Whilst your hallway and stairs can prove to be a tricky place to decorate and make the most of, done right, you can have a gorgeous entrance to your home that has ample storage. Whatever space you have to work with, it is crucial that you utilise it effectively concentrating on the appearance with equal importance. Acting as introduction to your home, the hallway is a space that can really set the tone for the rest of the house with first impressions meaning a great deal. Your landing and stairs also play a big role in the overall feel of your home, especially if they lead straight on from your hallway. With these hall, stair, and landing ideas, you’re sure to be on the right track towards a space that you love and is maximised to its full potential.
Consider the Colour Tone
Brighten It Up
This is paramount when you have a small amount of space at your disposal. Whilst it brings life and vibrancy to the space, it also gives the illusion that you have a larger area. Due to it being an incredibly high traffic region of the home, it is wise to opt for a durable and washable matt paint to ensure you can maintain the appearance. White is often a safe but solid choice, with light shades of blue, green, and beige working magnificently. Carefully positioning a mirror in this sector can bounce light around and reflect the room which also makes the space appear bigger.
Don’t Be Afraid To Go Dark
Whilst employing a bright colour scheme can work brilliantly for some homes, are darker palette could be a more fruitful choice for others. For areas with a fair amount of space or that receive a decent amount of natural light, dark walls and décor work brilliantly. This can add a real touch of elegance to your home, creating intrigue and mystery to your hallway, landing area, and stairs.
Combine the Two
Whilst going for a dark themed hallway and stairs can be a good idea but you want to balance this out with lighter colours. This also can work the other way around but isn’t as essential. You can opt for a mixture of light and dark when it comes to your wall, implementing it through stripes, blocks, and a host of other patterns. The wall isn’t the only way to fuse light and dark tones as it can be done through furniture, artwork, and runners. It is important to use lighting as a way of countering the dark tones. Even if you have a space where natural light shines on your hallway and stairs you still need to think about how it will look once the sky darkens. A graceful pendant or two would work wonderfully and could be a real statement piece in your home. You can pair this with string lights for an extra cosy vibe that you’ll instantly turn on when you get home from work in the winter
What order should you paint your hall, stairs, and landing in?
Once you decide on what colours are going to fill the walls of your hallway, landing, and stairs, it’s time to apply it. Due to the tall ceilings and often awkward shapes of this space, you must think about whether you’ve got all the tools at your disposal to allow you to safely complete the job. If you’re wondering how you get to the top part of your wall by the stairs without putting your life in jeopardy, a combination ladder is perfect. This style of ladder, as the name would suggest, can fold into multiple combinations to provide shorter and longer extensions which makes it incredibly helpful on stairs. Firstly, you want to take a good examination of the wall you’re working with, identifying certain cracks and holes that need to be filled. You should start by painting the ceiling and coving, then moving onto the rest of the wall, starting from the top and working down. Searching on Google and YouTube for painting tips can be massively helpful to you, allowing you to learn tricks that you would’ve maybe never thought of before.
Under Your Stairs
The official term for the triangular space underneath your stairs is a spandrel and it can often be ignored or neglected. As it has one slanted side, it can be tricky to make the most, but with a bit of clever thinking, it can be an organised storage area. Having pull out draws here, is a wonderful way of concealing a large amount of storage that can be easily extracted so you can get to your belongings. Internal shelving is another way in which you can keep your clutter together, that whilst it may not look as good or as effective as pull-out draws, it is a lot cheaper. Metal is the most sturdy material for shelving and with an abundance of sizes, it shouldn’t be difficult to find a three or four levelled unit that fits your space. Alternatively, you can stack boxes, use hooks, and input a shoe rack. The opportunities are vast for this area, so capitalise on it, find what works for you, and enjoy a tidier home.
Slimline Storage
Console Table
Having a console table in your hallway can not only be a gorgeous addition and improve the overall appearance if your space, but also act as a wonderful place to store items. There are a wide variety of designs out there so finding one that fits your space and style shouldn’t be too difficult. Figuring out what you wish to store in this spot, and you can then decide whether you want enclosed draws or a more open design. If you’re looking to store board games or letters, then pull out drawers are ideal. Alternatively, attractive boxes and baskets can fill an open space underneath a console table where large drawers aren’t present. Whatever design you choose, what you decide to place on the top panel is crucial, filling it with practical yet attractive items. Think framed photos, a bowl to place keys and change in, a vase with a bouquet of flowers, and a book or two.
Ladder Shelf
A wonderful space saving option, ladder shelves are a wonderfully attractive way of holding a vast array of goods. Typically taking up less room than a console table, especially when it comes to the width, you don’t want to underestimate the storage potential that it can offer. You can have a level for different things, such as books, boxes, and potted plants or mix it up for a more intriguing appearance. You can be incredibly creative when it comes to what you do with a ladder shelving unit, with a focus on lot overloading it and ensuring it looks inviting.
Coat Rack and Stands
This has a similar feel to ladder shelving with a much more practical edge. Designed to metaphorically hand you your items when you leave and take them back when you return home. Finding one that can hold the family’s coats, accessories, and shoes will ensure leaving the house will become a whole lot more streamlined and stress-free. There are plenty of options that come with a bench included, so you can sit down whilst you put your shoes on or use it as extra storage.
Shoe Rack
Owning multiple pairs of shoes is a regularity for many nowadays and they aren’t cheap, so it is important that you take good care of them. Pick up a shoe rack that can hold the entire households shoes, or if not most of them, focusing on how it will fit in your space best. Shoes aren’t always the most attractive items to have in your hallway so consider filling the top shelf, if it has one, with plants, framed photos, and decorative ornaments. You should also look at the wall behind the shoe rack and think about whether a mirror or framed artwork would add some intrigue to the space.
Doormat and Runner
A staple in any home, doormats allow you to dry and clean your shoes before you enter the home, meaning that whatever the weather, your home will remain tidy. When deciding which doormat works best for your home, think about the colour size and pattern. It should be wider than your front door and both rubber and coir materials are effective at withstanding heavy foot traffic and capturing debris. The style of doormat you decide for your home doesn’t weigh massive importance and you can go a little quirky if you prefer. Once you have arrived inside, closed the door and taken your shoes off, you are officially home, and you want to feel it. This is where a runner plays a massive role within your hallway. The design of your runner is far more important than your doormat as it is as a path to other areas of your home. Using natural fibres such as cotton and wool work best due to their combination of durability and comfort.
Conclusion
Being such an integral part of your home, it is often a space that doesn’t get given the necessary attention it deserves. The appearance of your hallway should be consistent with your landing and stairs if they are connected. Whilst you don’t have to make this area identical to the rest of your home, it acts as the tone setter and front page for your interior, so you don’t want it to look out of place. Consider what colours you are going to use, and how you’re going to fill it, ensuring it’s aesthetically appealing. Of course, you want it to look great, but neglecting the practical storage that the hallway, landing, and stairs can offer is a massive miss. As discussed, there are plenty of ways that this can be done without it damaging the overall appearance of the space. You should attribute an equal level of care when thinking about the visual and practical nature of your hallway space, taking time to find space saving storage solutions that look great.