How to Choose Interior Paint Colors for a Hallway

Choose a hallway paint color based on taste and your home's existing color scheme.

Choosing paint colors for any wall in your home can be stressful and, if not done correctly, can be disappointing and costly. But with a little planning, you can choose the right paint colors for your hallway and get it right the first time. The final color should ultimately represent your overall taste and coordinate with the rest of your home's color and design scheme.

Things You'll Need

• Paintbrush
• Paint roller
• Paint tray

Instructions

1. Consider the style of your home and adjoining rooms and decide what change you want to make in the space. Hallways tend to be dark, since they usually do not have natural daylight. They often need focal lighting for a brighter look. Paint can also help greatly to brighten a dark, gloomy hallway. Decide if you want a color that brightens the space or if you want a darker, subtler color.

2. Consider the effect different colors have in hallways. Colors that make a hallway appear bigger are bright shades such as yellows, burnt orange, pewter and even gold, which will intesify rays of light. White does not have this effect.

   Van Buren Brown is a darker shade that works well with colonial-style homes. If your taste leans more toward darker colors, consider this option as it brings an enveloping and intimate feeling to the hallway.

   Orange, red and navy blue are a few of the bolder hues available for a hallway. These colors will add a new attitude to your home and bring attention to the hallway.

3. Find inspiration from other paint colors used in the home. A good rule of thumb for a simple, elegant and contemporary look is to choose a complementary color that is just softer or lighter than another nearby wall.

4. Shop for colors once you have decided what kind of changes and mood you would like to bring into the hallway. Visit your local paint store to see samples and speak to paint experts about your taste and ideas.

5. While at the paint store, obtain two-ounce sample jars for each color if they are available. Paint a large square of the sample paint in the hallway or on a sampling board, which you can purchase at the paint store, and hang the board in the hallway. Leave the sample up for 24 hours to see how it looks during different times of the day. Test all the colors you are interested in, but test only one at a time.

6. Purchase the paint once you decide on a color. Generally, one gallon of paint will cover 350 square feet of wall.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint vertical stripes in a small narrow hallway to make it appear larger. Also, paint the trims the same color and keep the ceilings white.

References

• House Beautiful: Colors to Make Your Hallway Memorable
• Apartment Ratings: How to Make a Small Hallway Look Bigger