ANTONIA RICHARDS
‘Our house is a 1960s townhouse split across three floors and this entrance hallway measures approximately 6x2m at its widest. When we renovated the house, we painted everywhere white including the hallway, but it felt too clinical, so I was keen to add colour in some way while keeping white as a base colour. I fell in love with Dulux’s Spiced Honey as soon as I saw it and knew I could make it work in the hallway in the form of a thick colour block stripe. I have shoe storage at the front door and the coat rack provides storage for our coats and scarves. I love my hallway and the only thing I am hoping to change is the flooring: I’m looking for something lighter and brighter. My advice for decorating your hallway is to start with a neutral base then steadily implement colour, and also ensure your hallway décor choices blend with the rest of the house.’ Insta: @all_things_interior_
Hard flooring is best for any hallway entered directly from the outside. Whether it’s porcelain, stone, vinyl or wood, something mop-friendly is essential. A generous doormat that bridges the door and shoe rack can vastly reduce time spent wielding it, though. Go for an inset thick coir mat, in a standard size that can be easily replaced, to avoid it moving or snagging on the door. Machine washable mats are good dirt trappers if shoes off isn’t house policy – try Turtlemat.
Mirrors are brilliant for checking for lippy on your teeth before you leave the house, but they also boost light levels and spaciousness. Double up for twice the impact and make sure there’s something on the opposite wall worth reflecting. Don’t forget the decorative element – be it an interesting shape, distressed frame or neat wirework shelf, mirrors can be works of art in their own right. Try Pooky, Graham & Green and Anthropologie. ‘The hallway of our Edwardian home is 10 x 2.5m and has large stained glass windows. It was the main selling point for me – I love a great entranceway. I decorated my last hallway exactly the same: I just loved it, so we replicated it. The doors had decades of yellowing gloss paint, so we had them ‘stripped and dipped’, fixed the broken cornicing and ceiling rose and picked an oversized feature light. For the stair runner we used carpet from Cormar’s Boucle Neutrals range in the Pembroke Pewter shade. My husband cut it to size, then I ordered thick black cotton tape and sent it to a local carpet whipper, which helped our budget. I’m grateful to have lots of cloakroom storage and cupboards to hide coats and shoes. The best tip ever given to me was to buy washable paint! I went for an off-white, Timeless by Dulux; my kids are forever bringing scooters and bikes through the hall, scuffing the walls, and washable paint is my saviour.’ Insta: @liberty_living
When furnishing hallways, it’s vital to prioritise traffic flow. Any furniture, no matter how beautiful or useful, won’t stay long if it creates a bottleneck. Narrow consoles are obviously a win, but also look for curved units to help steer traffic flow (and prevent nasty knocks) and minimalist designs. Wallmounted units or storage with glass shelves will show off the floor and appear to widen the room.
Plant subscription box, from £20 a month,
Leaf Envy
Left Walls painted in Strong White estate emulsion, £47.95 for 2.5ltrs, Farrow & Ball, and Old Navy Regal Select, from £24 for 940ml, Benjamin Moore. Crescent pendant light mini, £485, The Conran Shop. Antiqued gold pendant mirror, £350, Graham & Green. Sienna console, £369, Swoon Editions. Interior design by Design Led
TO BRING THE OUTSIDE IN!