Change a plain or dark hallway in your home into an inviting passageway. If you are selling your house, updating a hallway can look like a pleasing home staging event to impress buyers. But don’t wait to sell; beautify your hallway now. Choose from updates to match your budget. For an inexpensive update, use paint. For greater budgets, change out light fixtures, door hardware, or even the doors. Use these tips to transform your hallway.
Lighting
Depending on the age of your house, hall lighting may be a single ceiling fixture. Replace the fixture with a modern model in keeping with your house decor. Choosing a fixture with more bulbs will increase light in the hallway, especially when no exterior door or window is in or near the hallway to provide illumination. Choose track lighting to spotlight pictures or to project light off the wall.
Walls and doors
Paint may seem like the obvious choice to improve the appearance of a hallway, but how about thinking out of the box and go for a contrasting paint color. Choose a color that goes with the rooms connecting to the hallway. In a modern setting, painting broad stripes of color is an option to consider. If heat or air conditioning vents are present in the walls, paint them to match the wall color.
Update door hardware to lever styles. Add wall decors such as pictures all in color or all in black and white, decorative plates, clock, plaque, mirror, or tapestry. Use the Wall Accessories article from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service for ideas and placement suggestions of wall decorations.
Floors
Clean carpeting if present. Stain, paint, or stencil hardwood floors. Where noise is an issue, install a runner. Budget permitting, remove outdated or damaged flooring and install wood flooring, tile flooring, or carpeting.
Furniture
Some hallways, like those found on second floors by a stairway, may be wide enough to accommodate some furniture. Use a shallow bookcase, cabinet, or table to display treasured items such as books or collectibles. Include a small lamp for ambient lighting. The lamp may also serve as a night light.
