Hallway

Which wallpaper suits a narrow hallway?

A wallpaper in a narrow hallway should have a rhythm that works between doors, corners and storage. Vertical or smaller organic patterns can give direction without heightening the corridor feel. Ashfield Floral Wallpaper offers a botanical expression, while striped wallpapers are a better comparison if you want to work more deliberately with height.

How do you get more light into a dark hallway?

More light in a dark hallway comes from several surfaces working together: mirror, wall colour or wallpaper, and fittings at the right height. A mirror such as Rhea Walnut Mirror can reflect existing light, while Rosehill Large Plafond provides general light without taking up much visual space in a tight passage. At the same time, check how the choice works with the floor, door frames and existing storage.

Can wallpaper withstand the wear of a hallway?

Wallpaper can work well in a hallway if you choose the material and placement with everyday wear in mind. Check the care instructions and avoid delicate surfaces exactly where bags, coats and furniture are constantly brushing against the wall. Morris & Co Compton Wallpaper and Sanderson Henton Wallpaper should be judged on their own product specifications. At the same time, check how the choice works with the floor, door frames and existing storage.

How big should the hallway mirror be?

A hallway mirror should be large enough to do a practical job but not so wide that it crowds out storage or lighting. In a narrow hallway, vertical proportions are often useful. Vilmos Metallic Gold Mirror, Ryan Mirror and Crofton Lighted Brass Vanity Mirror show different ways of combining mirror surface and form.

What lighting works in a hallway without windows?

A hallway without windows needs even general light and ideally a second layer of light that makes the mirror and walls easier to read. Prescott Plafond Medium or Arabelle Plafond can provide ceiling light, while Eaton Linear Wall Light can complement it along the wall or near the mirror. At the same time, check how the choice works with the floor, door frames and existing storage.

Hallway wallpaper: the pattern needs to cope with many interruptions

A hallway is rarely an unbroken rectangle. Doors, wardrobes, openings and console tables mean that a wallpaper repeat is often cut off in several places. It is therefore wise to choose a pattern that still makes sense in narrow sections of wall. Ashfield Floral Wallpaper, Morris & Co Strawberry Thief Wallpaper, Sanderson Olivia Wallpaper and Cole & Son Magnolia Wallpaper work with motif and scale in different ways.

If the hallway is very narrow, a stripe can give clear direction, but it is not automatically more discreet than a botanical motif. Do compare with striped wallpapers and then choose according to ceiling height and the number of door frames. For a general comparison there is also wallpaper, but the hallway's own demands on durability and light should guide the final choice.

Mirrors are function, not just decoration

Mirrors are unusually useful in a hallway, since they both help before you leave home and can carry light further into the room. Rhea Walnut Mirror and Vilmos Metallic Gold Mirror have different material expressions, while Crofton Lighted Brass Vanity Mirror combines the mirror with light. On the mirrors page you can compare more proportions.

Place the mirror where it can actually reflect a light source or a brighter opening. A mirror facing straight onto a dark wall makes less difference than many hope. Think, too, about how it meets a console table. Shagreen Console Table with Drawers, Ovard Minimalist Console Table and French 1920s Console Table offer different depths and visual weight.

Ceiling light and wall light in a dark passage

Ceiling lighting in a hallway needs to cast an even light over floor and storage without hanging down into the walkway. Rosehill Large Plafond, Prescott Plafond Medium and Arabelle Plafond are close-to-ceiling options. For a longer hallway, Eaton Linear Wall Light, Presidio Wall Light Medium or Henri Wall Light can add a second layer.

You can move on to ceiling lights or lighting if the fitting is the next decision. For rugs in the entrance, oriental rugs can offer a different kind of hard-wearing visual surface, but size and door swing must always be checked.

The hallway is also the link to the rest of the home. Colour or material can happily recur from the living room and bedroom without everything matching. When you are logged in, you can visualise wallpaper from the product page in the room before deciding. Then bring photos and measurements to the showroom at Sturegatan 20 for a free consultation on wallpaper, mirrors and lighting.

Floor, wall and storage must withstand the same everyday life

The hallway is where wet shoes, coats, bags and keys meet, which means the materials should be planned as a system. If the wall has a more delicate expression, a console or storage can create distance from the most exposed zone. If the floor is already richly patterned, the wallpaper can be calmer, while a simple floor gives greater freedom on the walls. It is often the interplay between these surfaces that decides whether the hallway feels orderly.

Think, too, about what is visible when the door to an adjoining room stands open. A hallway need not be the same colour as the living room, but a recurring wood tone, metal finish or colour can make the transition natural. That way the entrance becomes part of the home rather than a separate stretch of transit. For a smaller entrance, a few clear materials are often better than many small decorative objects competing with the practical.

Small details take on unusual importance in the hallway because you see them up close every day. Hardware, hooks, lampshades and the edge of the mirror need not match, but they should speak roughly the same material language. Once the bigger decisions are practical, it is precisely such small recurring materials that can make a narrow entrance feel more cohesive.

Also make sure the entrance light can be switched on the moment you come in and that the mirror does not end up where outdoor clothing constantly obscures it. Functions like those are noticed more in the hallway than yet another decorative detail.

Read on: Wallpaper in the Hallway