How to decorate your hallway to fit its role

Often, when decorating a home, a hallway is ignored. Although it is not a room, it is an intrinsic part of any home, or building. If a hallway is seen by every visitor that walks through your front door, then decorating this section of your house should take on the same importance as decorating the rest of your home. You may not notice this, but hallways are the busiest part of a home. A hallway is a route used to transition from bedrooms to social areas and vice versa. It must be an area where the décor is kept as functional as possible. Anything that is placed in the hallway or on the walls shouldn’t get in the way when people walk through it. The last thing you need is to be tripping over something a few moments after entering your house. Before you can decorate a hallway effectively you will need to appreciate its full value and recognize that like every other room in the house, it too has an important role. What is the role of a hallway? Firstly, a hallway communicates a message, and depending on the structure of the house, is sometimes the first aspect that meets the eye upon entry. If this is the case for you, in order to have a good first impression on your visitors, your hallway should convey the right feeling. This is a perfect place to hang pictures of family members and friends because hallways are a perfect place to let visitors know what is important to you and what you stand for. For a new look, update your hallway with a new color scheme because wall colours can help to communicate the message you want to send to your visitors and the right colours will definitely contribute to making a home more welcoming. Secondly, hallways communicate a feeling. Imagine entering a hallway with nothing more than bare white walls and painfully bright florescent lights; not very welcoming, is it? In addition to making visitors feel welcomed, it is important for a hallway to exude the right feeling to the people who use it on a daily basis. An ideal hallway is one that makes the space feel friendly and inviting, and has a sense of energy and creativity. Tips on hallway décor Functional and beautiful accessories give your hallway décor personal flair. Decorations can be simple and effortless. Because everything within a hallway is at close range, accessorize a hallway with photographs, and detailed paintings and prints that are purposed for up-close viewing. Wide hallways will benefit from furnishings in a visual and functional way. So if you are blessed with a wide hallway, don’t hesitate to furnish it! A simple shelving to place attractive décor on, or a moderate sized table with an lovely lamp on it with a great piece of art centered above on the wall, or even a chair strategically placed can all fit a large hallway without getting in the way of any human traffic in the space.Hallways that are hidden from visitors can have a maximized function. In this case, place a non- bulky shoe rack and neatly arrange your shoes on it. This provides a great spot for you and your families to leave your shoes on, particularly as you all arrive home from work or when your children return from school. If your hallway feels too narrow and cramped, make it appear wider by painting the walls on the narrow ends a deeper tone of color than the long sidewalls. A hallway will seem warmer if the ceiling is painted in a medium to dark colour, while maintaining a lighter colour for the walls. A home without a hallway can be uninspiring, and a home with a dull hallway can be even more uninspiring. If you decide to decorate your home, give hallways the same consideration as you would to any other part of the house by transforming it into a bright, inviting space. ms.efuahagan@gmail.comThe author specializes in Interiors and Fashion