Turn the Hallway Into a Focal Point
Not quite a room and usually neglected on the decorating front, it's about time to dress up the hallway
Joanna Tovia
19 February 2017
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
Every well-designed room has a focal point, and the same should be true for the hallway. This oft-neglected component of the house not only reflects its owners’ attention to detail, but also their decorating proficiency. The hallway is an opportunity, in other words, to strut your stuff in the style stakes, and show off your talent for interior design. The good news is that there are some tried-and-tested ways to draw the eye up a hallway; all you need to do is select a focal point that suits your home and taste.
A spot to sit
Even if you never actually sit here, an occasional chair can form the basis for an eye-catching hallway vignette. The runner, chair, accessories and artwork all tie in together in this home, and the contemporary design of the chair and side table set the tone. Against an all-white background, this vignette positively pops.
Even if you never actually sit here, an occasional chair can form the basis for an eye-catching hallway vignette. The runner, chair, accessories and artwork all tie in together in this home, and the contemporary design of the chair and side table set the tone. Against an all-white background, this vignette positively pops.
Like the home as a whole, this hallway has tribal overtones in a contemporary context. A chair in a contrasting or bright colour draws attention, no matter what its design. Wallpaper that points the way adds extra oomph here, but a navy hallway with a white chair at the end would work just as well …
… as this hallway reveals.
Impressive artwork
A painting, print or sculpture is a prime opportunity to reveal the real you. Something earthy or whimsical, for example, says something completely different from an ultra-modern poster with edge.
Top Tips on Choosing and Hanging Art
A painting, print or sculpture is a prime opportunity to reveal the real you. Something earthy or whimsical, for example, says something completely different from an ultra-modern poster with edge.
Top Tips on Choosing and Hanging Art
An artwork needn’t be bright and bold to attract attention. A sketch or framed photo positioned as part of a display can make the end of a hallway so intriguing that people step out of their way just to take a peek.
Imagine this hallway without the art. The architectural details in the house speak volumes, but the artwork complements the home’s simple elegance beautifully.
A painting that reflects your great love – whether that’s a person, a hobby, or location – can be given pride of place in the hall. You’ll pass by multiple times a day, and it’s just the thing to serve as an exclamation point in what can otherwise be a non-event space in the house. The surfboards in this hallway just reinforce what visitors already know about the homeowner through the artwork.
A little greenery
Planters and pot plants are not something you typically expect at the end of a hallway, and that’s precisely the reason you should try it. Juxtaposing leafy greens with a sleek, modern planter makes a confident statement. If your hallway is on the dark side, pick plants that can withstand low light.
10 Ways to Bring the Great Outdoors Into Your Apartment
Planters and pot plants are not something you typically expect at the end of a hallway, and that’s precisely the reason you should try it. Juxtaposing leafy greens with a sleek, modern planter makes a confident statement. If your hallway is on the dark side, pick plants that can withstand low light.
10 Ways to Bring the Great Outdoors Into Your Apartment
Tantalising glimpse
If your hallway can offer a taste of what’s to come in the next room, so much the better. A credenza adorned with objets d’art, an occasional chair, or a wall of contrasting wallpaper can draw the eye and the feet into the room.
If your hallway can offer a taste of what’s to come in the next room, so much the better. A credenza adorned with objets d’art, an occasional chair, or a wall of contrasting wallpaper can draw the eye and the feet into the room.
In the same house, a black and white runner marches down the hallway into the next room, and our eye is drawn there with the help of a bright blind and pendant. Take a look around your own house, considering the main sightlines from the either end of the hallway. What kind of focal points could you add to create a sense of flow? Doing so will make your home feel put together and instantly more harmonious.
What colour should you paint the ceiling?
What colour should you paint the ceiling?
Without the chair in the room at the end of this hallway, our eye doesn’t know what to look at first. Add in the chair and we are transported out into the view.
Beauty amplified
When your hallway is already beautiful, because of the materials, detail or decor, adding unnecessary colour isn’t always wise. A mirror can be the right choice to make more of what’s already in the space, and provide a focal point at the same time.
TELL US
Does your hallway have a focal point that works? Share your thoughts or post a photo in the Comments.
MORE
Browse more hallway photos
When your hallway is already beautiful, because of the materials, detail or decor, adding unnecessary colour isn’t always wise. A mirror can be the right choice to make more of what’s already in the space, and provide a focal point at the same time.
TELL US
Does your hallway have a focal point that works? Share your thoughts or post a photo in the Comments.
MORE
Browse more hallway photos
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Any suggestions for a hall that already has something at the end... I have a bank of cabinets (perhaps intended as a linen closet) in the traditional ugly yellow oak--but definitely precious storage space. A bedroom door flanks both sides so no room for a chair/table. Color? Take off doors and turn into an art gallery?