Deck THE WALLS
The hallway of your house sets the scene from the moment you step inside, and nothing creates more impact than the way you decorate the walls. The colours, patterns and textures you use here will establish a mood for all the rooms that follow, and they also need to flow smoothly through adjoining stairways and landings.
OPPOSITE COMBINE PAPER WITH PANELLING to create an elegant balance of pattern and paintwork. A botanical print such as Baxter by The Paper Partnership (thepaperpartnership.co.uk) provides immediate interest with its intricate, detailed illustrations and lettering.
1 CREATE A DISPLAY of ceramics and other treasures such as hedgerow and beachcombing* finds. Make the most of existing shelves and ledges, where well-chosen artefacts will form intriguing silhouettes against a subtle background colour.
Fix plate holders on the wall to hang favourite pieces from the china cupboard, and use display cases and deep box frames to keep special items safely on show.
2 BE BOLD WITH COLOUR AND PRINTS to add character and style. Here, the tongue-and-groove panelling has been painted a deep midnight blue to echo the background of the Angelica wallpaper by Mimi Pickard (mimipickard.com).
3 MAXIMISE THE DRAMA with a confident, flamboyant paper such as Pimpernel by Morris & Co (stylelibrary.com). Contrasting paintwork will offset areas of rich colour and bold pattern, while a wall-hung mirror will reflect and accentuate the design.
4 USE PAINTINGS AND PICTURES to introduce character and focal points. Hung against a subtle wallpaper print such as Damask from the Peggy Angus collection at Blithfield (blithfield.co.uk), they can highlight your hall’s architecture by following the line of the stairs.