Hallway decorating is usually not a priority in most homes. And whenever renovation is on the cards, it’s usually left as the last thing to tackle, something of an afterthought. And yet, the entryway is the first and last thing you see of your home – and so do your guests. So if anything, it should look the part – and with our vibrant and elevated hallway colour schemes, it will.
Colour holds a lot of power – it can affect how a space feels and it can certainly bring a hallway idea alive with a simple lick of paint or with some wallpaper. But that’s also why you should give your colour choice some thought as it can have a big impact on how you and your guests perceive the space that will set the tone for the rest of your home. Don’t be afraid to go for a bold shade though.
‘When choosing a colour for a hallway, you need to consider the mood you want to create, the amount of natural light the space receives, and the versatility of the colour you choose,’ says Chris Morgan from Ronseal.
Hallway colour schemes for a showstopping space
‘Hallways can often be an afterthought when decorating,’ confirms Lucy Steele, paint and interiors expert at V&CO. ‘But as the first impression of your home, it is worth paying attention to! And because you won’t be spending as much time here, and there’s less furniture, it’s one of the best places to have a bit of fun and experiment with colour.’
And this is how you can have said fun, while also creating a stylish, elevated space in your home.
1. Go for cooler tones for a relaxing atmosphere
As Chris at Ronseal has already mentioned, the feeling you’re looking to create in your hallway should largely dictate what colours and shades you end up going for. Do you want a calming oasis that will soothe your mind as soon as you walk through the door after a long day of work? Then go for light, cool tones.
‘Think about the atmosphere – different interior paint colours evoke different emotions and so you need to think about what that space will be used for. Do you want to sit down and relax? Generally, cooler colours such as blues, greens, and whites create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.’
Lucy at V&CO adds, ‘A soothing green or a bright grey will give a hotel feel while making the space feel tranquil and relaxing, and put you in the right frame of mind as you step into the home. These light calming colours will make the home feel breathable and spacious, even when there’s not a lot of natural light.’
2. Create a wow factor with warm, bold shades
On the other hand, if you’re going for a vibrant space that will welcome your guests with open, warm arms, then bold shades with warm undertones are the way to go.
‘Brighter shades can be a great way to make your home feel more welcoming,’ says Michael Rolland, paint expert and managing director of The Paint Shed. ‘Consider slightly bolder shades like blushes or reds as a backdrop for a gallery wall of family photos.’
Chris at Ronseal agrees, ‘Are you looking to entertain and host? Warmer colours like reds, yellows, and oranges help to generate energy. Bolder colours such as yellows and reds can also be used to create that wow factor as you enter a home – remember first impressions count.’
3. Mimic the effect of sunlight in a dark hallway
If you’re looking to lighten a dark hallway or you have an entryway that doesn’t receive a whole lot of natural light, then opting for pale yellow or off-white shades can bring the optical illusion of sunlight into the space.
‘In hallways without natural light, opt for lighter tones to enhance the illusion of space and prevent a claustrophobic feel in your home. Pale yellows and warm whites are great choices for mimicking the effect of sunlight, making the hallway feel brighter and more cheerful,’ Michael at The Paint Shed says.
Lucy at V&CO adds, ‘A refined yellow will create a warm, holiday-like ambiance that lends itself to all seasons, while reflecting any natural light that exists in the space.’
4. Go bright and cheerful with bright yellow
What could be warmer and more welcoming than a sunshine yellow hallway? It’s fun, it’s cheerful and it will certainly be remembered by your guests long after they leave.
‘Try a warm and welcoming yellow like Honey Nut or Golden Sands. Yellow is the ultimate mood-boosting colour and will greet you and your guests into your home like a ray of sunshine,’ says Marianne Shillingford, Dulux’s creative director and colour expert.
If bright yellow is too much for you, the butter yellow colour trend is not only applicable to kitchens but can also be brought into any other room of the house, the hallway included.
Even a softer, more muted yellow shade like this Hay paint from Farrow & Ball will have the warming, inviting effect you're after. And it's even endorsed by designer and interiors influencer Matilda Goad.
If you're looking for a buttery yellow to partake in the current colour trend, we cannot recommend this Lick shade enough. So buttery and delicious!
As Marianne suggested, Dulux's Golden Sands yellpow is the perfect shade to coat your hallways in. It's a yellow with a golden undertone.
5. Use a combination of dark and light colours to guide the eye
As already mentioned, you can use strategically positioned colours and paint ideas to guide or trick the eye into thinking your hallway is bigger, wider, higher…or anything else you want it to be.
‘Use layers of lighter and darker contrasting tones to draw the eye through the space and highlight different features,’ advises Marianne. ‘Dark tones make walls look closer and pale tones make them look further away.'
'You can use this trick to alter the perception of a space. For example, to make a long narrow corridor look shorter and wider, paint a deep impactful colour on the wall at the end of the corridor and much paler colours either side and on the ceiling.’
6. Bring the outside in with organic shades
The biophilic design trend of bringing the great outdoors in has been going strong for the past couple of years with no signs of slowing down. And we can’t think of a better place to incorporate this look into than the hallway, the space living on the border between the outdoors and the inside, separating your home from the outside world.
‘Using nature inspired colours in a hallway immediately connects us to the great outdoors and makes spaces feel less hemmed in,’ notes colour expert Marianne. ‘Try a lush organic green such as Bamboo Stem with a soft white like White Cotton for your skirting, doors and ceiling to make the journey from the outside inwards fresh and seamless. The addition of white to frame colour will also keep the hallway looking sharp with crisp lines and edges.’
Olive green is this summer's hot colour trend. And it's the perfect shade for a biophilic hallway, in our opinion. This Little Greene paint is on the darker and cosier end of the olive green spectrum.
Green doesn't need to be dark in order to remind you and your guests of the natural world. This almost pastel shade called Willow Tree from Dulux is the proof of that and it's perfect for smaller hallways.
Limewash effect is the ultimate organic-looking finish owing to its irregular nature. Pair that with a green shade like this Rust-Oleum one and your hallway will be reminiscent of a beautiful forest.
7. Envelope the space with colour drenching
Put the white paint away and go for one wrap-around colour for woodwork, walls and even the ceiling. This will draw attention away from the edges and make the space feel larger.
‘Colour drenching, especially when using darker brave colours, works best in small spaces like hallway or corridor,’ says Justyna Korczynska, senior designer at Crown. ‘By enveloping a small space in a colour, the focus shifts from noticing the size of that space to just appreciation of the shades that surround us.’
8. Create a pink palace
With Dulux revealing their colour of the year 2024 as a sweet, dusky pink, it's safe to say that this shade is top of our radars for an on-trend update. It makes a great choice for a hallway as it's light enough to feel like a neutral, while still adding a playful taste that hints as to what's to follow.
The best pink paints will provide you with plenty of inspiration for which shade will suit your home, depending on whether you want to go bold or as pale as possible. It's also super easy to accessorise with light wood and plenty of plants for an inviting entryway.
9. Opt for a new neutral
'New neutrals' are shades similar to beige and grey that offer a versatile base look with a little bit more interest. Khaki and mushroom tones are the latest in this offering as they'll be simple to add to your interior while also making a hallway look expertly designed.
It's also a straightforward way of achieving a modern hallway idea without sticking to a clean white palette. Opting for the latest paint trend of earthy shades will instantly upgrade an entryway.
10. Pick a pastel combination
Stuck between two (or more) shades? Don't worry about making a decision, just go for both! There are so many colours that pair perfectly together, particularly pastel tones that will give you a sugary sweet greeting every time you arrive home.
As well as combining multiple colours, using colour drenching will elevate the look even further and make a narrow hallway feel larger. 'One of the benefits of colour drenching is that it can help to blur the line where the walls and ceiling meet,' adds Michael at The Paint Shed. 'This creates the illusion of more height and makes the space feel more open.'
11. Create a calming aura with sage green
A hallway forms the entrance and exit between indoors and outdoors, so connecting the two areas through colour will help to make it a seamless transition. Green is not only an on-trend choice but it also exudes a calming aura - essential for busy mornings spent rushing in and out of the house.
'Hallways are the first space that greets us when we come home, and they can set the tone for the rest of our day. That's why it's important to create a hallway that is both welcoming and calming,' says Michael.
'One way to do this is to use shades of green to create a seamless transition from the outside in.'
12. Maintain a pared-back all-white look
Keep things simple with some timeless white hallway ideas. Give all walls and woodwork a fresh lick of the best white paint for a look that's clean, modern and bright. You could also use a matt finish halfway up the wall and a gloss finish on the top to create an interesting textural contrast, all while sticking with basic white. As this room shows, white doesn't have to be boring and makes this downstairs loo look intriguing.
13. Embrace bursts of fiery red
Make a statement with a daring hallway colour idea, like this rich red hallway with red and white checkerboard floors. ‘This year people are making bolder colour choices in their homes, and you cannot get any bolder than bright, hot, dramatic red,’ says Annie Sloan.
‘Use this statement shade in hallways and landings – short bursts of fiery reds work fabulously here and you’ll certainly intrigue the postman with your bold colour choice. Contrast red with mellow and luxurious chocolate browns.’
14. Be bold with colour combinations
To make that 'wow' first impression the key is to be brave with colour combinations and even pattern. As this stunning hallway proves, an accent pop of sunshine yellow looks striking when paired with black.
To keep the look focused try using the accent colours purely on woodwork within the hallway, keeping the main mains in a neutral shade.
A patterned floor works well for combining a paint colour scheme, plus a patterned hallway flooring idea is ideal as it shows up less dirt than a block colour solution.
15. Take an accent colour to waist height
An ideal way to use colour in a hallway is to use a heavier accent colour on the lower portion of the wall leaving the top in a bright white. Balancing the use of colours helps to prevent the space from feeling overwhelmed by the stronger of the two colours. It will also lighten a dark hallway by drawing the eye upwards.
Painting along the hallway but only to waist level frames the space, breaking up a solid corridor of wall. By doing so you're creating a Trompe-l'œil effect that can give a different perspective, making the space feel bigger and the ceilings higher.
16. Showcase the stairs
An imaginative staircase idea can do wonders to transform a hallway in an instant. Liven up a white hallway with the addition of an accent colour painted on the stairs.
Less is so much more with this modern approach to a hallway colour scheme. Go for any colour you love, painting it on staircase risers and drawing attention to them with brilliant white treads and backdrop.
17. Pick out the woodwork in contrasting colours
There are those that say never paint the original woodwork on a stairway but we say when it looks this good, why not?
Picking out the woodwork on a staircase in a bold contrast colour is a great way to modernise your hallway scheme. In this stylish hallway a black wood stain makes the banisters and spindles stand out for all the right reasons.
Going one step further, the design team at Dulux have introduced softer accent colours on the stairs, which works beautifully in the space.
18. Create a refreshing blue entrance
Traditionally homes have small and narrow hallways, often lacking space and light. So select a shade such as Dulux's White Mist to open it up. With a clean slate to work with, you’re then free to add a unique flourish, which is where painting the ceiling, the door, its surrounds and a stripe down one wall comes in.
Dulux's soft blue Mineral Mist keeps things fresh and conjures up a subtle coastal theme in the process. Both of these shades are taken from Dulux's Easycare Washable & Tough range. This paint is more likely to withstand scuffs and marks, which in a high-traffic area like a hallway, is a huge advantage.
19. Opt for shades of calming grey
A calming, soft grey shade will offer a timeless look. Create a restful feel with dove grey hallway ideas by using two shades on the wall for contrast. Helen Ashmore, head of design at Laura Ashley, agrees that dove grey is a perfect choice for a hallway. 'This neutral shade features an underlying hint of red, that will add some warmth to your colour scheme.
'Break up your hallway by creating an architectural feature such as a drop picture rail or a mid-dado rail so you can add depth of colour with a stronger shade. To create tonal variation within the scheme, add a lighter more subtle tone on the main part of the wall.'
Lighten the look with white or cream furniture and glass accessories. It’s incredibly versatile, too. Look for shades that have subtle hints of blue or pink, and dress them using luxe metallics or natural textures.
20. Make an impact with purple
Create a comforting, cosy vibe with beautiful rich tones, such as the berry colour on this panelled wall. This look is super snug and wintery, and if you add a draft-excluding curtain it will keep your home wonderfully warm, too.
Switch curtains, cushions and other soft furnishings with the seasons to keep the feeling relevant and fresh. Use home decor discount codes so you can buy your new items without adding double to your budget.
21. Indulge with opulent tones
To create a luxurious feel in your hallway, Amanda Telford from CTD Tiles recommends going for opulent dark tones from ceiling to floor. ‘Incorporate moodier colours through materials such as paint, wallpaper and tiles. ‘To add intrigue, choose tiles with a touch of pattern,’ Amanda suggests.
FAQs
Should a hallway be darker or lighter than the living room?
There is not necessarily a right and wrong answer to whether a hallway should be darker or lighter than the living room. But each way will produce a different effect so it all depends on your preference and priorities.
‘Having a darker hallway than the living room will make the living room feel more spacious,’ says Marianne Shillingford, Dulux’s creative director and colour expert. ‘My personal preference would be to have a lighter hallway than living room, as a living room is for getting cosy and watching your favourite Netflix series. Whereas you want to come home and feel free – having a brighter and lighter colour will do that. Plus, it will feel more welcoming for your friends and family when they come over.’
What colours are best for a narrow hallway?
A narrow hallway is not uncommon in the UK so it’s not surprising that many look for ways to make a hallway look wider and bigger. So this is how to make a narrow hallway look wider with paint and colour tricks.
‘If the hallway is small and narrow, then bright colours such as white, cream, or pale grey will maximise light and openness,’ says Anjelica Delfino, paint and interiors expert from Valspar Paint.
Marianne Shillingford at Dulux agrees, ‘The key to painting a narrow hallway is to enhance as much of the room’s natural light as possible, and one easy way to do this is with light-reflecting paint colours. Use bright, crisp colours like Fine Cream, Wild Primrose or Brilliant White to trick the eye into thinking the area is brighter and more airy than it actually is.’
What colours brighten a hallway?
Chelsea Clark from I Love Wallpaper comments that many households opt for a neutral colour palette as this ensures often dark and narrow spaces feel light and airy. ‘For those wanting to add a little personality, injecting light and mid-tone shades of pink, blue, yellow and green will instantly add an uplifting and mood-boosting feel to any space,’ she says.
So no more neglecting the hallway – it’s a space filled with colourful potential!
