How to Decorate a Hallway

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Visually widen a hallway by painting the walls on the narrow ends a deeper color than the long side walls.
Step 2

Furnish the hallway if it's wide enough; a narrow bookcase or console table will often fit in a hallway without being an obstacle to the heavy traffic in the space.
Step 3

Accessorize a hallway with pictures that are intended for up-close viewing. These can be photographs or detailed paintings or prints.
Step 4

Install picture ledges (about 3 to 4 feet from the floor is a good height). Switch pictures in and out to keep the look interesting.
Step 5

Consider painting doors and moldings the same light color as the walls to add a sense of spaciousness and reduce the chopped-up appearance that sometimes comes when you have light walls and dark doorways.
Step 6

Use a minimal window treatment, or none at all, if you have natural light coming into the hallway.
Step 7

Add artificial lighting for safety and to banish the dreary, closed-in feeling. Or consider a skylight.
Step 8

Make a hallway seem cozier by painting the ceiling in a medium to dark paint.
Step 9

Use an area rug (or rugs) only if there's no tripping hazard.
Step 10

Maximize the hallway's function by providing a place to drop off shoes, coats and the like. This is especially important in a back hall where folks arrive home from school and work.

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