22 of the hottest decorating ideas for hallways

Step into this London house and find yourself immersed in colour and warmth. The hallway is painted in Edward Bulmer’s serene pink ‘Jonquil’, whose sugary hues are countered by the deep aubergine of Farrow & Ball’s ‘Brinjal’ along the skirting and bannisters (the project makes quite the case for painting them in their entirety, should you be swayed). An abstract-patterned Gideon Hatch runner in a bespoke colourway draws the eye to a painting by Studio SPF and pulls out pops of colour from the woven green seat and ‘Parasol’ table lamp in ’Serpent’ by Palefire. studio-vero.com

The transitional spaces inside Edgar Suites Passy, an eco-friendly aparthotel designed by Studio Louis Morgan, are all intended to be playful and fun, as evidenced in this hallway. Despite the narrow parameters, it is full of character, thanks to the punchy ‘M-Flower’ wallpaper by Maison Martin Morel that clashes with the olive and white Bejmat tiles that run up the stairs. Funky forms abound: a resin ‘Quevedo’ cactus by Am.Pm and a wooden full-length mirror with scalloped edges take centre-stage on the raised step. studiolouismorgan.com

This lively hallway has just the right amount of colour and play you’d expect to see in a young family’s residence. Studio Officina, the Brooklyn-based architecture and design practice behind it, created a seamless link to the building’s façade by painting both the front door and the bannisters in Farrow & Ball’s striking blue ‘Dinnerware’. Its energy is matched by the red ‘Bamboozle’ hue on the door frame from the same brand. A blue-and-white checkerboard tile pattern continues all the way down the length of the corridor, creating a sense of connection and movement. studioofficina.com

Situated within a duplex apartment in central Stockholm, this hallway sits just on the right side of whimsical. Conceived by artist Madelen Möllard for her young family, it is all maximalist patterns and statement hues. Her brother Robert hand-painted the walls in a bold, thick stripe and decorated the ceiling with gold stars to match the celestial Svenskt Tenn ceiling lamp. A lover of all things vintage, Möllard sourced the mirror, which the family use to check their outfits before leaving the house, from the Swedish auction site Auctionet. madelenmollard.com

Walking through this curved hallway of a house in Cap Ferret, France, is like stepping through a portal to the 1970s, when organic circle patterns and groovy design were all the rage. It’s the work of interior architect Fabrice Juan, who sketched out the large wall-hanging circles before making them by hand out of plaster. His aim was to create an organic entrance, with lots of undulations that gradually reveal the living room beyond. fabricejuan.com

If you want to make your hallway truly unique, consider commissioning a bespoke artwork, as Studio Valle de Valle did in Watch Hill Home, a holiday house in Rhode Island. Created by Betty Woodman, this hybrid of ceramic sculpture and painting gives life to the plain white wall behind it, but tells anyone who enters the property that this is a playful home. valledevalle.com

For the interior designer Róisín Lafferty, the renovation of this Georgian house was all about balancing industrial aesthetics with timeless elegance. The commanding entrance hall, which enjoys long-ranging views into the kitchen, establishes this spirit immediately with its custom steel staircase, monolithic aged-brass sideboard and decorative light fitting by Morghen Studio. Limestone flagstone tiles on the floor and putty-toned paint on the walls contribute to the stripped-back effect. roisinlafferty.com

Canadian interior designer Montana Labelle made the most of this long, narrow space by inserting floor-to-ceiling cupboards for storage. On the walls is a bespoke Venetian plaster in shades of timber-toned browns with a suede-like texture that has been applied in wide stripes to visually widen and lengthen the space. Underfoot is a harlequin-patterned floor made with tiles from Montana Labelle Lifestyle. montanalabelle.com

The corridor that leads to the back entrance of Mosman House by Greg Natale deserves to be a room in its own right. The custom shelving and wall panels, which are crafted from American oak by Freestyle Joinery, form the perfect stage to showcase design icons, including a bowl, vase and hand-carved sculpture designed by Natale. The oak’s warmth is contrasted with statement marble flooring produced by Terrazzo Australian Marble. gregnatale.com

A custom plywood staircase that snakes up from the ground floor to the third floor is not only the focal point of this hallway, but the hero of the house. British architecture practice Foils installed a bespoke storage wall adjacent to the staircase in the entrance hall, where residents can store their coats, hats, bags and shoes on hooks and shelves. The studio played with the geometry of the angular stairs by adding a contrasting arched doorway that leads to a powder room to create visual interest. foilsarchitects.co.uk

Enter Malvern Residence in Melbourne and you’ll walk straight into a double-height void that frames views through the rest of the home. Materiality plays a significant role here, as sandy-coloured stone lines the walls, producing a warm, tactile effect. Craftsmanship is also present from the moment you step into the family home: a custom statement front-door handle from Australian hardware supplier Barbera greets you upon entry; and a wooden bench by the studio, made by Thomas Lentini, sits just inside the home. studiotate.com.au; lovellburton.com

A chic monochrome palette sets the mood of this classic Haussmann apartment in Paris designed by Félix Millory. Large slabs of Calacatta Viola and Rosso Levanto marble are used to create a checkerboard pattern in the grand entrance, giving the space a relaxed elegance, while mirrors lining the walls extend the view down the corridor.

Casa Olabuenaga in Maui, Hawaii, is a rare private commission by Italian architect Ettore Sottsass. Completed in 1997, the two-level home is a masterclass in colour, starting with the hallway, where a tomato-red front door opens into a peachy-tiled lobby. Circles, squares and geometric shapes abound, while the playful pastel palette immediately makes guests feel welcome.

With its ‘Manos’ wallpaper by Schumacher and a pair of mop-topped stools by New York-based furniture studio Green River Project, the entry hall of designer Adam Charlap Hyman’s NYC apartment feels like a portal to a magical wonderland.

In the ELLE Decoration penthouse in Covent Garden, the generous corridor has a contemplative, gallery-like feel thanks to a totemic sculpture from MAH Gallery and an abstract mural wrapping around the curved internal wall, painted by Adriana Jaros, which draws the eye into the rest of the apartment.

Studio Rhonda gave this north-London home a joyful makeover, starting with the hallway, where the lower walls are painted in a broad stripe – the colours taken from the original quarry tiles on the floor – and a sunshine-hued bannister appears to ‘seep’ onto the stairs themselves. It’s a playful take on Victorian decorating traditions that perfectly demonstrates the transformative power of a lick of paint.

Fawn Galli used Calico Wallpaper’s ‘Aurora’ print in ‘Heaven’ to create an ethereal sunset (or sunrise?) in this hallway. The designer is a fan of using wallpapers to inject character and joy into functional spaces. Here, the tonal movement from peach through to lilac reflects the transitional nature of the space itself.

In the entrance of this Manhattan home, Kelly Wearstler ramps up the glamour with mixed-marble patchwork tiles in rich tones of chocolate, burgundy, cream and grey. The design nods to the historic features of the building, while the furry-material-topped bench and modern artwork add a contemporary edge to the scheme.

Visitors are enveloped by a tonal palette of reds in the hallway of this home by Kingston Lafferty Design, where colour washes the walls, console and an abstract artwork by Carlos Sangro. The scheme is grounded by the original floor tiles, while a striking ceiling pendant and brass mirror bounce light around the space.

An entrance hall should set the mood in a home. So, when the husband-and-wife duo behind Istanbul-based design studio Gülmen Interiors wanted to preserve the memories in this old house, they set out to create a ‘classic but new’ feeling, starting with this space’s retro nautical aesthetic. There’s plenty of storage and a coat rack, but it’s the seating area, with its Wes Anderson vibes, that we’re drawn to.