Your entrance hallway must be impressive, and you don’t need to break the bank to achieve this. They say first impressions count and this is true. If anyone walks into your home for the first time what they see gives them a clear vision of what to expect in the interior.
When you walk through the front door, your foyer must look and feel pleasant. It must also be inviting and welcoming. The entrance hallway must be styled as nicely as the adjoining room and depending on its size, can be decorated in a minimalist, traditional, or contemporary theme.
So, how do you style a hallway and make it both aesthetically pleasing and functional? Before you go out there shopping for your entrance hallway furniture and furnishings, you need to consider:
- The space you have.
- The function your hallway will serve.
- The theme or style you desire.
- Furniture and furnishings appropriate for your style choice.
- A colour scheme.
- Lighting - Do you have ample natural daylight, or not?
- The adjoining room(s).
Available Hallway Space
Your foyer’s design concept depends on the space you available. If your hallway is small, you can visually expand its size with mirrors, glass décor, and light-coloured furniture and furnishings. All furniture and furnishing items you choose must be the right scale for the available space. “Lighter schemes will help make space appear larger and spacious. You can paint the skirt boards to match the colour of the floor; a technique that will increase the apparent width of any small hallway.
With larger foyers, you are only limited by your imagination. They are pretty much easier to style with enough space to add an accent chair or two.
The Function of Entrance Hallways
Does your home’s foyer serve as a place to dump muddy boots, drip-dry wet umbrellas, or store the kid’s bike? Is it just a space that serves no function except as a thoroughfare? If your hallway or foyer serves for any of these then you need to re-think its purpose and style it up.
Style
Deciding on a theme is not so hard. You can have an entrance hallway styled in a traditional theme, mid-century modern, country or minimalist modern and if you are the audacious type, you may love something more dramatic like eclectic, bohemian, or tribal themes.
Colour Scheme
An entrance hallway should have a warm and inviting colour scheme. You can use rich colours like tones of primrose yellows, rose, and wines. You can use elegant colours like burnished gold or chestnut browns, and for stimulating effects, you can use primary colours, like orange, red, sunflower yellow or bold vibrant pink.
Use colour contrasts for maximum effects. These can be introduced in wall and floor finishes, including colour accents in wall-hung paintings, frames, cornices, and other features like an entrance door’s stained-glass panels, wall decals, coloured glass décor objects and area rugs.
Furniture and Furnishings
Decorate your entry hall by starting with a console table and a framed mirror, a collage of framed photographs, framed artwork, or metal craft. A console table can be a determining factor for your theme if you wish, like a starting point. Choose a small or sleek table for a small hallway if you don’t have much space. The table must fit with the scale of the hallway. Style your console with a table lamp, your favourite decoration objects, and framed photos. If there is room, add an accent chair or two, or a bench. Warm up the style with a runner rug.
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Lighting
In most hallways, glazed entrance (front) doors help ‘throw’ in some natural light. If possible, use a front door that is partially or fully glazed. Glazed entrance doors add character to both the building’s facade and the foyer. Remember to consider the security of glazed and partially glazed front doors. If your hallway is dark due to the absence of windows, then consider using artificial lighting that resembles natural light. It will illuminate the space during the day. Pendant lights are great for entrance hallways.
Harmony with the Adjoining Room
Plan your hallway to relate stylishly to the next room or interior space as this will maintain a visual flow. You don’t want to create an abrupt change between the two spaces even if they both possess different themes. Also, ensure there is a transition between colour schemes as this creates continuity in design.
Further Reading:
Decorating Ideas for the Family Room
How to Develop an Interior Design Concept
