You want to make a good first impression so that when you come home from a long day you have a nice welcoming hallway to greet you and you immediately feel relaxed.
It’s also really pleasant to have a place that feels right to welcome guests. So don’t just treat this space as somewhere to walk through to get to the rest of your home. Treat your hallway as somewhere special so that you make that good first impression every time.
As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Check out some of our favourite finishing touches to help create a welcoming hallway.
Console table
Whether your hallway is grand or compact the one item you should invest in is a console table to inject some of your personality into the space. On the table display your favourite pieces – a collection of photographs, books, a beautiful piece of porcelain or a bowl of flowers or vase of greenery – or all of these! A table lamp will provide ambient light and therefore a nice welcome.
Little Greene Brook Street wallpaper in Etruscan, £90 per roll; wall and stairs in Lamp Black; ceiling and trim in Tuscan Red. From £48.50 for 2.5 litres Matt Emulsion. littlegreene.com
An inviting hallway colour
The wall colour you choose will say a lot about you and your home. Consider wall paneling painted an off white to complement richer colour on the remaining walls. Or paint a small wall in a dark grey or an injection of colour.
A dramatic floor
There are two thing to consider when choosing the flooring. Firstly the practical one; as you enter your home the first metre collects the majority of the dirt from your shoe. At the very least ensure you have a good quality door mat. And secondly, hallway flooring creates a great visual opportunity. Terracotta flooring is back on trend – a classic style, hard wearing, practical and beautiful too. A rug is also a good idea as it will collect any remaining dirt from your shoes, as well as providing colour and texture to define the space.
A place to sit
If you have the room a bench or small sofa will define the space as a room rather than just somewhere to pass through. Together with a rug, table and lamp you will turn this area into a really nice place to be.
Country hallway from Amara. Wall mirror, £150; galvanised bucket with rope handles, £25; Iron towel hooks, set of three, £20. amara.com
Expert storage
There is nothing worse than entering a home to be greeted by a pile of footwear that you have to step over. If you have the space then consider a built in cupboard, particularly if you don’t have a separate large laundry/mud room. At the very least, have a large basket to throw your shoes into.
Bespoke lighting
A beautiful pendant will provide a focal point and a table lamp will offer soft ambient light. Wall lights are back in fashion and hallways and staircases are a great place to install these. Remember that good lighting is really key to having a welcoming hallway.
Finishing touches
Nothing else says more about you than your choice of art and a favourite piece, or several pieces, in the hallway will bring you joy and will also tell your visitors so much about you. Alternatively a collection of family photos is a great way to decorate this area. A mirror is an excellent idea to touch up make-up and arrange hair to ensure you leave the house each day looking great!
Read more:
A Bit of What You Like
Top 10 Home Design Trends for 2021
Made in Ireland
Set Featured Image Credit: Grosvenor Wilton Adams runner in Jet from the Geometric collection. £180 per linear metre. hamilton-flooring.com
