How to Decorate a Small Hallway

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Want to make the most of your small hallway? Learn creative ways to maximise space and style, from using clever storage solutions to choosing the right colours and lighting. This guide provides practical tips to help you transform a narrow entryway into an inviting and functional space.

Although it would be lovely to own the sort of house that boasts an ‘entrance hall’, complete with sweeping staircase, ming vases on either side of the doorway, and a butler, very few of us do so. Indeed, many homes don’t have any kind of hallway, with the front door opening directly into the living room. 

Most hallways are narrow passageways, with a staircase and small entrance area just about large enough to come in, close the door behind you and take off your shoes. It’s also the first thing anybody visiting your home will see - and first impressions count, don’t they?

So how do you make a small hallway look nice? 

Ideas for organising a small hallway

Decorating your hallway to look nice is a bit pointless if all anybody can focus on is the huge pile of shoes on the floor and the pile of coats dumped on the end of the bannisters.

So the first step in decorating your hallway must be to organise it. How you do so will depend on how much space you have, because some hallways are so narrow that it would be impossible to install any kind of furniture. If your hallway is too narrow to use any of the ideas in this section, consider storing coats and shoes either in an under-stairs cupboard (if you have one), or even renting a small self storage unit to keep out-of-season coats, hats, scarves etc out of the way.

If you have space for furniture that will allow you to keep all your boots, shoes and coats hidden away yet accessible, there are some great products available. Search for narrow hallway cupboards, slim storage racks and wall-mounted hallway cupboards to find furniture that will fit and make your hallway look tidy. 

The key is to use hallway furniture that is easily accessible - nobody is going to put their shoes away in a shallow drawer that won’t close easily! Consider a bench with storage space underneath - ideally, fill the storage space with baskets for shoes and allocate one basket per household member (and one for guests if space allows). That way, you’ll have tidy shoe storage and somewhere to sit while you put on your shoes!

If you can find a hallway storage cupboard with a storage bench, hooks for coats and somewhere to store boxes of scarves and hats etc at the top, even better! As long as you have the space, those all-in-one units look great and keep everything organised and tidy.

Best colours for decorating a hallway

Small spaces always look brighter and larger when decorated in pale colours. Dark colours draw a room inwards, which is great for creating a cosy living room but not great for welcoming people into your home.

To introduce more striking colours for a bit of contrast and interest, you could consider decorating your stairs. If you have carpet, consider creating a brightly-coloured stair runner rather than wall-to-bannister carpets, and paint the exposed edges of your stairs to match your walls. Alternatively, jute stair runners look great if you want to stick to neutrals, and give good traction that will prevent you from slipping on the stairs.

Speaking of slipping - if you opt to paint your stairs, make sure you use specialist stair paint. This is designed for heavy use, and is non-slippy. However, if your feet get wet (e.g. if you’ve just mopped the floor), you are likely to find yourself coming down the stairs much quicker than you might choose. Consider applying some stair treads to each stair to prevent accidents. 

The fun part of decorating your stairs is designing the risers - the vertical part of each step. You can paint them, use wallpaper, or tile them, and there are specialist stair stickers available that look like piano keys or book spines, so you can have loads of fun choosing how to make your stairs look stunning.

If you’d rather not decorate your stairs, but still want some colour, then bold, patterned wallpaper on the wall leading upstairs can look amazing.

Best flooring ideas for a narrow hallway

A stylish hallway floor can make a huge visual impact. Keeping your floorway clutter-free and tidy will be important if you want guests to see your design choices rather than your mess! 

With shoes and coats safely stored out of sight, use patterned tiles or laminate to make the most of the narrow space. Make sure the patterns follow the direction of your hall - for example, if your hallway is a typical long rectangular shape, choose a pattern that follows the long sides of your hallway, rather than one that cuts across it. Mediterranean-inspired designs and colours can look great, especially if the rest of your hall is decorated in plain, pale colours. Alternatively, parquet flooring is timeless, and a herringbone layout will look great along the narrow passageway.

If you don’t have the budget to change your flooring, you could add a long, colourful or patterned runner along the length of your hallway instead.

Whatever you do with your flooring, make sure you install a doormat outside and inside so that people can wipe their feet and remove their shoes without trampling mud all over your beautiful floor!

How to accessorise a hallway

Once your hallway is decorated, you can think about how to accessorise it to make it welcoming and attractive and truly ‘yours’.

A little table by your front door - or, if you don’t have the floorspace for a table, a small shelf - will always be useful. Add a pretty glass bowl or vintage wooden dish for your keys so you’ll always know where to find them. Above the table / shelf, add a mirror to give the illusion of space, reflect light and also provide a way of checking your appearance before heading out. 

A full-length mirror positioned at the far end of your narrow hallway can also add to that illusion of more space and make the most of any natural light available, to make your hallway seem brighter and larger.

If you have space for a shelf within view of a window, adding greenery to your hallway will make it more inviting and seem more vibrant without much effort. If you’re the sort of person who can kill a houseplant just by looking at it, opt for fake plants or try a succulent - succulents are practically impossible to kill and thrive on neglect, just try to remember to water them every 2 or 3 weeks and they’ll be fine.

Artwork can add a splash of colour and draw the eye even if the rest of your hallway is neutral or plain. Consider a triptych of framed prints, or a small gallery wall with different styles and shapes of framed artwork or photos - though take care not to use too many or your hallway might end up looking cluttered.

Can we help?

If you have lots of winter coats, hats, scarves and boots but nowhere to store them in the warmer months, consider renting a small self storage unit. We have units of 10 sq ft (about the size of a car boot) and a range of larger sizes to choose from depending on how much you want to store. 

If you’d like some more information, please get in touch and one of our helpful team can answer your questions and offer advice on sizes of units and convenient locations for you.