The hallway is often the first thing people see when they enter your home. Even if they are not asked in but are at your front door, the hallway is behind you. This is the first impression people get of you and your family, so how can you make it as interesting as possible without filling it with clutter?
Keep It Light
Hallways often do not have much natural light compared to the rest of your home, so keep your decorating to light colors. This can be complemented with a darker colored carpet or wooden floor, but the walls should not be in dark tones. Then the lack of natural light will not be so obvious and the lighter colors can give the illusion of more space.
If you opt for the wooden floors consider putting a hall runner to add some color and make your hall more inviting. They are quite cheap to buy and lovely to sink your feet into after a hard day at work. Because they are inexpensive, it is not too much bother to change them occasionally, such as if you redecorate.
Hang Some Pictures
You can dress up your hallway by hanging some pictures, light colored walls being the perfect backdrop for them. Whether they are paintings or family photographs, hung in a way that makes your hallway like a small gallery can give you and your family much pleasure.
Consider A Talking Point
Having something different in your hallway that is something people want to talk about can be a great way to get people into a conversation, particularly if they are strangers to your home and it is their first visit.
Console tables, which you can find at http://www.sunpan.com, with a small sculpture or statuette with some meaning are a popular way of doing this, and they do not take up an enormous amount of room. Just choose a solid looking table that fits with the rest of the decor and it will look great.
Keep It Tidy
Your hall needs to be kept tidy, so that salesman at your front door does not get the impression that you are a messy household. This is somewhere else where console tables can help. They are a good place to put a decorative bowl for keys, and everyone in the family will know where the keys are kept. The only extra tip here is not to place the key bowl to close to the front door or a window, as someone sneaky might just help themselves.
Mirrors
Mirrors, which you can buy at https://www.athome.com/mirrors/, can always make the illusion that a room is bigger than it really is and hallways are no exception. They are good for adding light, for have a quick look at yourself before leaving home and can be the focal point of your hall.
Give It Some Tender Loving Care
You need to think of your hallway as you would any other room in your home. Just because you do not actually spend time in it but only walk through it on your way from one room to another does not mean that it should not get the same tender loving care that the rest of your home gets.
Your hallway can be so much more, so help it shine!