options out there. Interior designers will often talk about the importance of 'layering' your lighting, which is using light sources that serve different purposes; ambient lighting that provides overall illumination, task lighting that aides in tasks like reading or working, and accent lighting that brings attention to features like art.
In a hallway, your ambient lighting would likely come from a pendant or spotlights, task lighting might be a table lamp that illuminates a console where you keep keys and post, and ambient lighting would be wall lights next to a mirror to help with last looks before you head out.
Wall sconces are real winners in a narrow hallway, and wall mounted uplighters cast a diffused light against the walls and ceiling. If you need a lot of wall lights, you could place them above a row of artwork to give them a secondary purpose.
'Wall lights have grown in popularity over the years,' says Lena Gierasinska, head of product and displays at Barker and Stonehouse. 'Perfect for long hallways and for those looking for a minimalist look, wall lights should sit alongside mirrors and artwork, drawing the eye to the accessories one wishes to display.'
You can usually get away with a lot of ceiling spotlights without detracting from your design scheme, and in the same vein, you could hang a few matching pendant lights – delicate silhouettes would work best in a narrow hallway where chunkier lights can feel a bit imposing.
Fresh colours on your hallway walls can be truly transformative. 'Colour is a wonderful way to brighten up and to add dimension to a hallway,' says interior designer Joanna Wood. 'A vibrant shade of sage green or ochre – which has become incredibly popular recently – will breathe life into a hallway. You can never go wrong painting the space in a very simple bright white, too.'
Justyna Korczynska, colour expert at Crown Paints, gives her expert tips for brightening a narrow, dark hallway with paint:
Bring in areas of a pale colour that will reflect the available light – this could be in stripes or a series of checks or squares.
Try using a metallic paint as a paint effect over a matt emulsion to add shine and reflection and bring a space to life.
Tones of white will obviously be a suitable colour for a bright hallway and can look super stylish – especially if you think about painting woodwork something like a pale grey to give definition.
If you're looking to completely redecorate your hallway space, start with the flooring. Whether you opt for hallway tiles, a soft carpet or stone, this can have a dramatic effect on your entrance.
'The choice of flooring for the hallway will also have a bearing on how light the space feels. Opting for a lighter scheme with large tiles or wooden planks will create the illusion of more space as well as visual impact,' says Joanna.
Always consider a glossy finish if you lay tiles or a laminate floor, anything sealed will make a high-traffic area a little more resilient, and effectively reflect light into a darker space.
'If the space lacks natural light, lighter-toned oak flooring is an excellent option to brighten the area and create a more open feel. Opting for wide, extra long planks can further enhance the sense of space by reducing the number of visible joints, making the hallway feel less confined,' says Ian Tomlinson, MD of Chaunceys Timber Flooring.
There may be the temptation to keep a narrow, dark hallway minimally decorated in order to enhance the sense of space, but mirrored features are worth the investment here.
A large mirror positioned opposite a light source can double the amount of light in the hallway. And even high-shine console tables, lacquered paint on sideboards, shelving, or a wooden staircase will be effective at bouncing the light around.
'You could buy lots of different shapes and sizes of mirrors, both old and new, then paint the frames the same colour as the wall and group together,' says Justyna.
If your hallway is totally devoid of natural light, consider your adjacent rooms. Fitting internal windows or doors with a glass pane can help to stream light into a darker hallway.
'A door with clear or translucent glass is a fantastic way of flooding a hallway with light, and therefore making it seem larger and lighter,' says Joanna.
If structural work is on the cards, extend your doorways into expansive, open arches.
In adjacent rooms, keep your window treatments light and semi-sheer to allow as much natural light as possible.
'Don’t just think about the walls – putting a new coat of paint on woodwork, including stair risers and spindles, really helps to freshen and brighten a hallway,' says Justyna. 'Tones of white will obviously be a suitable colour for a bright hallway and can look super stylish – especially if you think about painting woodwork something like a pale grey to give definition.'
Accentuating trims and mouldings can draw the eye to high ceilings. 'Opt for contrasting colours on trims and mouldings,' says Michael Rolland, managing director of The Paint Shed. 'This simple yet impactful technique helps accentuate the lines and structure of your space.'
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