Hallway lighting ideas – inspirational ways to add light to halls and stairways
The hallway is in effect the first room of your home, so it needs to make the right impression. So much more than just an entranceway, a hallway idea can set to the tone for the look and feel of a home. Getting the lighting right will ensure it’s an integral part of your home, flowing seamlessly into neighbouring rooms.
From directional spotlights over, ambient lamps and task lighting within modern staircase designs – there’s a hallway lighting solution to suit all homes.
Hallway lighting ideas
Hallways are often narrow and sometimes lack a focal point, but they create an important first impression and serve to set the decorating scheme for the rest of your home.
Layered lighting effects will add drama to the space and help to draw the eye. Think of your hallway idea in terms of the spine in the body – this is the area from which all the principal rooms – such as the living room and kitchen.
1. Set the tone from first impressions
Image credit: Future PLC/ Douglas Gibb
Use your hallway lighting of choice dictate the colour scheme throughout your home, or at least the rooms that lead off the hallway. In this brilliant white hallway space a vibrant yellow pendant shade adds a welcome burst of colour. That colour is then echoed by the striking yellow wallpaper featured in the living room below.
This cohesive use of colour helps to set the tone for a decorating scheme, cleverly creating a flow from one living space to another.
2. Seek natural light where possible
Image credit: Future PLC/ Fiona Walker-Arnott
Where your layout allows look to add windows to allow as much natural light as possible. This view from the kitchen through to the hallway shows how a compact skylight floods the small hallway space with daylight. The layout of this detached 1930s five bedroom house allows for the overhead skylight but the same results would work from a small window to the side.
3. Shine a spotlight over an entrance way
Image credit: Future PLC/ Colin Poole
For functionality spotlights will always be a winning lighting solution. They provide directional overhead light to make the space below well lit. In a hallway this is a valuable source of light because it means from the moment you step inside the house after dark you can see everything clearly.
Directional light immediately over a door threshold is always good for security, in the respect that the entrance way is bright to see visitors on the doorstep – working in conjunction with any outdoor lighting ideas.
4. Go for glam
Image credit: Future PLC/ David Giles
Because you want to make a fabulous first impression on anyone visiting your house go for the design most reflective of your personality. A large blush pink tasselled ceiling chandelier will make your hallway a destination in and of itself. This piece of interiors inspiration marries up really well with high ceilings so is ideal if you have a period home.
In this stylish white hallway idea the homeowners have gone step further by painting the door in the same shade of pink, to give the colour further visual impact.
5. Balance lighting to change the atmosphere
Image credit: Future PLC/ James French
Create balance by mixing alternative light sources. Opt for a strip of spotlights to create a galley of light to create a path from one room to another, acting as a purely functional lighting source. Add table lamps in order to create a more cosy and intimate ambience as and when the mood takes you.
Full over head lights are useful when still up and about, journey from one room to another. Once you’re settled down for a box set and not really using the hallway as much the softer light can be more fitting to the mood.
6. Make a statement with coordinating colour
Image credit: Future PLC/ David Parmiter
Use colour in a more subtle yet stylish way as an accent throughout the entranceway on all woodwork. Pick the colour up with a central pendant light to create a central point of focus. In this period property the ceiling rose is accentuated beautifully by the contrast of the monochrome colour palette, where black is the dominant colour for highlight decorative features.
A simple yet captivating black metal light with a bronze coating is more than enough to hold court in this stylish hallway. The metal finish echoes the subtle gleam of the satin woodwork, to uniform the look.
7. Illuminate the stairway
Image credit: Future PLC/ Colin Poole
In this hallway the homeowners have embraced modern design with a contemporary oak staircase with built-in spotlight lighting. This design feature is ideal for a family home where the steps are easier to navigate, as the lights clearly show the thread and space between each step.
8. Utilise walls for upward and downward lighting
Image credit: Future PLC/ Emma Lee
Consider the space when choosing lighting. With living space at a premium, wall lamps work extremely well. On a separate dimmer circuit, the addition of downlighters (or wall lamps) incorporated into this scheme picks out the details on the patterned wallpaper, and also highlight the quirky curios and objets d’art on the cabinet below.
9. Create a gallery feel with wall lights
Image credit: Future PLC/ James Merrell
Follow this modern hallway design by using accent down lighting to illuminate a feature wall. Sleek matt black wall lights arch out over the artwork that lines the walls of this stylish hallway. This accent lighting not only highlights the artwork to make it more of a decor feature, it adds a gentle glow along the wall that aids in illuminating the space.
The library-style wall lights are joined by a sphere globe pendant light which drops from the stairway above, to add another design element to enhance the hallway scheme.
10. Add warmth
Image credit: Future PLC/ Lizzie Orme
A pair of table lights on a console or chest of drawers adds a soft ambient glow and ensures a welcoming feel. Keep the look symmetrical for a put-together aesthetic that is pleasing on the eye.
11. Make a statement upon entrance
Image credit: Future PLC/ Paul Raeside
The hallway is the perfect place to highlight an entrance. Opt for a standout design that draws the eye upwards. Whether you are looking for keys, giving yourself one final check in the mirror, or perching on stool to put your shoes on, task lighting is ideal for a hall.
12. Light up a narrow space
Image credit: Future PLC/ Paul Raeside
If you have a narrow hallway, using mini wall lights or a single pendant works really well, but be aware that wall lights with too wide a projection can make the space appear smaller. Make sure wall lights are placed high enough to avoid knocking into as you walk past.
13. Take advantage of architectural details
Image credit: Future PLC/ Rachael Smith
Successful lighting is dependent on your hallway’s proportions and scale. If you have ample space, be bold and go for a large-scale light, or a cluster of smaller fittings, to create a dramatic statement. Take advantage of high ceilings and experiment with lighting designs that have varied drops, as they will add interest at different levels.
14. Reflect light in a narrow hallway
Image credit: Future PLC
In a narrow or small hallway idea you need to create as much light and airiness as possible. An easy way, aside from painting walls in brilliant white to bounce light around, is to embrace glass light fittings to avoid overwhelming the decor.
A simple glass pendant creates an openness that doesn’t make the already smalls pace feel restricted or enclosed. Glass also helps the light to stretch further, which also helps to make any compact living space feel more generous.
15. Mix and match your light fixtures
Image credit: Future PLC/ David Woolley
Combining a range of light sources is a great way to add interest and personality to a space. A pendant will give a practical, concentrated light, while lamps positioned on a small occasional table or console will cast soft pools of illumination, bringing an inviting warmth to entrance halls. If the ceiling is low, consider wall lights, which are also ideal for brightening staircases and landings.
Will you be incorporating any of these hallway lighting ideas in your home?
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