Hallways are the first impression of any home. They introduce your guests to your style and more importantly, hallways are the first area to welcome you.

Whenever Fine & Country Interior Design talk through a brief, often clients forget that styling their hallway is the key to setting the atmosphere of their entire home. Here are our team’s top five tips to turn your entrances into spaces that reflect the ambience in your property and the simple ways you can reflect both your personality and style beyond the key rooms of your home.

Fresh air

We always incorporate a diffuser or candle into an entrance hallway so that it provides a welcoming scent when you arrive home.

Wallpaper 

We love incorporating wallpaper into a hallway design to add texture, colour or pattern to the room. If you have a dado rail, you have the flexibility of papering half the wall and can be bolder with the pattern. We like to use large scaled geometric patterned wallpapers, as they work well in both classic and contemporary styled properties. A slight sheen in the paper, for example if it is silk or vinyl, will help add light to the space. If you require your home to be child or pet friendly, then we would recommend a vinyl paper as they are more durable and easier to clean.

Reflect style

Mirrors are ideal for a hallway as they help to enlarge narrow corridors whilst also proving practical for a last minute make up touch-up or tie straightening on your way out the door. Smaller mirrors are best positioned over a console table, whilst larger floor length mirrors are great for larger spaces.

Console tables

If you have the space for a small table, we would always suggest incorporating a slim console table near the front door which provides a table top for decorative items such as flowers, diffusers, candles and also a practical space for post and keys.

Add personality to your walls

Picture walls are a great way to add flair and a focal point to a hallway space if you have a large plain wall or want to decorate along a staircase. The great thing about picture walls is that they can be updated over time as you acquire more photos or artworks, and the more eclectic and random the picture wall, the better. The frames can be filled with photographs, prints and mementos.

These tips and tricks are not just useful for homeowners, but also those looking to sell their home. It is important to remember that the entrance sets the tone for a prospective buyer viewing your property. For many, the first impression and sense of atmosphere established from the moment they step through the front door and into the hallway will be the deciding factor for their purchase.

If you would like to speak to our Interior Design team to help you design your home, or get your home at its best for sale, please contact us on +44 (0)208 251 8813 or interiordesign@fineandcountry.com.

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