No room sees as much traffic as your hallway, yet few of us have the luxury of a spacious area with room for all the necessities that belong. This is also the room that will give our guests their first impression of our home and what will greet you as you get home from work. A cluttered, messy hallway can be a downer for any homeowner but the size of your hallway shouldn't matter if you're clever about how you decorate it.

Natural light is the key to making your room look bigger but where none or very little is available, white walls or walls with splashes of light colour will go a long way to compensate.


If your hallway is both long and narrow though, you might want to add a focal point to the wall at the end of your hallway. This "stops" the eye and makes the room look wider. A large colourful painting with clearly defined patterns will work or a wall mural can create a really interesting eye-catcher at the end of your hallway. If you're not into all-white walls, or if your ceiling is very low, pinstripes can both add a splash of colour as well as making your room feel taller.

Hanging one or two large mirrors in you hallway is both practical and ensures light can travel throughout your room. Pendant lights are a good choice for a hallway both as light sources and for decoration. If your room is long and narrow you might feel tempted to hang them in a straight line, but consider moving them out of the line a bit so that they are not hidden behind each other.


As for furnishing your narrow hallway, start by removing everything that doesn't have to be there. That includes going through any storage space you might have under the stairs or in connection with the hallway. Make sure you put away all your seasonal clothing so that your hallway only holds what you're currently using. Put up shelves and hooks for your clothing, not forgetting a few lower hooks if you have children in the house. A shoe rack, as large as you can fit, will help keep the hallway neat but otherwise avoid furniture that take up floor space. If you feel that you need a place to sit, invest in a narrow bench that doubles up as a shoe rack.

Finally, if you're putting down new hardwood floor, a smart tip is to run the hardwood the long length of the hallway to make your hallway appear shorter and wider.