How To Decorate A Narrow Hallway in 2022

Have you sometimes questioned yourself, “How do I decorate my long, narrow hallway?” 

In this article we will give you the interior hacks you are looking for. There are multiple ways to make a long narrow hallway seem wider, more airy and open to create an inviting atmosphere. The hallway is important since it is the first room your guests will enter in your home.

 
Down below we will give you our best tips and design principles you can use to transform your space and make the hallway your favorite space in the house. 

8 tips for decorating a narrow hallway: 

1) Choose the right furniture (ex. vertical storage unit, bench with storage)

When you start to decorate your narrow hallway it is a great idea to first consider the size and design of the furniture. You want to avoid overcrowding a small, narrow space. For example you might not need a bench and a chest of drawers right next to each other, you could look for smart furniture with combined function, such as a bench with a storage unit under that is well hidden. 

Another thing to have in mind is the symmetry in the room, you can mix different heights and sizes of furniture to create contrast and dynamic. A vertical storage unit, such as a tall thin chest of drawers is perfect to place near the entrance to create depth as well as function. 

A thin, tall console table could also be a smart choice of furniture. If your hallway is both long and narrow you could go with a minimalistic console table that has clean lines and is very airy to not take up too much space and make it crowded to pass by everyday.

2) Let natural light shine through

If your hallway is dark and does not have that much natural light coming through it can quite easily feel crowded and really tight of space when you walk through it.

You cannot control the amount of natural light but what you can do is to work with what you have got, especially in your choice of furniture. An example could be to pick a console table made of glass, with a mirror or other reflective surface. This will help with reflecting the existing light and make the room lighter and feel more airy and open. 

If you do have heavy curtains that block the natural light from a window nearby we advise you to remove those as well or switch them out for thinner curtains in a lighter, see through material that lets in more light such as linen or another sheer fabric.

3) Use mirrors to your advantage

In narrow places mirrors can do amazing work with the room, and where does it fit better than in a long, narrow hallway? Use the mirrors to your advantage and keep in mind what to look for when you choose a mirror to your hallway. The first thing to avoid is to purchase a standing mirror that takes up space in your already crowded hallway. It could also be slightly tilted and make the room seem even more crowded. 

Instead we advise you to look for a mirror that hangs on the wall, and the problem is solved, it will take up minimal space and still give the whole room a lift and increase the brightness of the room.

 

4) Use colour to make the room seem bigger

Just as a mirror can make the hallway seem bigger, so can the colour of the walls. You want to avoid dark hues such as black, dark blue and dark green, if you do not have great lighting in the room.

Even though it is really beautiful on a sunny day if the light gets in and can reflect the colour of the walls, it will not look the same late at night when the sun has gone down and the source of light is minimal. Have that in mind when you choose the wall colour, it will change a lot depending on the lighting in the room. 

The other way, a bright colour can enlarge the room. To make a room seem bigger than it is, we advise you to go with a light beige, sand, light grey or a shade of white, but any lighter shade colour will work great. Another tip is to choose a warmer tone rather than a cold one to enhance the warm feeling of the room.

5) Large piece of artwork on the wall

If the hallway is really narrow and tight it could actually feel even tighter without any furniture or decorations. A design hack is to add a large piece of artwork to the wall to lift the room.

When you have a stunning piece of artwork it will automatically draw attention and lift the whole room. It takes no space since it is hung on the wall and if you could not fit furniture to make the room dynamic, you can absolutely choose a dramatic, cool artwork to create some movement and design vibe to the space. 

If you have a hallway with great height, try to position the artwork a little higher than usual to enhance the height of the ceiling instead of the width of the room.

 

6) Create contrast and proportions

Another tip to create some movement and dynamic energy is to create contrast by mixing different types of furniture. This is by the way an interior design hack that can be incorporated in all of your rooms of your home and not only the hallway. 

An easy way to do this is to have furniture of different heights, mixing high and low furniture pieces. You might choose a low storage bench to sit on right next to a high, thinner console table. This will create some dynamic. You could also do this by mixing shapes, such as a round mirror and a rectangle shaped storage unit underneath.

This principle makes sure to create life and a dynamic feeling in your hallway. Just because it is a crowded, narrow space does not mean it should be forgotten and boring, right?

7) Keep it free from clutter

This principle might seem obvious and doesn't need much explanation. But a cluttered space will be noticed so much more in a narrow space. And since it is so small, it will also get crowded by stuff sooner than a large, wide hallway would be. Furniture plays a big role to keep the room free from unnecessary clutter. Purchase smart storage and you will not have to worry about it.

An important thing to look for is built-in storage where you can hide your clothes and things in a drawer or wardrobe that could be closed. It is better to choose storage units with drawers or other closed space than one where you place things on top of each other and draw attention to it in the already crowded space. 

A bonus tip is to look for furniture pieces that have multiple ways to use it, such as a bench that has built it storage.

 

8) Add a rug to make the room softer

A last tip is to not forget to add fabric and rugs to your hallway. It will make it more inviting and soft as a contrast to your pieces of furniture. It is a good idea to have a mix of materials, so if you have a lot of wooden pieces, for example a bench and a wardrobe, it is nice to have a soft rug under your feet when you walk through the hallway. Otherwise it might feel a bit harsh and cold. 

We would go so far to say that fabrics are the final touch that will make or break the room. As we talked about above with the importance of light colours, the same thing could be applied here. If you have a dark hallway, why not go with a lighter or colourful patterned rug to give the room some life.
 

 

Our products: best furniture pieces from PaulaHome for your narrow hallway

Storage bench (bench and storage underneath)

PaulaHome - Farmhouse Grey Storage Hall Bench

For those of you that are looking for furniture with a contemporary country charm, take a look at this Farmhouse Grey Storage Hall Bench. A beautifully crafted hallway bench painted in a grey finish and a natural wood seat. The hinges lift into a storage space that can be used to free your hallway from clutter and keep the space clean and tidy.

 

Console tables (fits in the hallway)  

PaulaHome - Farmhouse Oak Console Table

Another piece from our Farmhouse Collection is this Oak Console Table from Paulahome. A beautiful, robust console table for your hallway that will bring a touch of contemporary country charm to your home. It is a perfect storage solution since it has a bottom shelf as well.  
 

PaulaHome - Lviv Console Table with Antique Gold Top

This Lviv Console Table with Antique Gold Top is a beautiful piece of furniture for a narrow hallway. Since it is tall and has thin legs it does not take up unnecessary space and fits great even in the most narrow spaces. The gold top combined with the iron frame makes the console table an unique interior detail in your home.