White hallway ideas prove timeless for all property types. White provides an ideal blank canvas, and will make the space feel more generous. It can help brighten darker hallway spaces and make even the smallest of areas feel spacious and airy.

If you’re looking to adopt a pristine white colour scheme for your hallway ideas ensure you choose the best white paint for the job, because there are many tones to this classic decorating colour of choice.

White hallway ideas

Try combining subtle variations of white shades on walls, woodwork, cornicing and ceilings to enhance the proportions of the space.

Here are some ideas on how to use white to full potential in your hallway…

1. Welcome white to enhance the light

Image credit: Future PLC

This brightest of shades can instantly lift a dark hallway. This narrow hallway idea is kept brilliant white to maximise the reflection of light, ensuring it bounces off the walls to make the small space feel bigger.

Adding a mirror is a clever way to go one step further when it comes to reflecting light – to make a limited space feel brighter and more mighty.

2. Open up your space with an all-white scheme

Image credit: Future PLC/ Jo Henderson

White on white makes this clever hallway shoe storage idea literally disappear into the background. Prevent it looking cold or stark by adding texture with rugs, lampshades and ceramics. Line the top with family photos or favourite prints, alongside personal memorabilia, to add charm and character.

Buy now: TRONES white shoe storage cabinet, £22 for two, IKEA

3. Keep it simple in monochrome

Image credit: Future PLC/ Rachael Smith

Where you want to keep the colour scheme ‘plain’ but still add an accent colour the easiest option for white hallway ideas is to add black for a monochrome effect. This classic decorating scheme is devoid of bold colour but yet remains entirely striking in style.

This white hallway features a smart black and white striped stair runner and a monochrome hallway wallpaper idea to add interest without overpowering the effortless look.

4. Introduce an accent colour through furnishings

Image credit: Future PLC/ Douglas Gibb

Just because you choose brilliant white walls doesn’t mean the space has to be completely colourless. If painting walls with a more defined colour feels too bold turn to furnishings instead, to add a vibrant accent to the hallway colour scheme.

From pendant light shades, artwork on walls and rug choices you can add more than enough of a burst of bright contrasting colour.

5. Contrast the natural warmth of wood

Image credit: Future PLC/ Rachael Smith

For a beautifully crafted wooden staircase left in its original state, i.e unpainted and uncarpeted, striking white walls can go a long way to show off the natural beauty. The bright white surrounding walls draw attention to the warmth of the wooden design.

Choose neutral shades for carpets or hallway runners to add a softness to floors, without distracting from the natural colour scheme.

6. Paint the stairs

Image credit: Future PLC/ Claire Lloyd Davies

The white provides a blank canvas for most of this hallway, and the stair treads provide a pop of colour that leads the eye up. Choose a colour that is incorporated elsewhere in the house to subtly link the rooms, offering a continuous flow throughout the journey from one space to another.

7. Create a gallery wall against the white

Image credit: David Giles

White walls are synonymous with galleries and studio spaces, so they are a fitting backdrop for your own gallery wall. Create a personal and warm welcome with a montage of framed family pictures – keep the frames to one colour for simple, sophisticated  unity, or mix them up in a rainbow of colours for a fun look.

Balance the amount of frames with the size of your hallway – don’t overcrowd the space. A friendly face or two is enough to make a great first impression in any home.

8. Use a mix of white tones

Image credit: Robert Sanderson

A clever trick is to use the brightest white on the ceiling to give an impression of height, and make the hallway feel instantly bigger. Combining subtle variations of white shades on difference surfaces prevents the space from feeling flat by enhancing the different elements – from walls to woodwork, cornicing to ceilings.

9. Contrast white walls with a coloured front door

Image credit: Future PLC/ Joanna Henderson

While the hallway walls may be white, the front door is a welcome surface to add a splash of playful colour. Front and back – why not double up on the opportunity to add colour?

And may we suggest yellow, it’s trending. ‘Yellow offers the warmest of welcomes for any front door’ says Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director at Dulux.

‘All around the world we recognise the power of this joyful shade to conjure hope, positivity and happiness. It is the smile on the face of your house – which is infectious to all who walk past’.

10. Add colour and pattern to a white backdrop with a door curtain

Image credit: Future PLC/ Lizzie Orme

Having chosen an all-white colour scheme doesn’t mean that you can’t invite an accent colour and pattern through fabrics. A door curtain is an easy way to do just that, not to mention a great way to insulate and keep draughts at bay – to keep homes warm in winter.

Because this style of curtain is only in use typically when the door is not in use, it offers just a slither of colour and pattern for the majority of the time. The decorative element is therefore not overwhelming for an all-white scheme.

11. Use mirrors to make the white bright

Image credit: Future PLC/ Simon Whitmore

Mirrors are a simple yet effective way to make a space feel brighter. If you’ve chosen white for your hallway it might well be in order to make the space feel bigger and brighter, if you have a narrow hallway for instance.

Multiple mirrors placed near the source of light, from a front door or window, help to reflect and bounce it around the wider space. White is used for photographic purposes to reflect light, making it an ideal pigment to make this trick work best.

12. Choose a monochrome wallpaper

Image credit: Future PLC/ David Giles

Don’t be afraid to incorporate pattern, just because you want a clean look. Adding a patterned wallpaper in monochrome is a great way to add a decorative element, without straying to far from the neutral scheme.

Adding a design to a select area of the wall also helps to limit the chances of overpowering the space, like the tasteful wallpaper used above the wood panelling in this white and grey hallway idea.

13. Pair white walls with dark floor tiles

Image credit: Future PLC/ David Hiscock

A dark floor paired with ivory white walls and ceilings helps to create the illusion of a bigger space. The stark contrast between the two tones helps to set them further apart, like an optical illusion. This flooring and paint pairing also helps you to create an effortlessly modern monochrome feel.

Is it ok to paint a hallway white?

It is more than ok to paint a hallway white, it’s a brilliant idea – for all the reasons we’ve explored above. The only thing you have to be sure of when painting hallways white is that you choose a suitable paint finish.

Look for a durable paint that can withstand possible scuffs and knocks, as a high traffic area with people coming and going it’s likely to be the worst place for this to occur.

Is white a good colour for hallway?

White is a good colour for a hallway to keep the space light, bright and welcoming. With so many depths of white, it doesn’t have to feel like a cold soulless space – look for off-white tones to add warmth. Farrow & Ball are the masters of providing a white that’s not ‘white’ – take for example Strong White, that feels more light grey in tone, but does the job of a neutral white.

How do you brighten a white hallway?

You can add further brightness to a white hallway with thoughtful hallway lighting ideas, to make sure the space is illuminated to the max. Mix overhead lighting, from pendants to directional spotlights as the main source of lighting – welcoming lamps to add ambient touches.

Adding mirrors will ensure natural light is bounced around the space during the day, helping to effortlessly make the white walls feel brighter.

Will you be embracing the brilliance of white for your hallway?

The post White hallway ideas – create a pleasingly bright entrance using shades of white appeared first on Ideal Home.

Wallpaper is a welcome way to instantly add pattern, colour and intrigue to walls – an expression of personality in any room. With so many different designs and colours available wallpaper offers maximum design impact in a hallway.

Whether you’re looking for something bold and bright to enhance a modern scheme, calm and elegant to complement a period home or a bright retro wallpaper, there’s a wallpaper hallway idea for all tastes.

Hallway wallpaper ideas

Patterned wallpaper can totally transform a room in an instant. With the right preparation and research, using colour and pattern is a rewarding way to make the most of any room.

Better still, you don’t have to spend a fortune to achieve a fresh and exciting new look – saving costs with feature walls and wallpapering small spaces. Our ideas are the perfect guide to bringing a little (or a lot) of wow to your walls.

1. Coordinate a colour scheme

Image credit: Little Greene

Create a cohesive colour scheme by picking out a key colour from your wallpaper design to paint the woodwork which frames it. As this beautiful example shows a matching colour scheme creates a big impact, giving the wallpaper design more prominence.

In this bright hallway the green and blue wallpaper is accentuated by the woodwork in the same shade of blue.

2. Add fun design in a family hallway

Image credit: Dominic Blackmore

Welcoming pattern to walls is a great way to add depth to a decorating scheme. In this family hallway a pegboard-style design gives the space a sense of fun, making the empty under stair area feel more thoughtful and creative. The wallpaper design adds a touch of nostalgia to the scheme, especially in a vibrant yellow colour palette.

The name tagged storage baskets and colourful patterned rug adds to family aspect of the space.

3. Match wallpaper throughout a hallway and landing

Use a wallpaper design to create a seamless flow to guide you through the space, transitioning through from the entrance hallway up onto the landing idea and the first floor above. Choose a design that intrigues to make the space come alive with pattern.

As with this bold hallway decor it’s a great idea to paint the adjoining walls in a paler shade that coordinates with the design but doesn’t overpower the print.

4.  Wow with a feature wall

Image credit: Future PLC/ Jan Baldwin

In a hallway where you have one full length of wall, while the opposite walls is broken with doorways, the layout naturally lends itself to wallpapering a feature wall idea. Choose a design you love to make a statement style impact from the moment the door is open, setting the tone for the rest of the decor throughout your home.

Take a daring approach to decorating your hallway – this beautiful blousy floral wallpaper is sure to brighten your mood as soon as you walk in the door.

5. Wallpaper the stairs

Image credit: Future Publishing Plc/ Jake Curtis

Where you want to add wow with wallpaper, without overpowering the walls in a small space, try papering the stairs instead. Adorning the threads on a staircase is a creative way to welcome colour, pattern and interest to a hallway colour scheme.

6. Take pattern to a higher level

Image credit: Future PLC/ Rachael Smith

To create depth in your hallway decorating scheme and naturally draw the eye upwards, guiding you up the stairs, choose to wallpaper at waist height and above. Save the bottom panel of the wall with a neutral to ground the scheme and allowing the pattern to really stand out.

Use a dado rail to gauge a natural divide, but fear not if your home doesn’t have this architectural detail – simply create your own divide by measuring a dividing at roughly waist height. Use a spirt level and masking tape to the determine a pleasingly sharp line to paint up to and wallpaper beyond.

7. Add wow with a statement wallpaper

Image credit: Future PLC/ Dan Duchars

A bold patterned wallpaper is a great way to add an instant hit of personality to hallways. Choosing a monochrome colour palette allows the pattern to dominate without overpowering. Compliment the colours with co-ordinating furniture pieces and lots of natural materials to keep the look grounded.

This is an especially effective small hallway idea – so do’t let that narrow or tight space faze you.

8. Liven up a storage unit

Image credit: Future plc/ Dominic Blackmore

Choose a geometric grey wallpaper for a thoroughly modern way to jazz up a white storage unit in your hallway. Cover the wall before you fit the unit, and any gaps in the shelving will appear beautifully decorative. Circular hooks such as these will add to the futuristic effect.

9. Go bold to the ceiling

Image credit: John Lewis & Partners

Your hallway may seem a functional space, but Keith Stephenson and Mark Hampshire, founders of retro wallpaper brand Mini Moderns, see it as a playground where the past’s motifs inspire future ideas. And they believe you shouldn’t be put off by a lack of light.

‘When faced with a room or corridor without natural light, it can actually be more successful to use a darker colour,’ say Keith and Mark. ‘Include pattern to open it up visually,’ they recommend. And we recommend you wallpaper the ceiling, too, to take the look to a powerful and cocooning next level.

Buy now: Mini Moderns Pluto wallpaper, £55 a roll, John Lewis

10. Add a touch of luxe with gold

Image credit: Future PLC/ Dominic Blackmore

Shine out with a white and gold wallpaper that demands attention. This design is a great example of a large-scale, uncluttered design that loses none of the eye-catching powers of a more busy print. It’s light and bright feel is ideal for a hallway, where natural light is often lacking.

11. Bring the outside in

Image credit: Future PLC/ Jon Day

Choose a trailing trellis design to create the look of a summer garden in your hallway. Paired with a gardener’s table painted in a distressed green shade, this look is for those who can’t bear to be parted from their gardens when indoors. An abundance of cut flowers could barely be more appropriate as an accessory.

12. Set the scene

Image credit: Future PLC/ Katya De Grunwald

Choose a scenic wall mural to add a characterful touch to an entranceway. Watch as visitors stand and stare at this striking wallpaper, which features a traditional landscape oil painting as its design. You’ll almost feel as though you could walk into this scene and the space will seem larger for this trick of the eye.

When using such a statement wall mural stick to furniture that will blend in, rather than add contrast.

13. Fake wood cladding with wallpaper

Image credit: Future PLC/ David Brittain

Create a rustic hallway scheme by choosing a wallpaper that looks like weathered wooden boards. Distressed wall finishes are a popular look just now, and wallpapers are an easy way to get the look without the need for expensive wooden cladding.

A sleekly painted blue door, neutral wicker accessories and a striped storage seat show that this space isn’t in the slightest bit neglected.

14. Add character with a bold print

Image credit: Future PLC/ James Gardener

Add a sense of fun to your hallway with a dog-print wallpaper. Go for a neutral design so that the colours are versatile and choose a print that features small dog motifs so people have to look at it quite closely to determine the details. A wooden rack mounted on the wall breaks up the design and provides a practical spot for hanging bags, umbrellas and dog leads, of course.

15. Travel the globe

Image credit: Future PLC/ Tim Young

Adopt a super subtle approach to decorating with wallpaper by choosing a design that is so neutral it almost looks like a coat of paint. Travel enthusiasts who favour an understated way of conveying their passion will love this design. The cushion also picks up on the theme, while furniture in dark neutrals adds some contrast.

Can you wallpaper hallways?

Yes you can wallpaper hallways, in fact it’s a great place to use wallpaper to make a real wow statement for first impressions. If your wallpaper is maximalist and bold choose to wallpaper the largest expanse of wall, one that is not broken by doorways to avoid it feeling too overwhelming. For smaller, more subtle designs you can afford to wallpaper all walls – regardless of layout.

How do you pick wallpaper for a hall?

Pick a wallpaper for a hall that sets the tone for the rest of your decor, if you want to create a seamless flow throughout the downstairs layout. Pick out a dominant key featured in your chosen wallpaper to paint doors, door frames, cornicing and skirting boards to ensure the colour scheme matches perfectly.

With colour matching services in DIY retailers you can take a sample of your wallpaper along with you to get the exact colour match.

To create an impact from the minute you walk through the door choose an on-trend maximalist wallpaper that stands out, in comparison to your wider decorating scheme.

The post Hallway wallpaper ideas – ways to add interest to halls with wall coverings and murals appeared first on Ideal Home.

If you live in a house with a reputation for being haunted, you may, understandably, think that potential buyers may be put off it. And yet, recent research* shows that anything but is the case.

It turns out that if you live in a home that’s known for being haunted or even just a house that has an association with a famous horror film, you may not need much property advice for selling it – it is guaranteed to be in demand, and sell for more than other comparable properties in the area.

From The Conjuring to the UK’s most haunted

If you happened to be the lucky owner of 284 Green Street, Enfield, London, is the home featured in the film The Conjuring 2, you could expect to sell it for £431,000 – £100,000 more than the house was worth only in 2016. The original Conjuring house, located in Rhode Island, is currently being sold for $1.2 million, however, it was originally bought for only $439,000. That’s an increase of $761,000 since the release of the movies. The appetite for horror film houses transcends borders.

Image credit: Matt Champlin/ Getty

The Cage, a former medieval prison in St Osyth, also known as the spookiest house in Britain, is 17 per cent more expensive than similar properties located in the same area. And 39 De Grey Street in Hull, often referred to as The Hostel, has experienced a 53 per cent increase in price compared to other properties on the same street. That’s despite claims that the supernatural happenings inside the house are so terrifying that no one will in it.

Image credit: Hilda DeSanctis / Alamy Stock Photo

But by far our favourite is the fate of 30 East Drive, in West Yorkshire, which has been voted most haunted house in Britain by the Most Haunted TV show. This house last sold for £132,000 and is now estimated at £145,000. That’s despite the fact the house hasn’t been decorated since the 1970s. It is now worth £23,000 more, although other houses on the street are fully refurbished and well maintained. It turns out that if your house has the ‘haunted trademark, you could even get away with not refurbishing it.  The only issue, of course, is that you’ll have to put up with things that go bump in the night while you’re living in it.

* Study by Inventorybase

The post Live in a haunted house? You’re in luck – people will pay more for it appeared first on Ideal Home.

Planning a kitchen can be quite overwhelming when you consider how much there is to decide. However, this London flat proves how good it can look when you take a risk and it pays off.

The kitchen ideas showcased in Attwood House in Dove Mews are a true sight to behold. Despite this two-bedroom flat in the heart of South Kensington having to accommodate the petite size of the space, the small kitchen ideas are big on style and hide lots of kitchen storage ideas.

Take a little tour with us and we’ll show you around…

Dove Mews exterior

Image credit: Knight Frank

Accessed via a private cobbled mews, this stunning apartment is situated on the second floor and even the front door has an elegant feel, with its period surround.

Kitchen

Image credit: Knight Frank

We’ll take you straight through to the kitchen where you can admire those fabulous metallic splashback tiles. Not only does the antique bronze design really pop against the dark cabinetry, but they give the small space an expensive, almost lavish look.

If you’re considering new kitchen splashback ideas, this one definitely makes a statement. Add to that the matching handles on the cabinetry, the indulgent green marble worktop and upstands, and beautiful parquet flooring, and you’ve got yourself a pretty plush room.

Living room

Image credit: Knight Frank

Head into the living room and you’re treated to a scheme that’s half global-inspired and half gentleman’s club vibes, which suits the period property perfectly. Large bookshelves house an extensive library on one side, while on the other, a large wall hanging and framed pictures decorate the walls.

Ethnic-inspired soft furnishings add pattern to the space, and a small, yet shapely table and chairs offer a spot to dine.

Bedroom

Image credit: Knight Frank

We love when homeowners use fabric to create a statement piece behind the bed in place of wallpaper and paint, and this beige patterned material has been hung from a curtain rail as a focal point. The bed frame has also been disguised with another, contrasting, piece of fabric, adding a softness to the room.

When you team that with a detailed bedspread and a trio of woven dishes on the wall, you’ve got yourself an incredibly interesting design.

Bathroom

Image credit: Knight Frank

Last up we’ll show you a snippet of the bathroom with its luxe bottle-green tiles, bronze fittings and stand-out stone sink. This room, as per the others, features a unique scheme that’s dripping in luxurious touches.

Would you like to see more? You can find Dove Mews on Knight Frank’s website, where it’s up for sale at £1,100,00.

The post A metallic kitchen splashback takes this London apartment to another level appeared first on Ideal Home.