How to design and decorate a hallway

Example of a Design Board for a hall

Now, I’m not talking about a mudroom - I’ll write an article on that soon, as there are also lots of things to take into account! Here I’m talking about an entrance to your chez toi, which is where you’ll enter every time you come home, and also where you’ll welcome your guests when they arrive. So you probably want some hallway ideas to create a very warm and welcoming space, which functions well for your family and also looks great for your guests!

So first things first, let’s talk about function, as usual! Ask yourself what the space has to actually ‘do’. Is your entrance the place where you store sports equipment? School bags? Do you need a space for shoes? Or does that happen somewhere else in the house? Or would you love it to happen somewhere else, and want to make that change with a redesign? (although, remember, it’s difficult to change everyone’s habits unless there’s a major incentive!). Do you hang coats (and scarves, hats and gloves in the winter!) in the entrance? Do you mind seeing the coats etc. so they could be hung on hooks, or would you prefer them tidied away in a wardrobe or cupboard?

Also, think about when you come in and out of the house. What ‘stuff’ do you have to carry? Groceries? Wet umbrella? Car keys? Dog lead? I find that all these kinds of things always end up in the entrance, no matter who is using it! So you may as well design places for these things to go, as they’re going to end up cluttering up the space anyway, if you don’t. So do you have a tray for keys? A hook for the dog lead? Perhaps leaving space just inside the door to be able to put the groceries down when you’re unloading the car would be useful rather than putting the table just there. Ok, you get the idea ! As usual, you can make a list of the different uses of the space, and the type of furniture you’ll need for each use.

So now let’s think about a few examples and hallway storage ideas. You’ve decided that you want your coats on hooks, you can now decide what kind of hooks you want. First think about how many hooks you’ll need - three per person in the house? Or six? Or maybe only one, as you have a wardrobe nearby and you’d like everyone to put their other coats and jackets in there. Hooks can be in a row of several hooks mounted on a board, or you could have single hooks at different levels for different items (hats above, for example). Or you can have round circles which are decorative when nothing is hanging on them.

Another example is shoes. Do you and your family take off your shoes in the hall before going further into the house? If yes, then a storage bench in the hallway is very useful to facilitate lace-tying! (for the adults anyway, my teenagers re-lace their sneakers so that they never have to tie their laces!). Under the bench you can have shelves for storing shoes so that you don’t trip over them, and they are relatively tidy. Think about how much storage you actually need, ie. how many pairs of shoes do you and your family each store in the entrance? Is it five? Or if you’re me it’s about 15! (Or maybe even 20 during the summer…) You get the picture!

Sports equipment is often stored in large, ungainly and frankly ugly bags. I always think a cupboard is best for this, to keep it out of the way and keep the hall looking good. A built-in cupboard is great if you have the space - and make sure that the shelf height (and if possible width) is variable, so that you can store everything from golf clubs to yoga mats.

Now for aesthetics! This is the fun bit, because your space has to be functional, but it can also be beautiful! Remember, with the aesthetic side, you have to think about what you see when you’re in the actual space itself, but also what you see from adjacent rooms, the perspectives. So it might not bother you to see coats and school bags and relative mess while you're in the entrance, but when you’re relaxing on your sofa with a glass of wine, and you can see the entrance out of the corner of your eye, will it bother you then?!

Now is also the time to ask yourself how you want to feel in the space - cosy? Warm and welcomed? And also how you want your guests to feel in the space - do you want to create an elegant space? Or maybe you want to impress them with a luxurious hallway? Or do you want them to feel at home right away? Once you’ve decided how you want to feel in the space, and how you want your guests to feel, choose two or three words which you’ll refer to when you’re choosing the furniture on your list. 

As usual, start with either the biggest piece of furniture or with the walls. Did you see some wallpaper or a paint color that you absolutely love? Go for it! It’s wonderful to have something that you love in your home, especially in the entrance, as you’ll see it and feel great every time you leave and come home! Or in terms of furniture, look for a bench or an umbrella stand on your favorite websites. Then base the rest of your choices on what will go (or contrast!) with that.

One last thing, a mirror in a hall is often a very good idea. Hallways often don’t have many windows - which are often reserved for spaces where we spend more time. So a mirror in a hallway will help brighten the space by reflecting what light there is. And they’re very handy for checking how you look before you go and face the world! You can also reinforce the style of the hallway by choosing the shape and style of the mirror frame in keeping with your ambiance words. If you can’t find anything you particularly like, or the dimensions are very specific, you could try going to a picture framer and having them make up a custom mirror.

I hope this has been useful and that you now have more hallway storage and decoration ideas! If you’d like any help, just give me a call!