Make an entrance: How to create an inviting hallway

One of the most overlooked spaces in the home doesn’t have to be a place to rush through dropping bags and baggage

Maximising hallway storage in a busy family home keeps discarded shoes off the floor and outdoor wear hung up (Omar shelving unit, €45 at Ikea).

The hallway: neglected, overlooked and too small to do anything special with, right?

Maybe it’s also waste of a good decorating budget that could be put to better use in a room where you actually spend time, abandoning the hall to be littered with detritus of family life; the dropped sports bags and discarded shoes and post piled on a radiator cover, and outdoor wear thrown over the stairs’ bannister.

Natasha Rocca Devine, interior designer and show-home stager knows the value of a good first impression. For halls, she says, “Boost storage with a table or unit where you can place coats bags and shoes, even your phone and post. If there’s no room for a unit, a hall table is an alternative. Also, coat hooks are essential for function and design.”

Using lighting and accessories makes a hall attractive and welcoming and sets the scene for the rest of the home (Dibble pendant light, €182, and Jaggery table lamp €200 at www.pooky.com).

After the practicalities are sorted, she suggests adding styling elements - art, mirrors, photography and accessories which, she says, “Will enhance the space and invite you and your guests into your home with a welcoming glow.”

But not everyone has a decent size hallway to implement this mix of practicality and design.

Natasha offers two solutions for compact spaces. “Mirrors are the most ideal solution for a smaller space,” she says. “A mirror will reflect the light and visually open up the area. Ideal for smaller hallways and perfect when placed opposite or in conjunction to art and photography.

A hall mirror not only works as a way to check your look before leaving the house, but can reflect light when placed opposite a window or glass door (Ita mirror from Meadows & Byrne, €225).

“Invest in a re-paint of the entire space,” she adds. “Or if your budget does not permit, choose key areas such as doors and window frames to emphasise key structural features. Opt for neutral colours such as white, off-white and creams to ensure the space looks larger.

For those with the luxury of a larger hall, or maybe considering design options for a new build, Natasha references what she calls staircase chic.

“Hallways are fundamental spaces for transitioning from one room to another,” she says. “Invest in a statement or wrap-around staircase to both fill the space and add in a feature piece. Adding in mouldings, panelling and statement lighting can truly bring any hallway and stairway to life.”

Not forgetting flooring, Natasha adds, “Tiles are ideal as they’re practical in terms of maintenance and they can also provide a statement in terms of choices and styles available. Wooden floors can add as much style, opting for a herringbone versus mixed-width or standard flooring.”

But if the budget is tight, we know a quickie makeover can be sorted in as little as a day with the old reliable lick of emulsion, although paint can do more than simply change a colour, according to Dervla Farrell, online colour expert at Irish paint manufacturer Colourtrend.

A neutral hallway painted in Venetian from Colourtrend is on-trend by finishing contrasting woodwork - banister and radiator cover - in the darker Thunderstorm shade.

She says, “An amazing way to combat a smaller space but still have fun with colour is by focusing the lightest shade on the largest surface area. In this case the walls and ceiling.

“Go for that crisp white, or light and bright neutral on the walls, and if you’re a fan of neutrals, look at going a few tones deeper than your chosen wall shade for a soft contrast on woodwork but still adding some warmth and character.”

For an on-trend approach, Dervla, adds, “If you love colour, try a bold shade on the inside of the front door and a deeper, moodier complementary shade for skirting boards and architraves. This way, you’re still having fun with your space without sacrificing light.”

A simple console table with wall mirror make this hallway inviting, set against the warm neutral Covert Feather paint shade by Colourtrend.

Noticing a trend among customers wanting to bring light and character to their hallways, she suggests adding wall panelling to give a two-toned scheme with the panelling in one colour and the remaining wall space in another.

“Or doing a dark dramatic staircase to contrast off a crisper airy wall colour,” she says. “For halls, recently, we’ve been seeing a lot of airy whites, earthy neutrals, vintage blues and deep greens.”

For larger halls, she also suggests using the new colour drenching technique.

“Colour drenching is when you paint everything in the same shade - walls, woodwork and ceiling. With this technique, try a satin or gloss on your woodwork to play with light and texture while still creating that statement welcoming hallway.

“If you are someone who prefers that warm, luxurious feeling when stepping into your entrance way, then rich tones of greens, golds, teals and even browns and pinks will be your best friend.